With the federal government issuing a global travel advisory, University of Florida students preparing for summer study abroad trips need to take caution. UF International Center Dean David Sammons says it is too early to tell exactly what threat American travelers face from the death of bin Laden.
“We’re paying close attention to whatever information we’re able to gather, we’re watching the State Department website and we’ll take precautions as appropriate,” he says.
Sammons says there are no UF students in the Middle East or North Africa, where they expect any fall-out would be most severe, but they are monitoring programs around the world. He says anyone traveling at this time, regardless of destination, needs to be very aware of their surroundings and use common sense. Although there have been many events trying to study abroad participants this year, including the natural disaster in Japan and unrest in the Middle East, Sammons says there has been no decline in interest in the programs.