COVID-19 Updates
Dean’s June 1, 2021 Message to students re: Fall 2021 Study Abroad
Dear Students:
We hope that you completed the semester smoothly and that your final exams went well.
We are writing to you with an update for Fall 2021 study abroad. After careful consideration and consultation with both internal and external stakeholders, the Providence College Cabinet will permit students to study abroad in the fall semester provided study abroad participants are fully vaccinated and sign an additional waiver. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we worked through this decision-making process since we take study abroad student health and safety very seriously.
Improved COVID-19 conditions in terms of cases, hospitalizations, and vaccination rates both in the U.S. and Europe along with robust COVID-19 protocols set forth by study abroad program providers were significant factors in this decision. If you decide to continue with your study abroad plans, you will need to be extremely flexible as you move forward with the process before and during your time abroad. While COVID-19 conditions have improved, the ongoing pandemic will have an impact on your study abroad housing arrangements/regulations, class structure (likely small class sizes with social distancing), and ability to travel independently. Study abroad in the time of COVID-19 will certainly have its challenges and rewards. U.S. students who studied abroad in 2020-21 have reported having a more localized experience and meaningful contact with the local culture.
To move forward with the process, please do the following:
- Read very carefully the FAQs for Fall 2021.
- If you have not done so already, read very carefully your study abroad program’s COVID-19 protocols and student agreement. You will be expected to follow the protocols set forth by your program, host country, and local authorities.
- Submit your Study Abroad Commit Form no later than June 10.
- Read very carefully and sign your COVID-19 Special Acknowledgement of Risk Form no later than June 10.
- You will be withdrawn from your on-campus courses and housing once you commit to study abroad.
If you decide that you do not want to study abroad in the fall semester
- You can defer your study abroad experience to spring 2022 or fall 2022. Email PCabroad@providence.edu to initiate this process and notify your study abroad program provider.
- OR you can withdraw completely from study abroad. Log into Horizons to complete this process with Providence College and notify your study abroad program provider.
- PC will be offering Maymester programs directed by PC faculty, and there will be other options for summer 2022 study abroad if you prefer these options.
Best regards,
Christian Wilwohl, Ed.D.
Dean, Center for Global Education
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Dean’s June 1, 2021 Message to families re: Fall 2021 Study Abroad
Dear Families:
Dear Parents and Families,
We hope this email finds you well.
CGE is writing to let you know that the College has approved Fall Semester 2021 Study Abroad. Many thanks again for your patience and understanding as we worked through our decision process. Please see below for more details and communication/information that we shared with students. I’m also attaching a copy of the COVID-19 Special Acknowledgement of Risk Form that students need to sign electronically if they choose to study abroad. Please review this with your student along with the information below before your student makes a final commitment to study abroad this fall.
If you have any questions, please be in touch with us.
Best regards,
Christian Wilwohl, Ed.D.
Dean, Center for Global Education
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Dean’s June 1, 2021 Message re: 2021-2022 Experiential Learning Requirement for PCSB Students Abroad
Dear PCSB Students:
We hope you’re doing well. Thanks again for your patience as PC worked through its decision-making process with fall semester study abroad. We are happy to be moving forward with study abroad this fall, but we must bear in mind that study abroad in the 2021-2022 academic year will be different than previous semesters.
With this in mind, the Center for Global Education and PC School of Business have made the PCSB experiential learning requirement optional for the fall 2021 or spring 2022 semesters. If you are interested in participating in an internship or practicum, you are still able to do so, but it will not be mandatory for the next academic year. Fall students will need to notify the CGE of their plans.
- By June 10th, fall semester study abroad students need to fill out a form to let the CGE know if they plan to continue with their internship or if they will not be doing an internship. Fall students will receive an email with a link to a Study Abroad Commit Form and will indicate their plans on that form.
- If students plan to continue with their internship, there is no need to contact their study abroad program providers. If you plan to drop it, you will need to contact your study abroad program provider and enroll in additional courses, totaling 15 credit hours.
- Spring 2022 students will not need to fill out a form related to their decision on pursuing an internship. They will simply enroll in a program with an internship or a study-only option. Their program selection and course selection will indicate whether they are participating in an internship.
If you are considering proceeding with the internship and have questions about what that experience will be like, please consult with your study abroad program provider. Each provider is handling internships in different ways, and some are able to offer fully virtual placements to students who are interested in an internship but uncomfortable with the idea of traveling to an office at this time. Some providers may offer hybrid options wherein students do some remote work and some work in person. Please also note that some providers are unable to offer in-person placements. Each provider is handling this differently, but they can give you additional details and answer questions you might have if you remain interested in interning.
There are a few other considerations to keep in mind:
- Your provider may have a withdrawal fee if you withdraw after a certain date. If you are considering proceeding with an internship, check with them to find out when that date is, and what the fee would be. Please note that PC students who withdraw by June 10th will not be responsible for any internship/practicum withdrawal fees.
- If you decide to pursue an internship, you will need to complete the internship agreement form by June 10th.
- Students who participate in internships or other forms of experiential learning are permitted to take as few as 12 credit hours to help offset the time commitment of participating in an internship. If decide not to continue with your internship plans, you will need to register for 15 credit hours.
We hope many of you will continue with your plans to intern abroad, but we also hope that this more flexible policy will allow students to study abroad in a way that feels most comfortable to them given the current travel environment.
Best regards,
Christian Wilwohl, Ed.D.
Dean, Center for Global Education
Sylvia Maxfield, Ph.D.
Dean, Providence College School of Business
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Dean’s March 17, 2021 Message re: Fall Semester 2021 Study Abroad Update
Dear Students,
We hope this message finds you safe and well.
As we progress through the spring semester, the Center for Global Education would like to communicate some information to you regarding fall study abroad. COVID-19 vaccination availability and distribution in the months ahead makes us optimistic about fall semester study abroad. In our commitment to due diligence, we continue to monitor the pandemic in conjunction with campus stakeholders and program providers. Student health and safety are paramount to us, and we will do our best for students to have a successful study abroad experience in the fall.
We will remain in active communication with fall semester study abroad students in the months ahead. At this time, we would like to share the following information and considerations with you to guide you in your decision-making. Bear in mind that COVID-19 protocols remain fluid, and we hope that restrictions both here and abroad will ease over the next few months.
PC Planning and Decision-making
As CGE and other campus stakeholders continue to monitor the situation, the College will make a decision regarding fall semester study abroad in late May or early June. Please note that a decision to move forward with fall study abroad could change later if conditions require PC to change course.
Course and housing registration
You will be permitted to register for Fall 2021 courses and on-campus housing and remain enrolled in study abroad until the College makes a decision regarding fall semester study abroad. If the College decides to allow students to study abroad in the fall, you will have 2 weeks to commit to being on campus or study abroad.
If you commit to study abroad by the deadline noted above and then subsequently change your plans and withdraw, this will affect your housing assignment since your initial housing spot will have been assigned to another student. Residence Life will work with you to find alternative housing on campus but cannot guarantee specific housing with roommates of your choice.
If you withdraw from study abroad after the set date (again TBD), you’ll need to register for courses again, subject to course availability at that time.
Travel while abroad
While you may be able to study abroad in the fall semester, your ability to travel once you get abroad may be compromised by travel restrictions set forth by your host country or program, depending on the region’s COVID-19 situation at that time. These restrictions are subject to change at any time. Again, we are hopeful that such restrictions will be minimal by the fall semester. Pay close attention to additional communication from CGE and your study abroad program provider in the months ahead.
You should also be mindful that visits from family and friends may be affected by protocols set forth by local authorities and your study abroad program provider.
COVID-19 vaccines and study abroad/travel
At the moment, there are no vaccine requirements for study abroad in place, but this is subject to change. Such requirements could be set forth by airlines, your host country, study abroad program, or local host university. The availability and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the months ahead should mitigate for this.
Health and safety measures while abroad
Health and safety protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing may still be in place in your host country in the fall semester. Your study abroad program provider will communicate these expectations to you moving forward. You’ll be expected to follow these protocols.
Finances
CGE is monitoring study abroad program provider’s cancellation and refund policies, and students are expected to do the same. Some providers are being more flexible while others are not. Be mindful that your program deposit, due in the upcoming weeks, may not be refundable.
Please note that PC will not refund/reimburse students for visa or permit to stay fees, cancelled flights, or non-refundable deposits paid to providers. The Providence College study abroad fee will not be charged if you withdraw from study abroad prior to your program start date.
Students should consider purchasing travel insurance to protect program deposits, visa fees, airfare, and eventually tuition and onsite housing costs. While the College does not endorse any travel insurance provider, we are providing the links for two providers that you may wish to consider:
Please be aware that there are different types of insurance programs, and limitations, and there are strict deadlines for enrolling in the programs. Also, please direct your questions directly to CISI or Insure My Trip.
Students should also ensure that they have contingency funds for purchasing emergency airfare and covering quarantine expenses while abroad.
COVID spikes/outbreaks while abroad
If there are COVID spikes/outbreaks next fall, students may be subjected to lockdown restrictions. Program providers will have provisions for remote learning in place, and students will be expected to engage in remote learning onsite as opposed to being instructed to return to the U.S. No refunds will be issued to students who return from abroad on their own accord in these instances. Students will be responsible for their travel expenses and expected to continue remote learning from a different time zone in the U.S. Arrangements for remote learning from the U.S. will need to be approved by students’ program providers.
Deferral to Spring 2022 or Fall 2022
Requests for deferrals to Spring 2022 will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If it is not ideal for you to study abroad in the spring semester and you are not comfortable making a commitment, especially a financial commitment, to Fall 2021 semester study abroad, we recommend that you consider Fall 2022 as an option.
CGE will continue to be in communication with you. Please be in touch with us if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Dr. Wilwohl
Dean’s February 26, 2021 Message re: Summer 2021 Study Abroad Suspension:
Dear Students,
I hope all is well.
I’m writing with a follow up to my email back on Feb. 11. Summer study abroad remains suspended in line with College’s current travel policy, and the guidance I have received is that PC will not be approving students from summer study abroad. This was a difficult decision, and we are sorry to share this news with you. The ongoing uncertainty with the COVID pandemic has strong implications for student health and safety, which is of utmost concern to us.
We hope that you’ll be able to study abroad in the future. Of course, this is contingent on the pandemic, but we are hopeful that study abroad will be back.
Thanks again for your understanding.
Best regards,
Dr. Wilwohl
Dean’s February 11, 2021 Message Re: Summer Study Abroad
Dear Students:
We are writing to you about your summer 2021 study abroad application. Summer study abroad remains suspended until further notice (https://reopen.providence.edu/health-safety/travel/). This is subject to change if conditions related to COVID both here and abroad improve. Please remain in active communication with CGE in the weeks ahead. Do not make any financial commitments to a summer study abroad program (program deposit, flight reservation, etc.) without consulting us. We’ll have more guidance as the semester progresses. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Best regards,
Dr. Wilwohl
