For Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff traveling on Rhodes business are covered through the employee insurance offered via employee benefits.

Rental Car Hire: For faculty and staff traveling within scope of employment, Rhodes carries physical damage and liability insurance covering rental cars (physical damage limit at $50,000).  For faculty and staff traveling within the scope of employment, Rhodes carries physical damage and liability insurance covering rental cars (physical damage limit at $50,000).  When renting an automobile or van within the United States, and used for U.S. travel only, we advise that you decline all insurance coverage since Rhodes is covered for rental of “hired vehicles”

For automobile or van rentals in all other countries, you are advised to decline liability coverage, if possible, but to purchase the insurance for physical damage (collision) that is offered by the rental agency. In most countries, this insurance is now required and you are forced to do so anyway. We ask that you also use your Rhodes corporate VISA when renting any vehicle since this credit card affords some measure of backup insurance protection.

If you are involved in an accident where there is any personal or property damage, please contact Mac McWhirter immediately with all the normal accident information, names of other drivers, damage assessment, location, and a police report if possible (901-843-3601).

Liability issues for staff and faculty are covered by Rhodes master policy as long as the employee is legitimately engaged in college business and is acting within the scope of his/her authority and within college policies.

Global Companion Policy: This is an insurance package purchased especially for official staff and faculty overseas travel. It is especially beneficial in covering very difficult situations in remote areas where services for US citizens are hard to locate. It includes the following:

• Repatriation of remains of employee (can run $100,000 or more)
• Emergency family travel
• Return of minor children in emergency or death
• Return of vehicle in dire emergency
• Embassy and Consular information
• Medical referral information in emergency
• Dispatch of doctor or specialist
• Emergency medication
• Cash advances in emergency situations (not to be confused with losing funds after a night on the town!)
• Lost document assistance (Visas and passports)
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Medically supervised repatriation
• Hospital admissions deposit
• Access to legal assistance
• Translation and interpreters in emergency situations

Those wishing to utilize these emergency services under this plan must contact the Buckman Center in order for us to alert the carrier of the situation. The insurance company will go into action directly with the individual at that point.  These crises can certainly occur anywhere in the world, such as the need for repatriation after severe illness, but many are especially beneficial when traveling to areas where the hospital and governmental systems do not work like those to which we are accustomed. 

For Student Participants

Health and Accident Insurance

Health insurance is an important component of international off-campus programs.  Students participating in Rhodes programs are required to be covered by a comprehensive international insurance plan mandated and paid for by Rhodes.  HTH Worldwide handles claims in various languages and from medical providers around the world.  Rhodes College purchases student accident and sickness insurance for participants on its programs.  A schedule of benefits can be obtained from the Buckman Center for International Education.

Property Insurance

Despite students’ best efforts to safeguard their property, it is still possible for it to be lost, stolen or damaged when traveling or living abroad.  As Rhodes does not insure students’ property while they are abroad, students should investigate their parents’ homeowner’s insurance to verify if all the items to be brought on the trip will be covered by their policy.  It is recommended that all valuable items (e.g., laptop computers) be insured for the entire duration of their stay abroad.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Students should consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance.  Trip cancellation insurance is effective in the case of a sudden illness or injury that necessitates canceling or interrupting a trip.  Most policies also provide coverage due to a wide variety of unforeseen events.  The following are three major carriers which provide this service:

HTH Worldwide 
Travel Insured 
AccessAmerica