Despite 'high' risk, Penn will not issue Mexico study abroad warning

A U.S. Department of State travel warning for parts of Mexico has prompted several U.S. colleges to suspend study abroad programs in Mexico. But Penn programs, which aren’t in the affected regions, will proceed as usual.

A U.S. Department of State travel warning for parts of Mexico has prompted several U.S. colleges to suspend study abroad programs there. But Penn programs, which aren’t in the affected regions, will proceed as usual.

Penn’s senior administration formally made the decision not to issue a University-wide notification, according to Executive Director of Risk Management and Insurance Benjamin Evans.

Schools that did issue warnings, including the University of California at Los Angeles and UC San Diego, did so because of their proximity to the region, but each school has a different situation, Evans said.

Penn currently doesn’t support any undergraduate study abroad programs in Mexico, according to Penn President Amy Gutmann. Undergraduate students interested in studying in Mexico for a semester must petition — only one student has done so since 2007, according to the Office of International Programs.

International SOS, Penn’s security provider, has rated areas along the U.S-Mexico border as “high” in terms of security risk, but they do not advise against travel to all of Mexico, Evans explained.

Despite the warning, many parts of Mexico “remain safe” — and it is extremely important for Penn students to understand the Mexican culture, political economy, global health and development, OIP Director Anne Waters said.

Universities suspending sponsored trips to Mexico include the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which suspended all programs in Mexico, and Michigan State University, which suspended trips to Monterrey but will continue them in other parts of the country.

While Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s policy prevents sponsored study abroad programs in regions under a travel warning, according to Study Abroad Coordinator Samantha Potempa. Waters noted that Penn doesn’t have a “blanket ban” policy at the University level. Instead of immediately canceling programs in areas with State Department-issued travel warnings, Penn generally evaluates each program at the school and student level.

The School of Design supports a summer architecture trip to Mexico City for 10 to 20 graduate students from Penn and other schools. Last year, the program was cancelled due to H1N1, but this year, the program is slated to proceed, according Architecture professor Annette Fierro.

Penn’s Lauder Institute, which manages a graduate program for MBA and master’s students in international studies, requires an eight-week language immersion program abroad. The Spanish program, which travels to Spain and Mexico for four weeks each, is scheduled to proceed, according to Lauder Institute Managing Director Sherrill Davis.

Wharton freshman Shiri Bogomolny, who grew up in Mexico City and whose father works in Tijuana, said the violence in Mexico is a real concern. However, people shouldn’t stop traveling to Mexico altogether.

“Even Philadelphia is a dangerous place,” she said. “Mexico has been dangerous [in the past]. I don’t think there’s anything new.”

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