Pre-Departure Orientations
Whether you are a seasoned international traveler, or this is your first time abroad, regardless if you are a student, faculty, or staff, it's important to brush up on some baseline information. Having a better understanding of the many resources DU offers in support of its travelers and being familiar with your responsibilities as a DU representative abroad are integral to a successful experience. The International Travel Health and Safety team has developed two short, free, online courses to help you take off on the right foot.
Courses
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Pre-Departure Orientation
Designed primarily with students in mind, this course would be helpful to any DU traveler. This course provides baseline information to prepare travelers to responsibly manage their own health, safety, and security while abroad. Covering topics such as how to use the international travel medical/emergency insurance, what to expect when engaging with a new culture, expected conduct, and the many ways our Travel Assistance partner can assist, the course is split into three short modules. Each module has a video on the topics of "Travel Logistics, Staying Healthy, and Safety Abroad," useful supplemental materials, and a short quiz. Upon completion of all the modules, the student will receive a confirmation email that can be shown to program administrators, if requested. Travelers may enroll in this Canvas course using this link: https://canvas.du.edu/enroll/N9M83H
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Taking Students Abroad
This orientation course provides information related to the responsibilities and expectations of being a Program Leader as well as valuable resources for both you and your students. Completion of the course is required every calendar year in which one leads a program abroad and before final approval will be granted for any program proposal. The content is arranged in 4 sections, each with a quiz to help gauge a Program Leader's understanding of the material. The topics covered are:
- Logistics of Being a Program Leader
- How to Use our Travel Assistance partner to keep you and your students safe
- Customizable templates for presenting your program-specific pre-departure orientation.
- Program Leader Conduct
- What are the expectations of Program Leaders
- Dos and Don'ts
- Working with Students in Distress
- Identifying mental health issues
- How to converse with and support a student who needs emotional support
- Managing Incidents Abroad
- What to do in a variety of situations
- Whom to call when
And much more!
The 2025 course can be found here: COMING SOON