Handbook – Communication

Every program has staff onsite available to assist with questions related to academic, personal, and health & safety issues. In many cases, this person(s) is an employee of your host institution or program provider.

Your onsite staff are familiar with your program, location, and available resources.  Good communication with them is important, and you should contact them for assistance as needed. Information is given at your onsite orientation about the staff’s roles, how to contact them, and their availability.

Some programs have a UW-Madison Program Leader (PL). The PL serves as the liaison between UW-Madison and onsite staff and is responsible for all academic and administrative matters. If you are experiencing difficulties with the program or with your adjustment to the culture, your PL is a good person to seek out for assistance and support.  The PL leads or attends site visits and excursions and is available to help you find appropriate solutions to personal, health, and academic problems during the program. The PL often teaches a course for the program and may be responsible for grading your coursework. Be sure to keep your PL informed of your travel plans when you are away from the program.

You must have a working cell phone for the duration of your program that can accept calls from the United States. This is essential in case we need to contact you in an emergency.

Contact your current plan provider before you go abroad to discuss:

• Unlocking your phone to be able to purchase a local SIM card that is compatible with the cellular network in your program location or eSIM options
• Adding international calling capability (and associated costs)
• Turning off data to avoid charges
• Additional fees to expect
• Do you have warranty coverage for your phone, your number, or your SIM card?
• Potential impact to your plan when you return to the United States

If your current cell phone cannot be used in your program location, do research on purchasing a pre-paid phone for your time abroad.  Your program materials may have more location-specific recommendations or ideas.

Dialing Basics

When making calls, note any time zone differences. To make an international call to the U.S., dial the access code for the country from which you are calling, plus the U.S. country code (+1) followed by the appropriate U.S. area code and local number.

Internet Phone and Video

Many students keep in touch with family and friends using internet phone/messaging programs and apps. Past participants have used Zoom, Facetime, Google Voice, and WhatsApp, though there are many options. While these options are good for saving minutes and cost, you should still have a phone that can receive calls and make calls.

Landline Phones

If you are living in an apartment, residence hall, or homestay, you may have a landline phone. Discuss landline phone use etiquette with your home stay or roommates, since charges can vary based on location. Making calls from hotel phones can incur high surcharges even when using a calling card.

Update your contact information in your MyUW account before your program starts and make any changes after you arrive.

Study abroad staff and UW-Madison will continue to communicate with you through your UW-Madison email account. Not all programs will have computer labs or online access. However, in most program locations, you will be able to find Wi-Fi access or internet cafes.

You are expected to regularly monitor your UW-Madison email account in case study abroad staff or other UW-Madison faculty or staff need to contact you.

Multi-Factor Authentication/Duo

You need Duo Security to access your UW email, MyUW, and MySA while abroad.  Be sure to have the MFA-Duo app installed on your phone or get a token/fob from DoIT prior to departure.  More information on the best way to use MFA-Duo when traveling can be found here.  Any questions can be directed to the DoIT Help Desk at 608-264-4357 or help@doit.wisc.edu

Email Tips

You will be using email for formal communication.  This may be the first impression that staff have of you.  Some tips for you:

• Use a specific subject line. For example: Study Abroad Housing Question
• Use a greeting, and start more formally for onsite staff
• Use proper capitalization and punctuation

In the U.S., people tend to respond to email quickly (often within 24-48 hours), and often in the evenings or on weekends.  In most other countries, you will receive a response during business hours, and it can take up to a full week to receive a response.  Please be patient and follow any guidelines given to you from onsite staff.

Social Media

When you’re posting on social media, think about what your friends/family/future employers may think of the image/post if they don’t understand the context.  Also, think about the cultural context you’ll be living in when deciding if you want to share your social media pages with locals.

Keep in mind that laws about freedom of expression vary by country.  Some countries limit the allowed types of social media platforms.  There have also been cases where derogatory comments about the local country or government have been made on social media and have had extended legal complications even after return to the United States.

Sending mail internationally takes longer than mail within the U.S. Depending on your program location, the mail service may not be as reliable as at home. Use a trackable mailing service such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, or USPS to potentially help improve transport time. Check with your local embassy, mailing service vendor, or local post office for special customs regulations for shipping/mailing items. We recommend checking with your on-site staff about where you can have mail delivered, as it may be delivered to a central location rather than your housing.

Friends and family will want to hear about your experiences.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Look into how you will be in touch before your departure. Will you call, text, use an app? Do you need to set a specific time due to time zone difference?
• Inform them you may not be able to contact them immediately upon your arrival in the host country.
• Have an emergency communication plan.
• Use headphones and speak in softer tones if you are in a shared space
• If you are living with a host family, ask them about the best times to have calls and end them immediately if it is time for a family meal.

Remember that not all locations will have the same access to internet, connection options, or speeds to which you’re accustomed. Review your program materials in advance so that you can set expectations with family and friends.