Throughout the academic year, the Office for Global Health, Safety, and Security and the Office of Education Abroad offer program directors the opportunity to enhance their health, safety, and security expertise by participating in seminars, workshops, information-sharing sessions, and specialized trainings.

Program directors are encouraged to incorporate the Being Your Own Risk Manager presentation into their pre-departure orientations. This presentation provides students with essential health and safety information for studying abroad, including guidance on traveling with medications, general safety tips, and mental health considerations.

Critical Incident Management Training

The Office for Global Health, Safety, and Security offers Critical Incident Management training for education abroad program leadership.All on-site program directors and assistants are required to complete Part 1 training every year and Part 2 training every two years.

Part 1: Complete the online module

CIM I is an asynchronous module in Ability LMS (requires your MSU NetID) and it must be completed once per calendar year. While it is not required prior to CIM II, completing CIM I first is strongly recommended.

Once logged in, you should see a box on the far left-hand side called “My Requirements” and a link to the online module called “Education Abroad for Program Directors." It should take less than one hour to complete the online module. You may complete the module in one sitting or multiple sittings.

1) If you are already enrolled, Ability LMS will send you an email reminder when it is time to renew your training.

2) If you are not already enrolled and have an MSU NetID, please self-enroll in the online training module with this link. It will open in a new window and also prompt you to sign-in on a pop up screen.

3) If you do not have an MSU NetID, you can create an MSU Guest ID. Once your MSU Guest ID account is created, log in to the online module with the following:

MSU NETID: your full email address used to create the MSU Guest ID account
PASSWORD: the password you set when activating your MSU Guest ID account

Part 2: Attend CIM II In-Person Session or  Zoom seminar

Register here for  Critical Incident Management II 

• The live CIM II is a practice-focused, scenario-based training centered on tabletop exercises, peer exchange, and real case application. Program leaders will work through simulated incidents, share approaches, test decision-making skills while abroad, and learn from their peers. It assumes familiarity with the relevant policies and procedures.
• The virtual CIM II provides a more comprehensive, lecture-style overview with a stronger focus on policy and MSU’s health and safety infrastructure.

Both options fulfill MSU requirements are now required every year.  

First Aid Training

MSU program directors and program assistants that lead a program that operates – at any point in time – 90 minutes or more away (by typical mode of transportation) from reliable, emergency medical care must have first-aid training. This mandate has been issued by the Risk and Security Assessment Committee (RSAC).

The cost of training should be built into program budgets. Program directors who seek training through the MSU Learning and Assessment Center (LAC) can have the cost direct billed to Education Abroad. If program directors seek training elsewhere, they must pay upfront and submit the receipt for reimbursement after the program ends during the reconciliation process. Heartsaver/First Aid/CPR training is recommended.

Contact Global Safety for more information about First Aid Training and RSAC's training mandate.