Emergency Contact & Parental Notification
In an emergency where a student is capable of making his/her own follow-up decisions, the student decides whether or not his/her emergency contacts/parents/spouse are notified of an emergency.
Some exceptions apply, however. Northwestern University may choose, in consultation with others associated with the experience, to inform a student's emergency contacts about a real or perceived emergency abroad without the student's permission, such as when:
- the student is unable to speak for him/herself;
- the student has been missing for more than 24 hours;
- the student is perceived to be a danger to him/herself or others; or when
- there is a significant health, safety, or security incident affecting a study abroad program has occurred abroad (e.g. civil unrest, act of terrorism, extreme weather, etc.)
If the traveler is a faculty or staff member, the Office of Global Safety and Security (OGSS) will work with Northwestern's Office of Human Resources to locate an emergency contact provided in one's employment records.