Be Your Own Risk Manager
GSO does its utmost to ensure the safety and well-being of its students, faculty and staff while they are traveling. However, our office recommends that you supplement this support by being your own risk manager, as our office cannot predict everything that might occur in the each and every travel destination. Things you can do include: researching the top five risks in your destination, looking at the U.S. Department of State's rating of the destination, and thinking through various situations that might occur during your travel and how you might react to those situations. Consider the example below, and some potential ways in which you would respond.
Example: In your country there is an elevated risk for pickpocketing. How would you use that information to manage your own risk?
- Consider where you are carrying your valuables.
- Backpack? maybe carry valuables in your inner pocket without exposure to bottom of bag.
- Pocket? Always carry in the front.
- Consider leaving some cards/money/valuables at home.
- Only carry what you will use plus one back up.
- Plan for how you will react if approached by a pickpocket.
- Surrender what they want while trying to remember as many details about them/the encounter as possible.
- Plan for how you will report to authorities.
- Police, program, parents, On-Call.
Please contact the Director of Global Safety & Operations with questions or concerns.