by Rivkela Brodsky
and Ryan Floersheim
Daily Lobo
UNM's International Study Exchange program is on track and looking forward to the fall semester despite the recent outbreak of SARS and the ongoing threat of terrorism, program advisers say.
Ken Carpenter, international advisement specialist at UNM, said there have been no holds placed on any of the study abroad programs within the last year and there were no reported problems from students studying in other countries.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"With the uncertain state of the world we go the extra mile to ensure the safety of our students," Carpenter said. "We try to make their trips abroad as educational and fun as possible so they get the full experience of being immersed in another society."
Although students have reported no problems while studying in other countries, UNM has taken measures to address security while studying abroad. These include the creation of an emergency response committee in Nov. 2002, comprised of the Student Health Center, the Dean of Students Office and the counseling center.
"The University wanted to be prepared after 9/11 and state department warnings," Carpenter said.
The office monitors security by keeping track of state department warnings and e-mailing students.
The UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute manages an exchange program that sends UNM students to Spain and Latin America to learn Spanish. Robyn Cote, the program's coordinator, said she is in constant contact with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to keep informed on any threats to American interests.
"I send out e-mail announcements regarding safety information students may need about the country they are studying in," Cote said.
Cote also said she, like Carpenter, hasn't witnessed any problems with UNM students studying overseas, although she was worried for students visiting Spain last semester.
"Spain sided with the U.S. in the war with Iraq, and Mexico opposed it," she said. " I was worried because the two countries were so close and since tensions were running so high. Thankfully, though, nothing happened, but we were monitoring the situation carefully."
The Office of International Programs and Studies' staff also makes a greater effort to talk about security during required orientation meetings for students.
"We talked about it more this year than in the past," Carpenter said. "There is general concern everywhere."
He said that terrorism has not impacted the program and SARS has only been a threat to one UNM student who was attending Hong Kong's Polytechnic University.
Carpenter says that in general students are just as concerned now as they were before about traveling to a different country to study, but parents are showing more concern about terrorism and anti-American sentiment than before.
"The places we send students are very safe," Carpenter said. "The chances of being involved in a terrorist attack there are no greater than the chances of being involved in a terrorist attack here in Albuquerque."
According to the UNM Study Abroad Web site, students are responsible for their own health and safety. The site recommends that students research immunization requirements and political situations that may affect their safety.
Carpenter said that although there is an increased need for safety, preparation and awareness in studying abroad, the educational benefits far outweigh the risks.
"Studying outside the U.S. for any amount of time allows a person to see their education and the world through a different perspective," Carpenter said. "Not only does it provide an opportunity for personal growth, it provides the kind of education that benefits a person for years to come."
