While we understand that the U.S. Presidential proclamation on March 11th does not constitute a complete ban on U.S. citizen movement to and from Europe, it nevertheless has serious implications for student travelers. It has triggered elevated travel advisory levels by the U.S. Department of State and Centers for Disease Control that contributed to our decision to suspend spring programming in Europe. It is also the case that, in response to these elevated travel advisor levels, an increasing number of U.S. institutions are requiring their study abroad students to return home.  

The suspension of our on-site programs in Europe was not a decision arrived at lightly. It was made after much careful and thoughtful discussion among the The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University’s leadership and Crisis Response Team, taking into consideration the risks for students if we continued operating our programs, their need to make continued academic progress during this semester, and the experiences they hoped to have in country.  All of us at The College are dedicated to facilitating the intellectual and personal growth study abroad affords students, so to have to end the onsite portion of the semester is something we have done with heavy hearts.

We also recognize how unsettling and disappointing it is for students to have to leave their host country so abruptly during an experience for which they no doubt prepared long and hard on many fronts – personally, academically, financially and logistically. The Arcadia staff abroad and in the U.S. remain dedicated to supporting students and their families as best we can during this challenging time. 

Students enrolled at Arcadia Centers in Athens, Barcelona, Granada, and London will be offered the opportunity to complete center-based courses through online instruction and assessment. Directions regarding the resumption of coursework will be communicated next week when Arcadia Center staff and faculty are able to re-engage with students. 

Students studying at partner universities and programs will be departing without a clear path for completion of their academic program. Arcadia will work with our partner universities and programs to advocate that all due consideration be given to students for completion of their coursework. Students considering remaining in-country to complete their program against our advice must speak with Arcadia in-country staff about their intentions.

Students are expected to leave their host city as soon as possible and no later than Friday, March 20th. Any students who are having challenges booking a flight can contact Assistant Director of Health, Safety, and Security Hannah Leidich at leidichh@arcadia.edu for assistance.

Programming in all other locations including Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa will continue to operate as usual.