Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for supporting your student as he or she considers participating in the International Honors Progam.  IHP programs challenge students to examine some of the most important issues facing the world today. As they explore their program theme in several different countries, students create a strong learning community and support each other on an academic and personal journey that invariably changes their lives. IHP communicates with parents and families in many ways when students participate on one of our programs. Much of the information you will need can be found on our website, in IHP Bulletins, or in the IHP Student Handbook.  

• IHP will post a program update on our Web site soon after the students have arrived in a new country on their itinerary. They may not be able to call or email you immediately because they will be busy settling in and getting oriented to their new surroundings.

• If it is necessary to make significant changes in the itinerary, IHP will tell you as soon as we know what those changes will be. We do not anticipate that this will happen, but our in-country coordinators are prepared to move students to a new location if a natural or national emergency occurs.

• We take great care to keep students healthy and safe, and we urge them to be in contact with you if they are not feeling well. As you may already know from their college campuses, FERPA generally prohibits us from contacting you short of a serious incident or emergency affecting your student. Routine stomach bugs do not fall in this category, but can cause students to feel ill enough for us to take them for medical tests. Do not be alarmed if students tell you they have gone to a hospital for tests. Hospitals, rather than doctors’ offices or clinics, are the customary place to have medical tests done in most low-income countries.

• Students are encouraged to use vacations as times for rest and reflection rather than additional travel. They are responsible for themselves on vacations, but IHP instructs them to avoid dangerous activities, how to find a doctor if they need one, and to travel with at least one other student. We also request that they not leave the country. They put the entire group in jeopardy if they miss a flight connection or become ill and require care far from the rest of the group.

• IHP welcomes visits from parents/guardians to the program, but we request that you only come during vacation times. It is IHP policy that students are not allowed to leave early for or return late from vacation, so please plan your trip accordingly.

• With each other and IHP faculty, students will reflect on the personal and cultural changes they are experiencing throughout the program.  But adjusting to several very different cultures in one semester can exacerbate feelings of dislocation or cultural discomfort, also known as culture shock. While this does not happen to all students, it may happen to yours. We urge you to be understanding as your student moves through the ups and downs of feeling “blue,” homesick, or impatient with the cultural differences around them.

We look forward to welcoming your student on an IHP program! Please don’t hesistate to contact us to learn more about IHP.

-Shelly Saltzman / Mother of Andy Saltzman / Bates '05-'06