By Brennan LaBrie
Pacific Lutheran University students studying on campus are not the only ones returning home this week; they are being joined by over 100 of their peers currently studying away, both internationally and domestically. As of March 17, PLU suspended student participation in all semester-long and short-term study away programs. Those students have been instructed to purchase tickets back to the U.S., with PLU footing the bill for cancellation and change fees and any price increases.
PLU’s decision follows the recent designation of Europe as a level three risk, which warns people to avoid all non-essential travel, by the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of State. The entire world has been designated as a level two by the CDC (alerting all travelers to practice enhanced precautions). PLU does not allow travel of its students to countries designated as level three, and so all students in China, South Korea and Europe were called home. In light of the world designation of level two, as well as the spread of the virus across the world and increasing quarantine and travel ban measures instituted by governments globally, all other study away programs followed.
Students are encouraged to return to their permanent home and enter CDC self-quarantine protocols if recommended. PLU’s partner universities abroad have gone online like PLU, and students will finish their semesters through those programs and receive credit for their classes.
Marissa Aulgur was studying away for the year in Aix-En-Provence at the Institute for American Universities, where she was in the French Honors Program. IAU had moved completely online before PLU called her back.
“It’s definitely bittersweet to be back home under these circumstances, but I know it’s the best option for the health of me and others,” she said. “All nonessential businesses are shut down in France, including restaurants, gyms, cafés, bars and movie theaters so it was like living in a ghost town.”
Major study away organizations, like the School for International Training (SIT) Study Abroad and Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), with whom PLU has partnered on study away programs, are currently arranging ways to send back all American students.
The Wang Center began monitoring the global spread of COVID-19 in January through points of reference such as the CDC, World Health Organization, and the U.S. State Department Travel Advisories, among other sources, according to Wang Center Executive Director Tamara R. Williams.
As the virus spread, the center updated students abroad periodically, eventually strongly recommending against travel outside of their host country to avoid contracting or spreading the virus, and banning any travel into the level three European continent. They informed students that if the illness were to spread to their respective regions and pose a risk to the students, faculty or staff, that they’d take action, and encouraged the students to “engage in proactive practices that are recognized as preventing the spread of viruses.”
The emails acknowledged that some students who came from countries with COVID-19 cases might have to undergo quarantine in their host country or upon return.
They also reminded students that they could withdraw from their program at any time if they felt the need to.
Williams said that the Wang Center is currently working with its partner program staff on the ground to get students home and offer guidance on travel and health guidelines once they return.
“Together we are working to make their return as smooth as possible given these unprecedented circumstances,” she wrote.
Additional reporting done by Gurjot Kang
