Know Your Northeastern Resources When Going Abroad

There are many Northeastern resources available to students who are thinking about going abroad for a Northeastern program.  The below resources will vary by program, but this list indicates how Northeastern staff and faculty can support you.

Housing & Logistics

Off Campus Housing and Support Services (OCHSS)

OCHSS at Northeastern provides support and education related to off-campus housing, relocation services, renter’s rights knowledge, and community connection. OCHSS offers many resources, special programs, and events to help students find off-campus housing in Boston and beyond, stay connected to campus, and serve as a link to peers, alumni and the community. Call, email, or stop in to see us today!

Co-op Employer

If participating in a global co-op, the student should use their global co-op employer as much as they can for information on housing, local resources, and general knowledge about the area.  The employees working at the co-op organization will already be more familiar with the country norms than OCHSS. It is recommended that students utilize the global co-op employer’s expertise as much as possible.

Partner University or Organization

If a study abroad program is sending the student to a different country, the student should use their contact at that university as much as they can for information on housing, local resources, and general knowledge about the area.  The employees working at the university will be far more familiar with the norms within that country than OCHSS or the student (unless the student is from that country!). It is recommended that students utilize the international’s expertise as much as possible.

Co-op Coordinator (within the student’s college)

If a global co-op is the experience sending the student abroad, the co-op coordinator within their college will be the main contact throughout the process of securing a global co-op.  The co-op coordinator will advise students throughout the process of applying, interviewing, and accepting the global position, as well as function as the main contact for the students in terms of ensuring all university requirements are met for the global co-op.

Global Experience Office (GEO)

The Global Experience Office provides student support and logistics for all of Northeastern’s global programs, including study abroad, global co-op, Dialogue of Civilizations, and any program that may be sending students abroad.  GEO advises students on many topics related to international travel, including passport and visa advice, preparation for life abroad, and re-entry.

Employer Engagement and Career Design – Global Employer Engagement

The Global Employer Engagement team within EECD is responsible for lead generation and partnership development among international employers, institutions, and entities.  Given this team is familiar with the employers and locations many students travel to for global co-op, members of this team can oftentimes offer insight and expertise around housing in certain locations.

Northeastern Faculty, Staff, and Peers

Northeastern is home to a wide and abundant network of international faculty, staff, and students.  Students should network, network, network with as many people as possible throughout their time here. Oftentimes the best and most reliable resource for finding housing comes from a connection.  Students should talk to their professors and peers as much as they can if they are from, or have traveled to, the destination country before.  OCHSS’s Beyond Borders Series is a helpful event to attend that could allow students to network themselves to a housing opportunity.

The Global Co-op Map

OCHSS also offers an optional tool for students to learn the contact information of fellow Huskies traveling to the destination they’re headed to.  The Global Co-op Map, seen below, is a voluntary opt-in service for global co-op students to connect with other students.  This map is only shared with students who have 1) accepted a global co-op and 2) have opted in to the service. Contact Off Campus Housing and Support Services to opt in to this service once you’ve accepted your global co-op! You will need to provide proof of your co-op acceptance.

SAIL: Self-Authored Integrated Learning

SAIL is Northeastern’s latest advance in experiential learning and starts with a simple idea: learning happens everywhere. Students are able to track learning and measure their progress in many facets of their Northeastern experience, such as co-op, clubs, events, and programs that they participate in.

SAIL has a feature that allows students to find and connect with others that have partaken in their co-op.  Whether you’re currently on co-op or just came back, now is a great time to help your NU peers who are looking for co-ops so they can benefit by connecting with you. By making your co-op public in SAIL, students can search the network by company and connect with you to learn about your time there.  When others make their co-ops public, you’ll be able search the network the next time you’re looking for a co-op or a job.

How do you make you co-op public?
It takes 2 minutes. Just log into SAIL on mobile or web, go to your timeline, select your co-op, and make it public. If you’re not sure how to do it, check out this video.

Making your co-op public in SAIL will allow you and your peers to:
• Network with you around co-ops (and housing!)
• Learn from moments tied to your experiences
• See how your co-op maps to the SAIL skills and dimensions

Northeastern Beyond Boston Housing Facebook Group

If you’re headed beyond Boston for co-op, join our Facebook Group to meet other students relocating beyond Boston for co-op or other academic programs.  The group has helped students find roommates, connections, subleases, and other housing opportunities.

Safety

International Safety Office (ISO)

The International Safety Office strives to assist NU travelers prior to international travel by providing guidance, logistics assistance, and information in order to enhance traveler safety and security awareness. ISO also aims to monitor global events, assess the potential impact to NU travelers, communicate effectively with the NU community, and respond to international emergencies.  Read more in the “Preparedness and Research” section under Question #6 about how ISO can help students and staff prior to departure for a global program or international trip.

Northeastern Travel Support Network

Available to all Northeastern University students, staff, and students, the Travel Support Network hosts the university’s new and improved Travel Registry and offers a range of support services, including urgent and emergency medical assistance for travelers outside the US on university travel.  Travelers will find the Travel Support Network to be easy to access and use. It can be accessed in the following ways:    

Via a web browser, visit “My Travel Plans” in the myNortheastern portal or directly via GardaWorld Travel Security portal.  Users should enter their Northeastern email and then will be taken to a Northeastern log in screen to sign in with their myNortheastern username and password. 

Via the mobile App, download the mobile app by searching “GardaWorld Travel Security” in the App Store or Google Play Store. The new app allows you to register travel directly within the application.   

Via Phone/email while traveling for university business, contact the 24/7 international assistance hotline +1.857.214.5332 (international collect calls are accepted). The existing international assistance hotline will remain active during this transition. 

WeCare

The WeCare program is a support system for students during times of difficulty or challenge. WeCare is a network of administrative offices, university faculty, and staff who are dedicated to helping students address and solve problems so they can reach their full potential. WeCare’s partnership with many programs and departments across the Northeastern campus allows them to work together seamlessly to provide support services for a wide variety of challenges, from interpersonal problems and academic concerns to medical or mental health issues and personal tragedies.  Should an issue arise while abroad, WeCare can assist the student in the best way possible.

Office for University Equity and Compliance (Title IX)

The Office for University Equity and Compliance (OUEC) leads efforts to maintain the University’s compliance with all federal, state, and local laws pertaining to anti-discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title IX.  The OUEC is responsible for investigating and resolving all complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at Northeastern, including in the United States or abroad.

Budgeting

Northeastern’s Center for Financial Independence (Thrive)

Northeastern’s Center for Financial Independence supports all Northeastern students in the pursuit and achievement of financial competency and, ultimately, financial independence. Its programming imparts the knowledge and skills needed to make informed, savvy decisions about personal finances, both short-term and long-term, across the spectrum (investing, debt management, saving, credit cards, student loans, living on a budget, home/car purchases, retirement and more).  Specifically before going abroad, NU’s Center for Financial Independence can help students build a budget that will incorporate housing and other living costs.

Culture

GoinGlobal

GoinGlobal is an online resource that Northeastern students have access to for free with their Northeastern credentials.  GoinGlobal delivers useful and unique material that is hand-gathered at its source, not simply compiled from publicly available Internet sources.  It provides information that is location-specific in detail and global in perspective, and delivers useful, actionable information that is constantly expanding to meet the evolving needs of a global job seeker.  GoinGlobal also provides industry-specific salary ranges and cost of living data to help students prepare for living and working abroad.

GlobeSmart

GlobeSmart is an online resource that Northeastern students have access to for free with their Northeastern credentials.  GlobeSmart has Culture Guides that allow students to research the country they plan to visit extensively beforehand.  This includes everything from communication styles, protocols, relationship building, workplace norms, health and safety, money and tipping, geography and climate, and more.