International Studies refines procedures for emergencies

In a crisis, people may hunker down instead of reaching out, a natural act of self-defense. But the best defense may be offense, scanning the landscape to decide whether the danger is real and looking for help if it is.

That’s one principle incorporated into new guidelines for managing emergencies involving students in study-abroad programs, if and when they occur. They were written by Joan Raducha, assistant dean and director of International Academic Programs (IAP) for the Office of International Studies and Programs. Her staff oversees most of the university’s study-abroad programs and provides advice on the safety of the people in them.

“Careful planning at the beginning of a study-abroad program and regular review of the sites is the best strategy for success,” says Raducha. “But we need to be prepared in the event that emergencies arise, as they can anywhere – in Madison or Manila or Madrid. Now, if an emergency arises, we have standard procedures that my staff and study-abroad program leaders can follow.”

IAP programs in about 60 countries support study abroad for around 600 students a year, plus some faculty and staff. The number of IAP participants has roughly doubled every 10 years since 1961, when the first program opened. That growth was one reason Raducha has refined IAP procedures.

The guidelines are not meant to be a straitjacket, but simply a reminder of which questions to ask and where help might lie. They touch on scenarios and questions ranging from a student becoming seriously ill (Does the attending physician speak English?) to one being taken hostage (Who is the contact person and what is the phone number at the U.S. Embassy?).

“We will be able to use this operations manual to stop rumors if the emergency is false,” says Raducha, “or to advise students if it’s real.”

The distinction between real and “perceived” emergencies is key to Raducha’s staff. Real ones include political demonstrations, natural disasters, accidents or personal assaults. Perceived emergencies can arise from sensationalized reporting of an event abroad or the distortion of information sent from a student to family back home. For a copy of the procedures, call 262-2852; e-mail: wohlers@mail.bascom.wisc.edu.