UNC study abroad office would welcome new safety legislation

Three U.S. senators wrote a letter to secretary of education Arne Duncan urging his department to push for new legislation standardizing safety and reporting practices for both K-12 and university study abroad programs.

Robert Miles, associate dean of study abroad and international exchanges, said UNC already takes the necessary precautions when it comes to sending students overseas.

“The staff of the Study Abroad Office understands very well our responsibility to do all that we can to manage risk appropriately,” Miles said.

Having already taken safety precautions such as requiring students to purchase local phone plans while abroad and limiting travel to certain regions, Miles felt confident such legislation would not further limit students.

“I would be surprised on the information currently available to me if there were any negative impact on the wide range of destinations currently offered,” Miles said.

UNC offers 330 study abroad programs in more than 70 countries, and 31 percent of students go abroad.

Students expressed feeling a sense of security while studying abroad.

Sophomore business administration major Craig Amasya said he was comfortable while studying in Santiago, Chile last summer.

“We were allowed to go out and explore the world and we were able to stay safe while doing so,” Amasya said.

Miles said no students have died or suffered serious injury while studying abroad during his 14-year career at UNC.

A focal point of the proposed safety legislations is for data to be collected about the risks associated with all study abroad programs and affiliated agencies.

Students also value transparency and the availability of information for them before they embark on their study abroad journeys.

“I am of the opinion that more information is never a bad thing,” said Amasya.

While being informed about deaths or injuries on past trips could prove worrisome for students like sophomore business administration major Nakisa Sadeghi, the information would ultimately be beneficial.

“I would be worried about past incidents of death or injury but definitely not enough to stay home,” Sadeghi said.

Students agreed that the situation in which a person was injured or killed would certainly contribute to their level of concern and said they would appreciate information to ensure they were making informed decisions and avoiding risks.

While tragedies can occur while abroad, risks will be always prominent whether a student is abroad or not, Miles said.

“Whether a student studies abroad or whether they graduate without having left the U.S., they all have to learn to manage risk — whether it be in Chapel Hill or Shanghai.”

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