Risk Management
The safety and security of SIT students, faculty, and staff are of paramount importance and any action we take is with that concern foremost in our minds. SIT is committed to meeting all situations head-on and taking all appropriate action to mitigate risk. Our priorities are to:
- ensure the safety, security, and well-being of students, program participants, faculty, and staff
- uphold the values and mission of SIT
- maintain normal operations to the extent that it is safely possible to do so
Risk Assessment
SIT monitors ongoing and evolving risks in each country including crime, terrorism, political instability and civil unrest, natural disasters, and public health matters. We rely on a variety of tools and resources for identifying and assessing actual or potential risk to students and staff including: International SOS (medical and travel risk ratings); the U.S. Department of State (travel advisories); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (travel health notices); the Overseas Security Advisory Council (country crime and safety reports); U.S. embassies (in countries of operation); and the World Health Organization.
SIT leverages the expertise and knowledge of our experienced host country faculty and staff who provide us with updates about issues of concern and potential impact to our students and centers. Our local faculty and staff have extensive networks that include local authorities, U.S. embassy services, and informal sources, all of which help inform our decisions about program safety and security.
This holistic and comprehensive information is used to inform our program-specific contingency plans, conducted annually for every location we operate programs in and more frequently for any areas of identified concern based on recent events.
Risk Assessment Committee
SIT maintains an as-needed Risk Assessment Committee comprised of senior-level staff and co-chaired by the Dean of Student Health, Safety, and Wellbeing and the Director of Security. The committee meets, when required, to assess program safety and operational integrity.
If SIT determines that a program cannot run for any risk-related reason, affected students and their home institutions will be notified as soon as possible to allow students to make alternative arrangements. Where possible, and with the approval of students’ home institutions, affected students will be given the opportunity to transfer their enrollment to another active SIT program that aligns with their academic interests.
Clery Report