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SU Abroad plans to resume some study abroad opportunities in the spring following its suspension of all programs due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

SU Abroad pushed back the start date of its programs for the spring semester and reduced program costs, said Tara Blomvall, director of admissions and student engagement at SU Abroad, in a statement to The Daily Orange. The abroad office has developed contingency plans for its programs in London and Madrid, as well as Florence, Italy; Santiago, Chile; and Strasbourg, France.

“Syracuse Abroad still plans to continue moving forward with Spring 2021 programs,” Blomvall said. “We recently made modifications to the semester to give us the greatest opportunity to be able to offer our programs, considering the fluidity of the global health situation.”

SU suspended all its abroad programs in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the university announced on June 22 that it would suspend all fall abroad programs. 

The university will not resume operations at its center in Hong Kong after suspending the program last fall due to protests in the city, Blomvall said. 

SU’s Office of Global Safety and Support will continue working with the New York State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. State Department and International SOS to monitor the pandemic and determine whether it is safe for students to travel abroad this spring, Blomvall said. 

“If we feel that our student’s safety is at risk or that we can no longer provide an optimal experience for our students, we will further modify our programs or cancel the program as needed,” she said.

It is unclear how the European Union’s coronavirus-related travel restrictions, which still bar travel from the U.S., will impact SU Abroad programs in Europe. 

If SU cancels a program before students’ departure date, participants could switch to a different abroad center or defer for a future semester, Blomvall said. If a program gets canceled after it has started, SU will work to either move the students to a different abroad center or help them return to Main Campus. 

The abroad office also recommends that students enroll in on-campus classes for the spring semester in case a program gets canceled, Blomvall said. Students can withdraw from spring programs at no cost until Dec. 1. 

Here’s a breakdown of the current status of all spring 2021 SU Abroad programs: 

London

SU students in the London program will arrive in London on Feb. 8 and stay through May 8. Students will have to take a one-credit online course about London’s history, culture and politics before departure. Housing accommodations, course availability and the internship program will remain unchanged from previous years. 

U.S. citizens will not have to obtain a visa to participate in the London program this spring, though international students and those participating in the internship program will have to.

Florence, Italy

Participants in the program will begin classes on Jan. 11, a month before departing. Students will then arrive in Florence on Feb. 11 and stay through April 30. The program will hold a pre-arrival orientation online and an in-person orientation upon arrival. 

Instead of staying with a host family, students will stay in single rooms with private bathrooms at The Student Hotel, a student residence 20 minutes from SU’s center. Course options and SU’s internship program will remain the same as in previous years.

U.S. citizens will not be required to obtain visas since the duration of the program is under 90 days, though international students will be required to.

Madrid

Participants in the Madrid program will arrive in Madrid on Feb. 10 and stay through May 7. Students can choose to take two optional three-credit courses before arriving in order to reduce coursework while in Madrid. 

Students traveling to Madrid can choose to either live in a residence hall or stay with a host family. The Madrid internship program and course options remain the same as in previous years.

Students participating in the optional seminar at the end of the program and international students will need to obtain a visa to travel to Madrid, though U.S. citizens will not have to. 

Strasbourg, France

Students will arrive in Strasbourg on Feb. 23, with the program concluding on May 22. Those participating in the music performance program will stay through June 12. Students will have to take a one-credit online course prior to arrival. 

Housing, internship opportunities and course options remain the same as in previous years. 

Music performance program participants and students participating in the optional seminar at the end of the program will have to obtain a visa since their stay will be longer than 90 days. 

Santiago, Chile 

Students will arrive in Santiago on Jan. 13 and stay through July 9. Students will travel to Patagonia and San Pedro de Atacama in February before beginning classes at SU’s partner institution, Pontificia Universidad Catolica. Housing, internship opportunities, field trips and course options remain largely the same as in previous years.

Participants in the program can choose to take an optional three-credit language course prior to departure. The Ecuador immersion program will not take place in the spring.

Students will begin the program with a two-week quarantine. Under Chile’s travel restrictions, travelers arriving from the U.S. must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Students will need to obtain a visa to participate in the program. 

Published on September 23, 2020 at 9:54 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu