Truman State Policies Remain Unchanged Following Paris Attacks

Following the November Paris attacks, Truman State study abroad safety policies will remain unchanged.

 

Director of the Center for International Education, Patrick Lecaque, said the current system in place for contacting students abroad and handling emergency situations is effective and there is no need for change.

 

“Too many situations can occur that you cannot prepare for. We have basic advice, [which is to] register with the embassy [in the student’s host country].” said Lecaque.

 

Immediately following the attacks Lecaque and Study Abroad Advisor, Rosa Mendez, sent an email to Truman students in France and students studying elsewhere in Europe.

 

Junior Heidi Tripp, a Truman student studying in Paris, said she was in Rome at the time of the attacks. She said her apartment is about a five minute walk from the restaurant where one of the attacks occurred in Paris.

 

Tripp said while the attacks scared her, returning to the United States did not initially cross her mind.

 

Tripp said she contacted Truman’s Study Abroad Office for advice after learning some of her international classmates in Paris were ending their semesters early and returning home.

 

“I reached out to the international office … and they said that basically my semester would be shot. None of my classes would transfer because I hadn’t finished, and so everything I just did was a waste, and that didn’t seem worth it to me,” said Tripp.

 

Tripp said on the other hand, many of her international classmates were offered services from their home universities such as receiving full credit for the semester and counseling services.
 

Tripp said Truman also informed her she would need to purchase her own plane ticket if she returned home.

 

Lecaque said Truman has insurance that covers emergency situations. He said a student was brought home following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, which insurance covered.

 

After contacting Truman, Tripp said she was informed that she would not qualify for this insurance since the attacks had passed and there was no immediate danger.

 

Tripp said she thought the university handled the situation well but could have handled it better. She said that it was difficult to get in contact with Truman due to the time difference and wished she had a contact person in her time zone.

 

Despite her parents’ concerns following the attacks, Sophomore Stephanie Best said she is not worried and is still determined to study abroad in France.

 

"I wanted to study abroad since I was probably a senior in high school when I went to Europe for the first time, and I fell in love with it," said Best.

 

Truman's Student Affairs and Multicultural Affairs Center are responding to the attacks by coordinating events in the spring, said Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Ann Gilchrist.

 

“We’re gonna be putting on a series of activities next semester to try and talk about the bigger issues, like civility and inclusiveness, and how we talk about issues, free speech and hate speech, and where’s the line,” said Gilchrist.

The offices are currently taking any recommendations from students for these events.