Assessing Safety

International SOS provides alerts at four levels:

All students traveling on a Penn Abroad program receive International SOS alerts automatically when registration in MyTrips, Penn’s international travel registry, takes place prior to departure. For semester abroad and PGS students, Penn Abroad completes MyTrips registration for students. For GRIP, students are expected to register in MyTrips on their own.

Penn Abroad does not email students regularly because International SOS provides “Notice” alerts on health or security incidents abroad. Penn Abroad expects that all students are reading International SOS guidance as received, and are following appropriate advice provided by International SOS, and/or their host program, as relevant to the incident.

When an International SOS alert is issued at the “Advisory” or “Special Advisory” level, Penn Abroad may reach out to students if the incident directly impacts the immediate safety of student travelers, university campuses, or locations where student travelers are known to be. If Penn Abroad is in touch following an “Advisory” alert, an email will be received after the International SOS notification and will include any relevant information specific to Penn student travelers. If Advisory alerts continue, Penn Abroad will not continue to email students unless a new development occurs which warrants different steps from previous guidance. As with “Notices,” Penn Abroad expects students to keep an eye on international SOS Advisories, as well as host program communication, and are following all guidance as it is received. 

When an alert is issued at the “Evacuation Notification” level, Penn Abroad reaches out to all student travelers and will notify students of specific and relevant next steps to be taken considering the incident. As with “Advisories,” Penn Abroad outreach will come after the International SOS notification. Students should be following all guidance provided by International SOS and/or their host program and remain in a secure location until follow-up is received from Penn Abroad. During this time, Penn Abroad will work with the Office of Risk Management & Insurance and on-site partners to develop the most appropriate guidance and next steps for students to follow as relevant to the incident.

All correspondence from Penn regarding health, safety, and security will always be sent to the student’s Penn email address. Penn Abroad is aware of worldwide incidents, and we are continuously assessing the safety of locations abroad, even if we do not email students regularly regarding an incident. Although not all worldwide incidents will yield follow-up correspondence from Penn Abroad, concerned students are always encouraged to contact Penn Abroad with questions regarding alerts or associated guidance received from International SOS or their host program. 

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Penn Abroad does not provide updates to parents and/or guardians regarding health, safety, and security incidents occurring in abroad locations. Penn Abroad expects that students will check in with their contacts at home and share any relevant information with them as they deem appropriate. 

Should parents or guardians choose to call Penn Abroad to discuss a health, safety, or security concern related to a student’s program abroad, we will provide general information regarding how we assess safety abroad and for a particular location. Further information specifically related to an academic program and/or academic impacts from a safety incident will only be discussed if the student has provided consent to speak to the parent and/or guardian via their Penn in Touch “Consent to Disclose Academic and/or Financial Data” settings, per federal FERPA policy 

Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to visit International SOS using Penn’s Membership ID (11BSGC000012) to view alerts and updates by country. Parents may sign up to receive email notifications from International SOS by setting “email subscription preferences” on the International SOS home page. Parents and/or guardians can also call International SOS directly at +1 215 942 8478. Penn Abroad strongly encourages students and their parents and/or guardians to call International SOS together to discuss questions and concerns with a health or security expert. 

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Study abroad programs can be altered, disrupted, or canceled at any time by Penn or by the Host Institution, including after a program abroad begins or after Penn’s term commences.

Any alterations to the planned program, whether temporary or permanent, may have an impact on your financial commitments and academic expectations for your term abroad.

For details on the implications to consider, please review “Financial & Academic Considerations in the Event of a Program Alteration” on the Semester Abroad Financial Information page.