SAF Pre-Departure Information

SAF is committed to supporting students while onsite and to fulfill this commitment, we need accurate and verified contact information for every student.  SAF ACCESS Compliance is designed to ensure that SAF can effectively contact you in case of an emergency.  WhatsApp is our designated contact tool due to its prevalent use in western countries and integration with our security alert provider AlertMedia.

Here are your ACCESS obligations: 

1. Acquire and maintain a WhatsApp account and the AlertMedia App from your SAF program start to end date

    

2. Connect with the SAF Emergency Phone from your WhatsApp or WeChat account

    

3. Complete the SAF Arrival Form within two days of arriving onsite and reply to the emergency drill messaging from SAF

    

4. Ensure SAF has your complete local address for the duration of your program, including any apartment and/or room numbers;

    

5. Share with SAF immediately should your local address change;

    

6. Sign-Off : remember, you agree to depart your SAF-secured housing in good condition on your program end date
    

Specifically, this is how you will engage with our ACCESS compliance agreement:

• All students participating on a SAF program from outside China are required to secure a WhatsApp account prior to departure. During the SAF pre-departure orientation conducted by your SAF local office, SAF staff will advise you on how to connect with the SAF Emergency Phone via WhatsApp. 

   

• All students coming from China are required to secure a WeChat account.  During the SAF pre-departure orientation conducted by your SAF local office, SAF staff will advise you on how to connect with the SAF Emergency Phone via WeChat. 

   

• All students must also register with AlertMedia on their laptop or desktop prior to departure. 

   

• All SAF students are required to complete an Arrival Form within two days after arriving onsite at your host university. You will receive a QR code and a web link to access the SAF Arrival Form to make this process quick and easy. 

   

• All SAF students must submit their complete local address including apartment and/or room number on the Arrival Form. If there is an emergency, we need to be able to share accurate location information with authorities. 

    

• At the end of the first week of your SAF program, you will receive a message from SAF verifying that your account is operational. This message will come from our security alert provider, AlertMedia. Please add this number to your contacts under SAF AlertMedia. Please reply to this message immediately as SAF staff will continue attempting to contact you until 100% of SAF students have been verified.   

   

• Throughout your time abroad, if there is a local, regional, national emergency or crisis, SAF will contact you through the AlertMedia app. Please respond to our communications immediately letting SAF know that you have received our message and you are safe. This will allow us to focus on locating students who have not responded. 

   

• Students must notify SAF if they change addresses and/or rooms. You should contact SAF Emergency Phone if you have changes. SAF will send you a link to access the change form to fill out your new information. 

   

• Our goal is to ensure that all SAF students have a rewarding and safe study abroad experience. It has been our great pleasure to assist you and we ask that you depart your SAF-secured housing on the program end date.  Please be sure to leave your housing in good condition, follow all move out instructions provided by your residence hall, apartment or homestay provider and don’t forget to leave your keys. Thank you for participating in a SAF program.