Wellesley College
Safety Policy for International Programs
Ordinarily students may not receive academic credit or college funds for programs taking place in a country for which there is a current U.S. government warning advising Americans to defer travel or to evacuate.
Students seeking an exception to this policy must submit a request (in advance of their travel) to the college’s international safety committee.
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If a U.S. government warning is issued for a country in which
a Wellesley-run program is operating or in which Wellesley
students are studying or holding college-supported internships,
the international safety committee will consider whether it
would be appropriate to curtail the program and/or withdraw
college support. If immediate action is required or the international
safety committee cannot be convened in a timely manner, the
final decision about cancellation will rest with the Dean of
the College and the Dean of Students.
State Department Information on Safety and Travel Abroad
Students applying for a Wellesley College stipend to fund their internship experience must consult the State Department Web site (www.state.gov) for information regarding the country to which they will be traveling.For information on safety and traveling abroad please refer to the following pages on the State Department Web site:
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Information on traveling abroad: http://travel.state.gov/
Information on Travel Warnings, Public Announcements and Consular Information: http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
Below are definitions from the State Department Web site for Travel Warnings, Public Announcements and Consular Information Sheets:
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Travel Warnings are issued when the State
Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend
that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance
of travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well
as Consular Information Sheets.
Public Announcements are a means to disseminate information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. They are made any time there is a perceived threat and usually have Americans as a particular target group. In the past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, bomb threats to airlines, violence by terrorists, and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.
Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They include such information as location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the condition(s) may be included under an optional section entitled "Safety/Security." On limited occasions, we also restate in this section any U.S. Embassy advice given to official employees. Consular Information Sheets generally do not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.