29 Legal Issues
BSCP will work to protect your health and safety overseas, but you must take responsibility for the results of your decisions, choices and behavior. Before the program, read carefully and consider the information given to you by your study abroad office regarding your health and any special needs; and together with your family, review your university’s safety and responsibility guidelines. You are also encouraged to consult the State Department Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings at http://travel.state.gov and the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov and to enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, https://step.state.gov/step). While BCSP can provide information about health and safety issues, we cannot eliminate all risks from a study abroad environment or ensure that U.S. standards of due process will be applied in legal proceedings outside this country.
Student Responsibilities
By your signature on the BCSP Agreement and Release form, you have agreed 1) to respect the laws and customs of the host country, your university’s Code of Student Ethics, and all other reasonable standards of conduct promulgated by BCSP, its agents and consortium partners, and 2) to participate fully in the academic program by attending classes and remaining at the host institution for the full semester or academic year for which you are enrolled. You have acknowledged that if the Resident Director, with the concurrence of the Managing Director of BCSP, determines that your conduct is detrimental to the best interests of the program or BCSP and its member institutions, your participation in the program may be terminated.
The University of Bologna has the primary responsibility for discipline in connection with violations of its regulations. Although university officials may consult with BCSP representatives concerning student misconduct, final disposition rests with the University of Bologna and in extreme cases may also become a matter of concern to the Italian government. For example, student demonstrations that start out on a peaceful basis can rapidly escalate into confrontations with the police.
Illegal Drugs
Avoid illegal drugs. Drugs can impair your judgment in situations that require increased awareness. In Italy, possession brings three years in prison; trafficking, three to eight. Persons arrested on drug charges are not eligible for bail. Neither the University of Bologna,BCSP, nor U.S. officials can intervene.