We engaged SASSIE to audit our travel abroad health, safety, and security policies and procedures so we could return to travel with confidence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The engagement was successful for several reasons. Marcia took the time to listen carefully and understand our current capabilities and needs. She used a very sound and thorough process: she reviewed our existing documents, spoke with students and faculty who had participated in our programs, and gathered benchmarking data from peer schools. She has many contacts in the field and is well-versed in timely topics, such as self-care and wellness while studying abroad. She has advised senior leaders on travel decisions, so she could help us think through strategic matters in addition to tactical ones. Thanks to our work with Marcia, we have streamlined our crisis management procedures, improved our communications with key crisis-response partners, and strengthened our training and support for the faculty and staff who lead our programs. -Lisa Byrne Miller, Director, TuckGO, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
CFHI brought Marcia on as a consultant to help us review and strengthen our existing risk infrastructure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to support the development of new protocols and procedures specifically related to COVID. She worked quickly and thoroughly to conduct a full audit and made a series of specific and actionable recommendations rooted in best practices and by compiling the best available examples from myriad expert stakeholders. We enjoyed working with her so much that we asked to stay on and develop a subsequent training for our global team. After working with Marcia, we feel very confident in our decision-making processes and risk management infrastructure. I highly recommend SASSIE to any institution or organization that is seeking to audit, improve, or build out any aspect of their health, safety, and risk infrastructure. -Robin Young, Executive Director, Child Family Health International (CFHI)
SASSIE’s various packages meet school’s where they are in terms of travel health and safety planning and procedures. Whether a school is brand new to academic travel and needs support in developing programs with health and safety in mind or if a school has been doing this for years but could use experienced minds to look at the big picture to strengthen current infrastructure, SASSIE can provide specific and thoughtful guidance that meets any school’s needs. We found that Marcia asked very important questions about various aspects of travel, such as reasoning for our travel destinations, mission-alignment, insurance policies, emergency plans, and how we might make changes towards accessibility and equity in our travel programs. She also went through our existing documents, from applications to chaperone agreements, to crisis response plans, with a fine-toothed comb and made suggestions that add layers of security for all of our travelers. We couldn’t be happier that we hired SASSIE to consult with us on all things travel at Notre Dame. -Nora Moffat, Director, Center for Global Leadership, Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
Our international education program is run by one full-time and one part-time staff. Although we were having success with our program, we knew there was more we could do to strengthen our overall infrastructure, especially in risk management practices and COVID-19 considerations. We needed an expert to review our program in-depth and provide recommendations for improvement. In learning more about SASSIE’s packages for higher education institutions, and Marcia’s exceptional background, we found a perfect match. The process was structured, efficient, thorough, and personalized. Marcia was highly responsive and thoughtful. She delivered specific, detailed recommendations that we could immediately put to use. Engaging with SASSIE was exactly what we needed to affirm current processes and improve others. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Thank you! -Tiffany Jacob, Director of International Programs and Outreach, University of Arkansas, Clinton School of Public Service