Program/Site Leader: The UM faculty member(s) in charge of teaching study abroad program course(s), overseeing the student experience abroad, and performing other program administrative duties.

Program Assistant: A UM employee (normally a student or grad student) hired to assist the Program Leader.

LSA Emergency Responders: Refers to the LSA and CGIS (Center for Global and Intercultural Study) staff members who carry the emergency phone on a rotating schedule. This team includes the CGIS Director, Associate Director, the Health and Safety Advisor, the Health & Safety Assistant, and the CGIS Intercultural Program Advisors.

UHS: University Health Service is a health care clinic located on Fletcher Street on U-M’s central Ann Arbor campus.

M-Compass: M-Compass is the online portal that students use to search and apply to study abroad programs.

FERPA Privacy Laws: Within the United States, once a student reaches the age of 18 or attends an institution of postsecondary education, the families have no guardian rights under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Only the student can give permission for their families and others to have access to their academic records, which includes health information that the student discloses on the health form in M-Compass. LSA will only disclose health information without the student’s permission in the event of an emergency, such as when the student is hospitalized or poses a threat to themselves and/or others. Source

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): HIPAA is a US regulation that imposes requirements on the use and disclosure of protected health information, which includes any information that includes health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual. Under HIPAA regulations, the University of Michigan will not disclose an individual’s health information without their permission in writing. Please see the UM Compliance Resource Center’s information on HIPAA for more details, including when information can be disclosed. 

ITOC: The International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) is responsible for all University of Michigan students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad. The University of Michigan Police Department (UMPD) routes all emergency calls to a UM emergency responder who is a member of ITOC. This public emergency call system is described in the emergency response section. The CGIS Health & Safety Advisor is a member of ITOC. For more information, visit the Global Michigan website page on the topic.