World Situation Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my student in light of current global tensions?
Duke University and the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO) monitor world events closely, with the safety and security of our students abroad paramount in our minds. We rely on bulletins from the U.S. Department of State, reports from our on-site staff, and news reports to keep us apprised of conditions at and around our study abroad sites.
We do not currently have plans to disrupt any Duke study abroad programs unless the security of the region where the program is located is directly threatened.
How safe is my student abroad?
We believe that the students are reasonably safe at their study abroad locations, provided they behave reasonably. We strongly recommend that the students continue their normal routine at their programs and stay in regular contact with the program staff.
We recommend that students avoid crowds, avoid moving about the city as large groups of Americans, and avoid American hangouts. We recommend that if they are away overnight, they leave their itineraries with their homestay families and the program staff. We ask for your help in this effort by encouraging your student to take individual responsibility for following these guidelines.
What has Duke University done to address security and safety concerns abroad?
When world events merit it, the university will hold meetings at various administrative levels to discuss contingency plans for various "what-if" scenarios. We will also solicit updates on the students' welfare, as well as local conditions and reactions to the latest news from our staff on-site.
We have asked our program staffs to draw up contingency plans for emergency situations on-site. We have also asked that they facilitate the registration of our students with the local U.S. embassy or consulate and that they encourage students to follow recommended safety guidelines for living abroad.
Will Duke University cancel any programs?
The decision to suspend or cancel a program is not one that university officials take lightly. A decision to suspend or cancel a program abroad would be informed by conversations with the following parties: The Duke staff in-country; officials at the partner institutions; U.S. Embassy officials in-country; other officials from U.S. agencies and/or NGO's; the appropriate U.S. State Department country Desk Officer(s); other Duke University offices; and the GEO's own assessment of certain events. Those events include the following (not in rank order): Declaration of war by the U.S. against the country where the program is located or an adjacent neighbor; declaration of war by a third country against the country of the programs location; significant terrorist activity in the program city or country; protracted or indefinite closure of the host institution(s); inability of the local Duke staff to organize and carry out an academic program outside of the host institution(s); disruption of public utilities and/or services; wide-spread civil unrest, violence and/or rioting; a declaration of martial law in the program city; recommendation of suspension/cancellation by the Duke program staff in-country; and/or travel warning and/or specific directive by the U.S. State Department and/or U.S. Embassy.
What happens if the university should cancel a study abroad program?
In the unlikely event local or world conditions should lead the university to suspend or cancel a specific study abroad program, causing no academic credit to be awarded, full refunds will be made unless the cancellation is due to political, natural, technological or other catastrophes beyond its control, in which case Duke University will be able to refund only uncommitted and recoverable funds. Should another sponsoring institution cancel its program, its refund policy, if any, will apply.
If Duke terminates a program early, but makes arrangements for students to earn full or partial credit, the refund amount would reflect this. Whether or not credit would be awarded would depend on the particular program and when the suspension or cancellation would take place.
Can I bring my student home mid-semester or mid-session if current events make me nervous? What are the academic and financial consequences of withdrawal?
Duke University students abroad and their parents always have certain options available to them. GEO directors would be happy to discuss these with them. Available options may include the following:
a. Voluntary withdrawal from the study abroad program and return to the Duke University campus before the drop/add period at Duke has ended. Refunds will be made according to the refund policy as stated in the Statement of Authorization and Consent signed by each student and, in the case of students abroad on non-Duke programs, the refund policy of the host program.
b. Voluntary withdrawal from the study abroad program and return to the U.S. to return to campus at a subsequent term. Student must secure permission for personal leave from his/her academic dean and must notify the GEO of plans. Refunds will be made according to the refund policy as stated in the Authorization and Consent form signed by each student and parent/guardian and, in the case of students abroad on non-Duke programs, the refund policy of the host program.
In both cases, the student MUST apply to the GEO for permission to withdraw and give written notice to BOTH the GEO and the foreign institution/program of the withdrawal and departure details. In each case the student will be responsible for all non-recoverable costs associated with his/her enrollment in the program overseas. See your copy of the signed Statement of Authorization and Consent for details.
Academic:
Students must complete the academic program requirements of the host institution in order to receive credit on study abroad. If the student withdraws prior to completing course work, it is unlikely they will be eligible to receive credit from the host institution. If the student withdraws in time to return to campus for the semester (by the end of the semester's drop/add period), they may enroll on-campus.
Financial:
Financial consequences of a voluntary withdrawal are subject to refund policy in the Statement of Authorization and Consent signed by the student participant and his/her parent or legal guardian. In essence, any deposit made for a Duke-administered program is non-refundable. For a semester or academic year Duke-administered program, any remaining paid fees will be refunded as follows, in accordance with the Duke University refund policy outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin: Before start of program - full refund minus the deposit; during the first or second week - 80 percent; during the third, fourth, or fifth week - 60 percent; during the sixth week - 20 percent; after the sixth week - none. For Duke-administered summer programs, if the student leaves the program for any reason after the cancellation deadline set by the Global Education Office, there will be no refund of tuition; program fees will be refunded to the extent that prior commitments have not been made. Other (non-Duke) sponsors have their own refund policies.
Are the policies the same if my student is studying with a non-Duke program?
Duke students studying on non-Duke programs are subject to the withdrawal and cancellation policies of their program or host institution. The logistics and timing surrounding the student's subsequent return to the Duke campus would be dependent on the applicable Duke academic regulations and conversations with Trinity College or Pratt School of Engineering deans.
Where can I get more information about world events that may directly affect study abroad through Duke?
Besides the normal media outlets, we recommend that parents and study abroad participants acquaint themselves with the following resources:
The U.S. Department of State website for travel warnings and public announcements: http://travel.state.gov/.
Duke University International Travel Policy: https://eruditio.aas.duke.edu/international/index.php.
