Study Abroad Programs Canceled Due to COVID-19

The following message was delivered to the SUU community via email at approximately 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020.


Dear Students,

I was informed today that all of SUU’s study abroad programs are canceled through July. The decision is final and not open to negotiation.

SUU Provost Eves, in consultation with Vice Provost Allen, determined that it would be prudent at this time to cancel all upcoming study abroad programs, at least until the end of July.

All SUU students registered for study abroad from now through July will receive a full refund of the fees you paid to SUU for your study abroad program. We will initiate the refund process next Wednesday, March 18. The Cashier’s Office will then process the payment to you as you have opted to receive payments from the University.

Study abroad directors were notified of this decision earlier today. Some are already considering the possibility of offering their program in late August, some in the winter, and some next spring. If a director offers their program again in the coming months, you will be the first students notified to sign up, and you won’t be required to re-apply for your program. Of course, you would be required to pay for the new program, probably at roughly the same rate that you paid for the original program.

If you were planning to complete a study abroad course to fulfill graduation requirements this summer, please email me directly. Some professors have said they can adapt their study abroad courses and offer them during the summer semester, and some have said they cannot. In the latter case, we may need to appeal to department chairs and ask them to consider course substitutions. Let me know if you needed a study abroad course for graduation, and I’ll do what I can to help.

Regarding flights you might have booked, unfortunately, we cannot refund those. We do know that many airlines are being unusually flexible with ticket changes due to the coronavirus situation, and we recommend that you work with your airline to get a refund or credit toward a future flight.

Thanks for your understanding. Stay healthy!

Best regards,
Dr. Kurt Harris