General Travel Considerations
The number one priority for the Center for Global Engagement is the health and safety of our students. As such, the CGE evaluates location-specific safety concerns prior to approving any study abroad program using publically available resources including the U.S. Department of State's Travel Advisories, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and OSAC's Country Security Reports, as well as guidance from NAFSA and The Forum on Education Abroad. The CGE also receives reports from exteral vendors who specialize in student safety and risk management abroad.
Prior to and during program travel, the CGE closely monitors the same resources to stay abreast of situations around the world. In the event of an international emergency, CGE will work with partners across campus, in the state, and at the national level to make decisions as quickly as possible to prioritize the safety of students. All program directors receive risk management training and are familiar with crisis response plans. The CGE will communicate with students via their student email in the case of an emergency, and will post updates on this webpage as needed.
Student Responsibilities
Since international issues can arise without notice and intensify quickly, the CGE cannot guarantee complete and total safety on any program. By participating on a JMU study abroad program, all students sign an assumption of risk. Students must take into consideration many factors that could influence their decision to study abroad, including individual risk tolerance. Students’ participation on a study abroad program remains optional, and the CGE recommends that all students seek out any information related to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, identity-based, and religious conditions in host countries prior to applying for, accepting a place in, and committing to their study abroad program. Any student who commits to a program and later withdraws is bound by the withdrawal policy.
Helpful resources to consult include the Department of State Travel Advisories, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diversity Abroad’s Travel Culture & Diversity Destination Guides, news reports about your country of destination, and many others.
Please visit the CGE’s Health and Safety page to learn more about steps students should take prior to studying abroad.
Program Cancellation
In some instances, the Center for Global Engagement may make the decision to cancel a program. If a program is cancelled due to deteriorating security and safety conditions, including but not limited to, political unrest, natural disaster, or other catastrophic events beyond control, the CGE will refund any program costs that have not yet been disbursed. The CGE will make every effort to recoup costs already expensed on students’ behalf, but may not be able to recover all funds. The CGE will not provide reimbursements for airline tickets since students purchase airfare on their own, and are therefore enrouraged to enroll in trip cancellation insurance. Read more about our program cancellation policy.
Passport Requirements
Please review current passport processing times to ensure you'll receive your passport well before the start of your program. Please also check that your passport will be valid at least 6 months after the end of your program. If you need to apply for or renew a passport, the Center for Global Engagement serves as a passport processing facility.
Current Travel Considerations
8/15/2024
JMU does not have any study abroad programs in Israel or Palestine in 2025.
3/7/2024
JMU does not have any study abroad programs in Israel or Palestine in 2024.
10/20/2023
The U.S. State Department has updated it's travel advisories to worldwide caution due to increased tensions in various locations around the world. Please stay alery while traveling abraod, especially when using mass transportation, and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings if possible. Please continue to follow the State Department's travel advisories for the most up-to-date information, and make sure to keep the phone number and location of the nearest U.S. Embassy readily available.
Here are some other resources while you travel:
- U.S. State Department emergency phone number for citizens abroad: +1 202-501-4444
- JMU Police non-emergency number: 540-568-6912
- Contact cge@jmu.edu if you have any questions or need guidance while travelling.
We are deeply concerned by the outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine, and student safety is the number one priority for The Center for Global Engagement. We are keeping track of the conflict and watching for new travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State that may affect student travel. At this time, we do not anticipate additional safety concerns for our program locations during the current term, and we plan on running all programs as scheduled. The CGE routinely consults with our international partners and other national organizations like NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad to inform our decisions. However, since the conflict is still ongoing, CGE will continue to monitor the situation and notify students of any new travel concerns as soon as possible. We also encourage students traveling abroad to remain vigilant, exercise caution, and pay attention to official sources for new warnings and advisories.
03/01/2022
The Center for Global Engagement is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Ukraine. Student safety is our number one priority, and so due to the conflict, the CGE cancelled the Russian in Moscow study abroad program for summer 2022. At this time, we do not foresee additional safety concerns for our other program locations for our current and upcoming terms, and we anticipate running programs as scheduled. The CGE will continue to consult the Department of State Travel Advisories, as well as seek guidance from other partners within education abroad including external affiliates (CIEE, for example), national organizations like NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad, and our international partners. Should the situation change, the CGE will notify students of travel concerns as soon as possible.
Read more about JMU’s statement in response to the Ukraine crisis.
8/8/2022
The health and safety of our students, faculty leaders, and partners abroad remains our top priority. The Center for Global Engagement will continue to monitor public health advisories, travel regulations, and guidance from fellow institutions surrounding COVID-19 and international travel.
Beginning Fall 2022, JMU is no longer mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students studying abroad, although they are recommended.
However, please be aware that restrictions and requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic can vary drastically between countries, with educational partners, travel providers, and others involved in the many aspects of study abroad. Countries, educational partners, travel providers, or others may require confirmation or documentation of COVID-19 vaccination, and it may be necessary to demonstrate full vaccination against COVID-19 to enter a country or access various sites and services during a study abroad program. It is the student's responsibility to research and know the vaccination and testing requirements of their destination(s) and activities. In the current environment, country entry requirements continue to change quickly and sometimes without notice.
JMU strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all individuals traveling abroad. If a student is not permitted to enter the host country or fully participate in the program due to failure to comply with COVID-19 vaccination, testing, or documentation requirements, any resultant costs or academic consequences will be the student's sole responsibility. By participating in a study abroad program, students understand that the host countries, airlines, providers, institutions, buildings and physical spaces, experiences, housing, or any other location or service may require proof of vaccination status at any time, and the student agrees to provide such COVID-19 vaccination documentation if requested or follow protocols required if they can’t.
If it has been more than six months since their single dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine or their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the JMU Study Abroad Office recommends getting a booster prior to departure. Students should not rely on being able to get booster shots abroad as this is far from certain in most cases.
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