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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Laura Ingalls (laura.ingalls@worldlearning.org) in Washington, 1.202.464.6973

World Learning responds to misleading allegations in USA Today article

World Learning Responds to USA Today Allegations Regarding Jamaica SIT Study Abroad Program

BRATTLEBORO, VT (May 28, 2009) -- World Learning, the global non-profit that operates SIT Study Abroad, responded today to allegations in a USA Today article concerning a sexual assault that took place on a program in Jamaica in 2006. The article is based in part on allegations made to a reporter by an attorney representing several former students, including a young woman who was sexually assaulted while walking home alone late at night after the last day of the program.

"We are saddened and expressed our deep concern directly to our student, her family and to all involved when this random act of violence occurred more than two years ago," said Maureen Powers, Vice President and Dean of SIT Study Abroad.

"Any time a student is the victim of crime we take it very seriously as we did in this case." said Dr. Powers, a nationally recognized expert on issues of student safety abroad. "Contrary to the sensational tenor and misleading statements in the USA Today article, SIT considers our students' safety, health and security to be our top priority. We are well-respected in the field of study abroad and we constantly review our protocols and continuously improve our procedures to maximize student safety."

In fall 2008 alone, SIT Study Abroad had 900 undergraduate students in 57 programs worldwide. "Regrettably," stated Dr. Powers, "as on any US campus every semester, SIT students abroad may experience random acts of violence. Thankfully, these occurrences are rare."

The USA Today article relies on misleading and inaccurate statements, turning what could have been a helpful article on the importance of student safety abroad into an attack on both the reputation of an individual organization and on the broader field of study abroad. For example, the implication that following the incident the student who was victimized was casually dropped at an airport after hospitalization does not reflect the reality of events as they transpired. In fact, SIT took great care making sure that our student a) received excellent emergency medical and psychological attention; b) obtained needed prescriptions; c) was immediately put in touch with her mother by phone; and d) received a medical airline escort, all with the purpose of honoring our student's and her mother's urgent request that she be able to return to the US with her fellow students on the previously planned group flight the day after the incident.

Following the incident, World Learning conducted a thorough investigation. This investigation included on-site inspections and interviews and found that our staff followed all applicable safety, security and communications protocols and procedures for responding to the needs of the student who was assaulted.

"We make every effort to equip our students with excellent safety information so that they can recognize risks inherent in unfamiliar situations," said Dr. Adam Weinberg, Executive Vice President and Provost of World Learning and SIT. "SIT academic directors have constant interaction with students, both individually and as a group, to help them make sense of their experiences, both academically and from a personal standpoint, including issues of safety and well-being. In fact, the Jamaica program provided a week-long initial orientation, including health and safety considerations, followed by weekly meetings with staff to debrief and discuss safety and other student concerns as they arose. We know that we provided our students with thorough safety information, and that despite such preparation, our student was a victim of a random violent act that could have happened on a campus at home or anywhere else." SIT's program in Jamaica ran without an incident of this nature for 14 years prior to this event, with more than 350 students participating over that period.

SIT began in 1964 and is recognized in the field as a leading provider of experiential study abroad programs in 43 countries around the world. SIT is also noted for its inclusion of undergraduate research on many of its programs. "Our model of international education is based on an experiential approach with a focus on field study by undergraduates in diverse destinations. We have thrived for decades, and could not have done so without our success in providing academically excellent and very safe programs." said Powers. "Our goal is to provide students with a positive and safe experience and on those rare occasions when a tragedy like this occurs we approach it with professionalism and empathy for the student's well-being and do our best every day to help prevent future incidents."

At this time in the US, it is vital that students are encouraged to go abroad to experience and learn about new cultures and people and develop a greater understanding of the world. We at World Learning/SIT remain firmly committed to that principle, just as we remain committed to student safety as our number one priority.

About World Learning
World Learning, a global non-profit based in Vermont (www.worldlearning.org), has been focused for 75 years on bridging cultures and transforming lives. Today, World Learning runs study abroad and international development programs in 77 countries, directly impacting the lives of thousands of people each year. Since 1932, when the first group of students traveled abroad, more than 100,000 people have participated in World Learning programs.