"The World is Our Campus." Increasingly at BYU, this is possible because of the dedicated service of Landes Holbrook. Landes monitors the international travel of all BYU faculty, students, and employees to make sure they are safe, healthy, and secure while abroad. Not only does Landes provide support to students and faculty traveling globally on university programs, but he also monitors the international travel of individual faculty and employees -- everything from research conference presentations to athletic recruiting.
Landes is well connected to national and international entities that allow him to provide immediate security information to all BYU travelers before and during their travel. He manages health needs that arise while abroad and negotiates with insurance companies and healthcare facilities to make sure that all physical and mental health emergencies are addressed. Not only does he make needed arrangements for care and negotiates payments, he also follows-up with BYU community members abroad to be sure they are well cared for and return home safely.
As a specific example, BYU athletic coaches often travel to Africa to participate in recruiting events, at times in areas not considered safe for student travel. With support from Landes, these coaches have been able to travel safely to these countries. Landes demonstrated ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESULTS by providing these coaches not only security information before they traveled, but also setting-up zoom conferences with experts in the embassy so they had security support in-country. Because Landes is ACCOUNTABLE for the security of BYU travelers abroad, the result was that faculty and employees could safely do their work.
Landes EXCEEDS CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS as he cares for all BYU members that travel internationally. With over 2,000 students traveling abroad annually, there are always emergencies that arise, including physical and mental illness. He contacts students and faculty in need, works to make sure they receive the best medical treatment or support available, and stays in contact with them until the situation is resolved and they can return home safely. Landes cares for the one and treats all RESPECTFULLY as he addresses their personal needs. There are many examples of his direct and personal care of students or faculty in crisis abroad that I could specify but, because of privacy, my examples are general. I can say, however, that I continually hear praise and thanks from members of the BYU community for the attention and care they receive from Landes.
Landes makes himself available 24/7 to address emergencies that arise. He and his team closely monitor global events and ensure that BYU members are safe when they travel abroad and can successfully do the work they need to do. Landes is professional, kind, and caring. He works with others across campus – from CAPS to Purchasing and Travel to the Title IX office – to coordinate the care of all BYU members abroad. It is because of Landes that the world can literally be our campus.