Preparing to Travel

You should be aware of local news and political events. Read local newspapers and magazines, also keep up with international newspapers and publications.

Learn from local residents which areas of town are safe or dangerous and when to avoid certain locations. For example, normally safe areas may become more risky late at night, during soccer games, or political rallies.

Determine which means of transportation are safe and secure, and at what time of day. Which is safer late at night: public transportation (buses, subways, etc.) or taxis? This varies from country to country. When traveling from a familiar city to an unfamiliar area, ask for advice and research safe areas before departing.

Uncertainty causes a great deal of anxiety. You should check in regularly with your family and friends by phone or e-mail. For many parents, simply knowing that they can reach you at any time, day or night, reduces anxiety considerably.

Cell phones are quite inexpensive in many countries, and many plans do not charge to receive calls. You should inquire with your program provider which cell phone plans are best.

The UHCL Office of Education Abroad and Scholar Services  also asks that you check in with us regularly by e-mail, phone or Alert Traveler. Notify us if you have a concern about your safety, or just to say that things are fine. We appreciate hearing from students.

Gaining cross-cultural understanding is one of the most important and profound aspects of the Education Abroad experience, and we encourage you to apply your newfound knowledge to preserving your safety. Every culture is different, even if they appear similar. While all cultures value safety and stability, the ways they achieve it may vary considerably.

You can enhance your experience and personal safety by learning the answers to the following questions:

• What do people in this culture value most?
• How are reputations made or ruined?
• What behaviors, manners or clothing blend in and which demand attention?
• How do people respond to uncertainty or difference? Are they open or do they feel threatened?
• What are the cultural norms for alcohol in the host country?
• What reputation do American students have?
• Do my actions, behavior and dress reinforce the negative or the positive?

Many people are concerned about your safety and security during your Education Abroad experience – including parents and friends, UHCL, the hosting institution and people responsible for your accommodations. However, no one will be as involved or concerned as you, the student. Ensuring your personal safety and security begins with the decisions you make on a daily basis, including the transportation methods you choose, whom you associate with, when and where you go out, etc.

By being aware, employing cultural common sense and making intelligent choices, you can greatly narrow the risks to your own safety. By far, the greatest threat to student safety involves alcohol. Although drinking across cultures is not necessarily as dangerous as drinking and driving, overindulgence in an unfamiliar country can result in negative consequences. 

All University of Houston-Clear Lake students on an approved education abroad program must have the university approved medical, travel, and security assistance prior to departure and while on the approved program.

The University of Houston System has partnered with On Call International to provide emergency and non-emergency services and benefits while traveling internationally on an approved education abroad program or university-sponsored travel.

If you need medical, security, or travel assistance, regardless of the nature or severity of your situation, contact On Call 24 hours a day. 

• Call collect from anywhere in the world: +1 978-651-9213
• Call toll-free US / Canada: 1-833-808-0236
• 24/7 Live Chat: www.oncallinternational.com/chat/direct
• Email: mail@oncallinternational.com
• Text Only: +1 844-302-5131

On Call International Coverage

Coverage includes emergency medical coverage for accident and sickness that occurs outside the United States for students on an approved education abroad program. This includes coverage for expenses related to hospital in/out-patient, general practitioners and specialists, and prescription medications for covered accident and sickness. There are no exclusions to coverage for expenses incurred that are related to COVID-19. All transportation must be coordinated and arranged by the On Call International 24/7 Global Response Center.

Key features of the program:

• Medical, travel, and security assistance, including insured evacuation services 
• International medical expenses coverage
• Coordination of emergent and non-emergent medical care
• Coordination of travel arrangements for you or a person you designate for certain emergency circumstances, such as your hospitalization abroad
• Travel monitoring app and critical event intelligence alerts (powered by OnSolve)

For approved education abroad programs, the following will occur upon travel information sent to On Call International by the Office of Education Abroad & Scholar Services:

• Pre-Travel Advisory:  dependent upon the risk rating of your destination, you may receive a pre-travel advisory email with standing health and safety advice. 
• Critical Incident Alerts:  you will be registered to receive alerts via email if any are issued for your destination shortly before your program or while traveling.    
• Risk Intelligence Mobile App Registration: You will be registered to use the OnSolve Risk Intelligence application and receive an emailed invitation to download it. To optimize usage of the app, use the recommended settings found in the Mobile App User Guide

Emails will deliver from OCI Alerts with an @onsolve.com email domain. 

Before Program Departure

If traveling abroad, ensure you have the On Call plan information and contact information in the easiest place to reference it – on your phone. You can do this with a simple 2-step process without needing to login into anything or sharing any personal information:  

1. Visit On Call International from your phone or use your phone camera to scan the QR code below.  
2. Follow the prompts to save it to your home screen. This will give you a tile on your phone that opens a Resource Hub that includes information about the program and how to use it, as well as click to dial phone and chat links.  

While Abroad

You can make a collect call, send an email, live chat, or text On Call from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day to request assistance. If you need medical care, encounter a travel problem, suffer a medical emergency, or are impacted by a security crisis anywhere in the world, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of services available through On Call.

For questions, please contact, EducationAbroad@uhcl.edu.

When students arrive at the education abroad site, they are required to notify their emergency contacts and their Education Abroad Advisor immediately. Students are encouraged to remain in contact with their Education Abroad Advisor during the term abroad.

Risk Assessment and Emergency Response

If a situation poses a genuine or immediate risk to the safety and well‐being of education abroad participants, as well as to the execution of the program as planned, it will be treated as an emergency. A situation may involve a single participant or all program participants.

Minor Emergency Situations

• Minor accident/ injury (small cuts, pulled a muscle, sprained ankle):
  Contact local health services organization or agency, if required.
• Pickpocketing, petty theft: Contact the local emergency response agencies – police. The applicable phone numbers should be on your cell phone before you leave. The third party vendors should also provide those important phone numbers.
• Lost passport or wallet: Contact the local police first, request an official theft/loss report, then contact the nearest U.S. Consular office to process an expedient issuance of a temporary travel document. Contact for the local police and the U.S. Consular Office/Embassy should be provided by the third party vendors.
• Missed flight or train: Contact the airline carrier for immediate assistance. If the tickets were booked through a travel agent/third party vendor, contact them next for assistance, especially if the entire group may need to re-book.
• Discipline issue(s) such as peer or sexual or other harassment, repeated student or faculty alcohol/ drug abuse/tardiness, etc.: If a student needs to be sent back to the U.S. – contact the Education Abroad advisor immediately for further steps.
• Temporarily lost participant: Each student/participant must be carefully advised during pre-departure instructions on how and who to contact should they find themselves lost and on their own.

Major Emergency Situations

• Death of one or more program participants
• Life‐threatening injury or other medical emergency
• Physical/sexual assault
• Natural or human disasters
• Political/civil unrest
• Terrorist threat/attack
• Arrest, criminal charges
• Entire group delayed/stranded outside of the program location for one or more days (includes arrival/return days).

Serious Illness (Medical or Psychological), Injury or Death

• On-site personnel (faculty, student, program provider) contact the appropriate local authorities (police, embassy, medical personnel) to begin the local action necessary to address the situation.
• Necessary action will be taken, such as provision for medical care in the country, medical evacuation, etc.

Victim of a Crime/Assault

• On-site personnel/individual should contact the local authorities (police, U.S. Embassy, medical personnel) to begin the local action needed.

Accused of a Crime

• On-site personnel should contact the local authorities (police, U.S. Embassy, medical personnel) to begin the local action needed.

Refer to Department of State's PREP Guide to prepare for crisis, react in emergencies, and begin recovery.

Travel alerts and warnings: up-to-date alerts and warnings for U.S. travelers who are or will be traveling abroad. 

Emergency Resources

On the U.S. Department of State Emergency Resources page you can find useful information about:

• Lost and stolen passports
• Medical emergencies
• Victims of crime
• Arrest and detention
• Missing persons and contacting loved ones
• Parental child abductions
• Death abroad
• Natural disasters
• The State Department's role in a crisis

Overseas U.S. Citizen Services / Report a Lost or Stolen Passport

From the U.S. & Canada:
1-888-407-4747

From Overseas:
+1-202-501-4444