URGENT: Suspension of Spring 2020 Study Abroad Programs (03/12/20)
This message was sent to students on our WFU study abroad programs
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You are receiving this message as you are a student (or have a student) currently studying abroad on a WFU-sponsored program. Students – please also share this message with your parents/families in case there are any issues with their spam filters or email servers.
Dear WFU Study Abroad Students and Families,
After careful evaluation and with the health, safety, and wellbeing of our students as our foremost priority, effective immediately we have made the difficult decision to suspend all Spring 2020 WFU-sponsored semester Study Abroad programs (classes and activities), and to complete the remainder of the term remotely. This decision has been informed by the following recent developments:
- Wake Forest’s decision to suspend all in-person classes and limit campus operations, until further notice. See letter from President Hatch.
- The World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of the 2019 novel coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
- Rapidly developing measures by world governments to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus.
This worldwide situation continues to unfold at a rapid pace, as illustrated by President Trump’s announcement in the evening of March 11 which places conditional restrictions on travel from Europe to the U.S. We want to assure you that University officials are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to support you with your departure.
Preparing for your Departure
Students should make plans for immediate departure from their study abroad programs. Call your airlines directly or your booking source to change your return date. Many airlines are currently waiving change fees given the situation. Should you require financial or logistical assistance in order to return home, please contact Jessica Francis at 336-758-3890 or francija@wfu.edu.
Housing and student support services at our WFU abroad locations will remain open and available to students until Friday, March 20. If you are not able to meet the departure deadline, then inform your on-site staff who will provide further instructions.
Return Flight Information
It is essential that you share your travel plans with us. Please send your confirmed flight itinerary to studyabroad@wfu.edu, we are asking you to submit your return flight details by Saturday, March 14.
For those students who are unable to return home, Reynolda Campus housing will be made available. Please complete this Residence Life & Housing form to request consideration.
Resumption of Coursework
Please know that we are committed to supporting your completion of academic requirements this semester. As such, our teams are working hard to determine the best process by which to conduct your classes remotely. We anticipate your classes will resume in remote format the week of March 23 when the Wake Forest Reynolda Campus begins courses in this fashion. We will provide further information as soon as possible.
We understand this situation is causing considerable anxiety and is challenging everyone to work collectively to respond to these unforeseen circumstances. Visit the WFU COVID-19 website for additional information on WFU’s response.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Wake Forest Center for Global Programs & Studies office at 336.758.5938 or at studyabroad@wfu.edu. The office will be open from 8:30am-8:00pm EDT on both Thursday (03/12) and Friday (03/13). Additionally, the email address will be monitored throughout the weekend.
Sincerely,
David F. Taylor
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David F. Taylor
Assistant Dean for Global Study Away