ACM prides itself on having experienced staff who are committed to the health and safety of each and every student. Against this solid background of experience, ACM enthusiastically supports and endorses the recent establishment of the Health and Safety Guidelines for Study Abroad, as published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. ACM also endeavors to meet the safety and security guidelines set forth by the Forum on Education Abroad in its Standards of Good Practice.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Visit the CDC for information on any necessary vaccines and health-related travel issues for France and any other countries you plan to visit during your time abroad.
Information on traveling with medication can also be found on the CDC’s website.
Here are some main points to keep in mind:
- All medications should be carried in their original containers with clear labels. Your name and dosing regimen should be on each container.
- Carry copies of all prescriptions, including their generic names and preferably translated into the local language of the destination.
- For controlled substances and injectable medications, travelers should carry a note from the prescribing doctor on letterhead stationery. (Translating the letter into the local language of the destination and attaching this translation to the original document may prove helpful if the document is needed during the trip.)
- Medications and supporting documentation should be packed in your carry-on luggage.
*Some countries do not permit certain medications. Contact the embassy or consulate of the destination country with any questions pertaining to your medication.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Regardless of the coverage they may carry through a personal, family, or school policy, students are required to purchase the insurance coverage provided by ACM, through ACE American Insurance Company. ACM will automatically subscribe you, with the cost included in the program fee.
The policy benefits include the following. All medical-related expenses are paid out-of-pocket and are reimbursed at a later date by check in U.S. dollars.
- Medical Expense & Emergency Medical
- Emergency Medical Evacuation
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
- Repatriation of Remains
- Emergency Reunion
- Security Evacuation
- Trip Interruption
*For students applying for a long stay student visa, your proof of insurance stating that you are covered for your program in France will be sent to you by e-mail. Important: You will need this document when applying for your student visa.
To receive a copy of the policy, please email admissions@acmfrance.org. For customer service, eligibility verification, plan information or to file a claim, contact ACE directly at 888-293-9229 (from inside the U.S.) or 610-293-9229 (from outside the U.S.).
HEALTH PRACTICES
ACM is committed to the health of each student, providing the following resources and practices to ensure their well-being while on the program.
- A comprehensive health policy provides students with not only standard coverage but coverage of matters specifically related to study and travel abroad.
- A Physician’s Statement is requested as part of ACM’s initial program application to verify that the student is in good health and not likely to require medical attention while abroad. Any items discussed on the Physician’s Statement are addressed prior to departure to ensure a healthy and enjoyable time on the program.
- A dedicated Wellness and Counseling Center modeled after university counseling centers in the U.S. is available to students on campus. Counseling services are provided in a confidential space, allowing students to talk about any issues or concerns including those related to cultural transition and adjustment.
- A list of Anglophone doctors and dentists is available in the Wellness and Counseling Center.
- A confidential file is maintained by staff with emergency contact information of parents or guardians and/or any special medical conditions of the student.
SEXUAL HARRASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION
ACM is firmly committed to intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and expression, and respect for the dignity of each individual. Acts of discrimination or intimidation are inconsistent with this commitment and will not be tolerated. Prohibited acts include harassment and intimidation motivated by discriminatory intent based on race, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, belief, or genetic information. Any such harassment or intimidation of or by a student or host family should be referred to the dean of student affairs. Similarly, acts of sexual harassment will not be tolerated. ACM students will receive sexual and cultural training as part of their orientation.
INCIDENT RESPONSE
ACM is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which all members of the ACM community are supported by any and all Institutional resources in responding to any acts of violence and/or assault. ACM has no tolerance for any acts of violence, sexual or otherwise, either within the educational community or as a consequence of altercations involving members of the ACM community, whether linked with ACM programs and activities or not. Swift action and response will follow should the Dean be alerted of ACM community members’ having been victims or assailants in any assault or physical altercation.
- Upon reception of complaints regarding any violence or assault either within ACM facilities, ACM host families or elsewhere in the region, the Dean’s Office will determine, in counsel with the ACM Wellness Director, whether said victim or assailant should be interviewed directly by the Dean.
- Otherwise, the Wellness Director, as a professional counselor, will conduct the interview, writing a report of the information gathered and submitting to the Dean.
- Simultaneously, if warranted, the Dean’s Office will contact local authorities to report the incident to ensure that altercations are handled within the legal framework of local sanctions.
- Should the incident involve ACM students, the appropriate sending universities will be notified by the Dean’s Office. If the student is a minor, parents will also be notified.
- If the student is 18 years or older, the ACM Dean’s Office will notify the parents only with the student’s consent.
SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT
ACM highly recommend that all students enroll in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before they leave for France. By enrolling in this system, the U.S. Embassy is able to keep you updated with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency.
LOST OR STOLEN PASSPORT
Should your passport be lost or stolen, please visit the following page for information on next steps: Lost or Stolen Passport.
STUDENT SAFETY ON-SITE
In addition to observing and promoting the Health and Safety Guidelines for Study Abroad mentioned above, regular ACM practices regarding student safety include the following:
National Emergencies & Travel Warnings
- Each student is registered with the U.S. Consulate in Marseille, depending on their program. Registration at the U.S. Consulate makes the student’s whereabouts known and makes it possible for a consular officer to contact the student in an emergency.
- Students are invited to follow ACM social media channels prior to arrival on-site. News, updates, and travel recommendations made by the U.S. State Department are posted here as well as sent to students via email when appropriate.
- In case of emergency, ACM staff initiate a student check-in using email, phone, social media, and on-site contacts to confirm the safety and location of each ACM student. This information is communicated regularly to both university partners and emergency contacts until each student has been accounted for and/or the emergency has resolved.
- When public announcements concerning American citizens are received from the U.S. Consulate, students are informed by email and/or SMS texting, and the announcement is also posted on bulletin boards throughout ACM buildings.
- ACM is registered with the United States Department of State listserv advisory service which communicates country specific travel advisories as well as information of concern to American citizens abroad. Public announcements are immediately communicated to all On-Site Directors and Deans for communication to students.
- In the event of a local, national, or international emergency, the Institute follows the instructions issued by the U.S. State Department and the French government authorities.
Student Safety On-Site & While Traveling
- Photocopies of student passports and visas are kept on file at ACM and are accessible to appropriate staff in the U.S. and abroad.
- Each student is expected to keep in their possession a ACM identification card which lists telephone numbers of the College, and the French national numbers for emergency medical help.
- Safety matters are discussed during on-site orientation at the start of each term with particular attention given to any behaviors or areas of town which should be avoided, use of public telephones, and accessing emergency services for police and medical assistance.
- Before departing on any non-ACM travel during weekend or vacation periods, students are required to “sign out” with ACM personnel by submitting an online form with their expected destination, contact numbers if possible, and expected date of return. This information is available to appropriate U.S. and French staff.
- ACM staff maintains up-to-date lists of emergency contact information for both parents/guardians as well as home institution advisor for each student as provided in their initial application to ACM.
- Each On-Site Director and Dean is furnished with a mobile phone that is accessible 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, to facilitate communication at any time in emergency situations.
- Faculty and staff who accompany students off-site are also equipped with mobile phones.
- Pre-arrival materials advise students to observe basic common sense and reasonable prudence with respect to personal behavior and preventive medicine while abroad. Students are discouraged from engaging in high-risk leisure activities while abroad. Periodic reminders are issued throughout the semester from Deans and On-Site Directors.
- Pre-arrival materials include a liability release form signed by each student to make them aware of the determinant role which their personal conduct may play in avoiding risk.
- WSA Travel: ACM is part of the WSA network which provides students with safe travel options abroad (perhaps have this both on the Health & Safety page and the current Travel Logistics page)
STUDENT WELLNESS
ACM maintains a healthy environment and culture by establishing policies and procedures that promote and support wellness of mind, body, and spirit to all students.
The Wellness Program includes resources for accurate health information on cultural adjustment issues, alcohol and other drug use, sexual health, physical and mental wellness, violence prevention, and other areas of student wellbeing. Through collaboration within ACM and out in the community, our comprehensive Wellness Program promotes intelligent and healthy behavioral choices for students, faculty, staff, and administration.
Students may also visit the Health & Safety page for guidelines and recommendations on how to stay safe and healthy in their new environment.
“Wellness is a connection of paths: knowledge and action.” – Joshua Welch
- Have confidence in your ability to adjust to a new situation.
- Stay curious – about your own responses and the situations you experience.
- Avoid negative thought patterns – they are giving you a signal that you are trying to manage difficult feelings that are arising.
- Maintain an attitude of contribution – to your ACM community, your homestay, and the community of Aix.
- Remember: the staff, faculty, and wellness program are here to support you.
CULTURAL TRANSITION
The tension and stress you may experience during your cultural transition and adjustment is absolutely normal. How you respond to this very predictable stress depends on your experience and the personal tools you possess that can help you make a healthy shift to your host culture during your study abroad experience.
- Start right where you are: pay attention to your own feelings and behavioral responses as you step into this experience.
- Stay curious about what is happening to you that creates stress or tension. What triggered a feeling of anger or worry or sadness?
- Keep a journal of your experience to chart your cultural growth.
- Learn to manage the stress that arises through healthy choices:
- Diet and exercise
- Remember to breathe!
- Create quiet “down time” in your day
- Pay attention to your thought patterns
- Be mindful of health and safety issues
Transitions tend to create stress in human beings. Our natural response to stress is fight or flight and a series of physiological responses occur that prepare the body for one of those choices. The transition of adjusting to a new culture can evoke a similar stress-response. Some common signs that you are in a cultural transition are:
- Feeling homesick
- Isolating/cutting yourself off from others
- Depression or sadness
- Irritability/short temper
- Anxiety
- Changes in sleeping and eating patterns
- Feeling angry toward host culture
- Loss of concentration/drop in grades
- Missed classes
- Physical symptoms of illness
- Eating disordered behavior
- Binge drinking
Cultural Transition & Student Access with ACM
Making a cultural transition is a process, not an event. In fact, that process started when you made the decision to study abroad – you began with a curiosity and a leap into the unknown.
Successful adjustment is about embracing the entire journey:
- Pre-departure preparation
- In-country experience
- And finally, re-entry and beyond
Navigating that journey requires that you maintain a sense of curiosity – about yourself as you grow and change, about others you meet and with whom you will find interesting differences and similarities and in your return, about how you will integrate your rich experience abroad into your friend and family relationships back in your home culture.
RESOURCES FOR SUPPORT
- Meetings are available by drop-in and by appointment.
- Weekly confidential discussion group around themes of cultural adjustment and related topics, check the schedule on The Troubadour and sign up by email.
- ACM-IAU’s on-site Wellness Coordinator and Clinical Psychologist, Annabel Martin, is available by way of email and telephone for all health and wellness related issues during your time at ACM. Students are provided with Annabel Martin’s phone contact information during orientation.
Professor Annabel Martin, MA
Wellness Coordinator and Clinical Psychologist
iauwellness@iau.edu
ACM’s Wellness Center in Aix-en-Provence, France is located behind the garden at the Villa Celony building. Appointments with the Wellness Coordinator and Clinical Psychologist are held here.