OCC Trip To France On, But College Monitoring Situation, Officials Say

Ocean County College officials have scheduled a meeting for Thursday, Dec. 10, for students and parents of students who are taking part in a January trip to France offered through the college’s Study Abroad program.

The trip, scheduled for Jan. 4-14, has been in the works for months and offers students three credits in history, according to information on the college’s website. Students wishing to take the trip had to register for it by Aug. 15.

But in the wake of the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris, some students and their family members have been questioning the college’s plan to go forward with the trip.

“I just find this such a foolish trip to be taking at this time,” wrote a family member, who asked not to be identified. “The French government called for a three-month state of emergency. What is the necessity to place these students in danger?”

The trip, worth three credits for OCC students (it was open to residents who are not students as well) is scheduled to include a tour of famous battlefields of World War I and World War II in both France and Luxembourg, including the Omaha and Utah beaches in Normandy where American soldiers landed at D-Day; the Airborne Museum; the Palace of Versailles, and the Bastogne War Museum in Luxembourg, as well as a stop in Verdun. The goal of the trip is to provide “a deeper understanding of the two World Wars by visiting numerous hot spots.”

The trip also includes three days in Paris, with visits to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre museum, according to the college’s website. The base cost of the trip for students was roughly $4,400, not including fuel surcharges and spending money.

College officials say the trip remains a go at this time but that they are monitoring the situation daily.

“The safety of our students is Ocean County College’s first priority,” officials said by email Wednesday. “The college has been in constant contact with the tour company to make sure that all sites are open to the public and will be available as planned.”

Though the U.S. State Department has issued travel alerts, there are none specific to France at this time, officials said; there are no travel restrictions and travelers are being urged to be aware and pay careful attention to what is going on around them if they do travel overseas. OCC officials also noted that security in France has become “extremely strict” in the wake of the attacks, ”which reduces the probability of any future occurrence.”

OCC officials said that unless there is a new threat, the trip will go forward as planned.

“To date a few students and parents have inquired about our refund policy but no students have withdrawn from the trip and none have requested a refund,” the college said in an email. “The college has paid the tour company and cannot refund in full, however, the college will work with the tour company to do whatever possible to assist any student who wishes to withdraw from the trip.”

The college said that if a new threat occurs between Dec. 5 and the departure date of Jan. 4, “the tour company will cancel the trip and provide a full refund to all participants.”

Students who are signed up for the trip or parents of students who have questions should contact OCC officials for answers to their questions or concerns.