Health and Safety Field Guide for Program Leaders

Preparing and supporting students

Program leader responsibilities include supporting the cultural adjustment and the health and safety of students while they are abroad. While students are expected to behave responsibly regarding their own health and safety, program leaders are professionally responsible for serving as a resource for students and providing assistance and support in case of an emergency. Many first-time program leaders are surprised at the degree to which students look to hem for support in dealing with a wide variety of issues, including homesickness and the process of cultural adjustment. Providing comprehensive orientations and assisting students in establishing realistic expectations are key to program success.

To be successful, program leaders should:

  • Attend the mandatory health, safety and security workshop for program leaders.
  • Complete Clery Act campus security authority training.
  • Submit a detailed program itinerary with all accommodations and overseas contact information to the office managing your program. All relevant details will be provided to International Programs.

Pre-departure orientation

International Programs strives to prepare all MU students to have a safe and culturally-enriching experience abroad. This is achieved through individual advising sessions as well as general and program-specific pre-departure orientations. Students receive general information regarding cultural adjustment, travel, health and safety through the mandatory Mizzou Abroad Orientation.

Students are provided with guidelines for protecting themselves and their belongings abroad. and information about services through the U.S. Department of State that address issues related to health and safety in the countries where the students will be studying. They are advised to consult the Department of State website for updates and to register all their travel with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program or equivalent if they are not U.S. citizens. Students receive information about how to stay healthy abroad and how to use their insurance if they become ill or are injured.

Each program is unique and students need to receive program-specific information to be adequately prepared. Below is a list of health and safety topics that should be covered in this orientation:

  • How to contact you and International Programs at any time in case of an emergency.
  • Health, safety and legal concerns specific to the host city(s) and country(s):
    • Specific information about any safety concerns in the program location(s) (e.g., areas to avoid, recommendations for traveling in groups/buddy system, safety of local transportation).
    • Instructions about what to do if they become ill abroad, including how to use their mandatory health insurance through GeoBlue.
    • Travel health information will be provided by the Student Health Center for countries with recommended or required immunizations, where malaria is endemic or that have food/water safety concerns.
  • Cultural concerns:
    • Cultural adjustment and culture shock.
    • Etiquette (e.g., the left hand rule).
    • Appropriate dress.
    • Issues of identity abroad: age, ancestry, color, gender identity, gender expression, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, veteran status.
  • Packing tips:
    • What to take and what not to take, considering immigration and customs restrictions.
    • Weather conditions, program activities and appropriate clothing, including the need for special footwear or outerwear.
    • Guidelines for bringing prescription and over-the-counter medications (refer question to the Office of International Health, Safety and Security).
  • Travel information:
    • Flights and other transportation options.
    • Passport and visa requirements.
  • Finances related to health and safety:
    • GeoBlue health insurance and UnitedHealthcare Global emergency evacuation insurance is included in the program cost.
    • Arrangements for safely accessing money abroad: card PINs, safer ATM access, credit/debit cards.

Building community on your program

Study abroad is an exciting opportunity to grow personally, academically and professionally, but international travel can be stressful and tiring. It is important to build connections and set expectations among your group to help manage stress and reduce conflicts. Review the following recommended activities:

  • Icebreakers/teambuilders: Select and facilitate at least two of these activities with the group. Suggested icebreakers:
    • Show everyone in the group a happy photo from their cell phone.
    • Share what you do for a specific holiday.
    • What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
    • What is the most common thing people say when you tell them your hometown?
    • What was the first concert you saw live?
    • What are you good at doing but don’t like doing?
    • Play travel bingo (based on information about previous travel experience, what type of traveler you are, etc.).
  • Tossing around concerns: Normalize concern by asking students to write down something they or other might be concerned about when traveling abroad. Have them crumple up the paper and toss it on the count of three. Ask each student to pick up a crumpled paper and read someone else’s concern.
  • Develop a community agreement: What expectations do you have for yourself and the group during the program? Work with students to establish a community agreement based on the Mizzou Values and student-generated values.
    • Mizzou’s values for all groups include:
      • Respect: Act with respect in all interactions with others in the group and members of the host country.
      • Responsibility: Take responsibility for your own actions and make sure no one in the group will be left out or left behind.
    • Ask students to share their ideas about additional values for the group. Write them on a whiteboard or large piece of paper and look for a consensus.
    • Ask students for ideas about what it looks like to act in accordance with the group values.
    • Additional ideas for building connections:
      • Set up a buddy system — place students in groups of two or four.
      • Ask for volunteers to arrange dinner groups that are open to all program participants.
  • Communicate needs and hold regular check-ins: Establish an effective way to check in with each other through the day so that any immediate needs can be addressed.
    • Ask group members how they are feeling on a numerical scale.
    • Use the stop light model: green=all going well; yellow=struggling but able to continue; red=need to take a break or have an immediate need.
    • Thumbs up, so-so sign, thumbs down.
  • Decide how the group will manage conflict: Ideas may include:
    • Talk to the other person directly using “I” statements. For example, “I felt (name emotion/reaction) when you did (name behavior).”
    • Ask the program leader or assistant to help mediate the conversation.

> Next: On-site program management

Sources include:
Ho, Lisa, Associate Director of International and Off-Campus Programs, Ohio Wesleyan University (2024). Building a Community Agreement. NAFSA Region VI Conference.
Kirsch, Melissa (2025, March 29). Breaking the Ice. The New York Times.
School of International Training (SIT) Building Transformative Learning Communities.