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Global Cornell

Cornell University

Predeparture Orientation

Before embarking on Cornell travel, be sure to watch Cornell’s free, online courses covering health, safety, and security abroad.

Seated student looking at a laptop with a cup of water on the table.

Students: Prepare for Safe, Healthy Travel Abroad

As a Cornell student traveler, you have access to a short, online, free course called International Travel Pre-Departure Orientation, designed for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who are planning to go abroad on Cornell travel. In the course you will learn baseline information and be more prepared to responsibly manage your own health, safety, and security while you are abroad.

The course consists of three modules:

  • Travel Logistics 

  • Staying Healthy 
  • Safety Abroad 

After you watch each module, you will take a short quiz. Upon completion of all modules, you will receive a confirmation email to show your program administrator, if requested.

Completion of this course may be required prior to final approval and/or funding for travel abroad. Please check with your travel/program administrators.

Access student predeparture orientation in Canvas.

Note: By default, all faculty, students, and staff who have previously used Blackboard have a university Canvas account to access the course. If you do not have an account, you can request one by visiting request.canvas.cornell.edu. If you are a non-Cornell traveler taking part in a Cornell-related trip, please contact intlsafety@cornell.edu for instructions on how to register an account.

Off-Campus Activity Leaders: Know Your Responsibilities

As an Off-Campus Activity Leader (OCAL), you have the responsibility to anticipate and respond responsibly to student health, safety, or security concerns while abroad. To help prepare you, Global Cornell offers online orientation modules that will equip you for the challenges of working with students in a variety of situations. The modules will also explain your responsibilities under Federal law as it pertains to Title IX and Clery Act reporting, and share information regarding a variety of resources and support available to you.

This information consists of four subtopics: 

  • Logistics of Being an OCAL 

  • OCAL Conduct 
  • Working with Students in Distress
  • Managing Incidents Abroad

Completion of all modules should take approximately 45 minutes.

Units may require that you finish this orientation prior to granting you approval to lead students abroad and/or authorizing funding or supporting your travel. Please check with your unit's administration.

Access OCAL orientation in Canvas.

Due to constantly changing university, state, and federal guidelines and laws, you should review this content again each academic year in which you will be taking students abroad.