Fall 2020 Health & Safety Protocols | IES Abroad

Health & Safety Information for Fall 2020

The health and safety of IES Abroad students is and always has been our number one priority. As such, in response to the impact of COVID-19, IES Abroad has defined a list of protocols that specifically apply to the Fall 2020 study abroad semester.

We are also offering Flexible Study Abroad Programs in select locations for Fall 2020, which allow students to learn from wherever is safest.

Please contact us if you would like additional information or have any questions.

Student Health ǀ Student Housing ǀ Academic Facilities ǀ Travel
Academic Contingency Planning | Questions

General Protocols

IES Abroad will not run a program during the Fall 2020 term in any location where the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory or where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued a Level 3 Warning related to COVID-19.
IES Abroad will inform students, schools, and parents of any on-site program closure for Fall 2020 at least five weeks in advance of the official program start date. Students will be eligible for a full refund of program fees for any program cancelled by IES Abroad prior to the official program start date.
IES Abroad has specific protocols, plans, and guidelines in place on the issue of pandemics and program closures. We continuously monitor many private and public alerts and media sources to help facilitate that our students, parents, and schools have ready access to important and relevant health advisories and travel information. Some of the sources we monitor for information include the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. State Department, host-country government sources, and private sources regarding health and safety matters. In the present environment, all of this is undertaken with special attention to COVID-19.
IES Abroad complies with local laws, applicable regulations, and government orders relative to COVID 19. For nearly 20 years, IES Abroad has had its own tested protocol to guide our preparation, program planning, and response to emerging infectious diseases like COVID 19. We strive to assist and encourage students, faculty, and staff to adhere to best practices, such as social or physical distancing, best hygiene practices, avoiding public gatherings, following mobility restrictions, avoiding independent travel, and more.

Student Health

As part of IES Abroad program fees, all students studying on-site are required to have a student health insurance plan through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). This plan provides up to $500,000 in coverage with a $100 one-time deductible for any physical health issue, including COVID-19, that could arise abroad. This insurance policy also provides emergency hospitalization evacuation benefits to the U.S. or the student’s country of origin, as well as a bedside benefit for immediate family members.
On-site IES Abroad staff are well trained on our health and safety protocols, including on how to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 issues that might arise with students at their location.
On-site IES Abroad staff can provide contact information to students on local English-speaking medical professionals who can assist with any health issue that arises, including COVID-19 testing (where available), and more. Our well-trained staff can also assist with arranging medical visits, accompanying students to appointments, and monitoring student well-being.
All IES Abroad Centers have a plan in place that includes the capacity to isolate a student who may have been exposed to COVID 19, or who is being tested, awaiting test results for COVID-19 in alternative housing that is monitored by IES Abroad staff. This approach also allows us to separate healthy students from a student who needs to self-quarantine is being tested.
As health restrictions can be placed on individuals arriving in country or after arrival, students are encouraged to undergo a COVID-19 test before departing for their program location.

Student Housing

IES Abroad will only provide single bedroom housing in apartments and residence halls for the Fall 2020 semester. IES Abroad will prioritize housing that can help facilitate social/physical distancing.
IES Abroad will prioritize student housing that limits the need to travel via public mass transportation to the extent practicable.
All student housing will be cleaned and disinfected at least every 3 days, at a minimum, by a professional service.

Academic Facilities

At a minimum, IES Abroad Centers will undergo daily cleaning and disinfection by professional cleaning services.
To enhance effective social/physical distancing, IES Abroad is taking proactive measures in the classroom, too, including limiting class enrollment sizes limitations, adjusting space layout, room choice, and promoting student/faculty use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

IES Abroad & Independent Travel

Any IES Abroad sponsored travel will only occur in the program host country if appropriate social distancing can be provided and health concerns can be reasonably reduced for all participants.
Per IES Abroad policy for Fall 2020, IES Abroad students are forbidden from traveling outside their program host country. Students who travel outside the host country may be subject to disciplinary proceeding and/or dismissed from the program.
Any in-country independent travel must be entered in advance by the student in the IES Abroad TripTracker platform. This system allows IES Abroad staff to locate a student swiftly in the event of a crisis or emergency where the student is traveling.

Academic Contingency Planning

Should a program need to suspend on-site instruction due to COVID-19, students will continue their coursework in an online environment.
Sending institutions must provide program approval for online instruction before any student departs for an IES Abroad program location.