No study abroad in Italy: Coronavirus leads KU, MU to order students to come home
As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, Kansas City area universities are canceling more study abroad programs and bringing students home.
Last month, many colleges suspended travel to China and South Korea.
Now the University of Missouri and University of Kansas are adding Italy to that list, the latest country the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified as Warning Level 3: Avoid Non-Essential Travel because of the virus, known as COVID-19.
“It is important to note that global circumstances suggest it is likely this virus will cause a pandemic,” said a Monday memo to the KU community, noting no cases have been detected in Kansas or Missouri. “This is a rapidly evolving situation, and the risk assessment will be updated.”
KU’s move affects 43 students this semester, including 35 in Italy, seven in South Korea and one in China. These students have been asked to return to their home residences by Friday. Some are already home, and those “students have been asked to self-isolate and monitor their health for 14 days, as recommended by the CDC,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, KU spokeswoman. Students whose permanent residence is in Lawrence must check in with Watkins Health Services.
“In addition, KU has canceled its upcoming spring break study abroad programs in Italy,” affecting another 17 students.
The University of Missouri also has canceled study abroad in China, South Korea and Italy for this semester and for the summer. And then Tuesday afternoon, the university canceled plans for a group of faculty and students set to attend a conference in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg early Monday issued a public health emergency declaration to suppress the spread of the disease.
“We felt it was prudent to restrict the travel until they change that status,” said Christian Basi, MU spokesman.
Basi said that while Iran is also on the list of countries where travel is prohibited, the university hasn’t had any travel there.
About 23 MU students studying in Italy now must return home. The company that MU partners with to arrange housing and connect students with host universities has canceled its service due to the coronavirus. Originally, MU was allowing each student to determine whether it was safer to stay put in Italy rather than travel through international airports. But with the latest development, all students, regardless of where in the country they are living, must come back to the U.S.
Basi said the university is working with students to help them cover the cost of return flights. Some students, depending on their area of study, have been in Italy longer than others and may be closer to completion. So the university has yet to determine whether students will get money back after returning home. Most of them, Basi said, will be able to complete the semester courses online.
No decision has been made on whether students will need to be quarantined once they return. “We are working with the CDC to determine what should be recommended for students returning,” Basi said.
Elsewhere, Elon University in North Carolina suspended its program in Florence, Italy, for the semester, affecting 21 students and one faculty member. The students will finish their coursework remotely.
“This was a difficult decision for the university to make, given that these students were already immersed in these important global experiences,” Elon University’s global education dean Woody Pelton said in a news release.
Students, who are trying to return to the U.S. are bummed about having to cut their international study short. Josh Kurzer, a 20-year-old Syracuse University junior, told CNN he thought classes would be canceled for maybe only a week.
When he learned the program was shut down, he was “shocked.” He said that since getting the news, “It’s been rock bottom. All I can do is laugh right now.”
Pelton and the leaders at other colleges say their decisions were made in the best interest of students. “The health and safety of students is our top priority,” Pelton said.
Health experts say that frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and avoiding contact with anyone who is sick will help to curb the spread of this virus. And they recommend that people stay home when they are sick.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 4:44 PM.
