Gozik, dean of global education, talked with Volt about Elon prepares its students and staff for safe and success study abroad experiences.
Elon University’s thriving study abroad program was featured in a recent article on supporting student safety while abroad from Volt, an online education media outlet.
Nick Gozik, Elon’s dean of Global Education, spoke with the outlet about having the proper support staff in place to effectively protect students’ well-being. The duties for these roles must include monitoring worldwide news coverage, training program leaders and organizers to manage student groups, and partnering with other on-campus resources to lessen the risk involved in study abroad.
“It is important to have staff who are charged with clear tasks, ensuring that there are not any gaps,” he told Volt. But not all institutions have the resources to hire for such a specific position. “Many offices are only comprised of one or two people, and thus each staff member needs to be an expert in multiple areas.”
Preparation is also key, Gozik said, as he highlighted the many precautionary measures the university takes before study abroad trips.
“We cover health and safety in pre-departure meetings and through materials, including handbooks,” Gozik said. “Once students arrive in country, onsite staff provide details related to the surrounding location. Additional information is shared with students in the event of an emergency.”