Syracuse Abroad Fall 2020 Program Updates

Dear Fall 2020 study abroad student,

I am writing today to let you know that Syracuse Abroad has made the difficult decision to suspend all Syracuse study abroad programs for Fall 2020. While we have made every effort to offer a robust study abroad option this semester, we remain very concerned about the continued likelihood of international travel restrictions for US travelers well into the fall. In addition, we anticipate that the experiential components central to a meaningful study abroad experience are likely to be significantly diminished, due to the uncertainties of phased re-openings of public spaces (including museums and other important cultural sites), limited internship and travel opportunities, and other COVID-19 related restrictions. At this point, we are only entertaining the possibility of opening Syracuse Abroad centers to offer limited residential programming to first-year students who are currently living outside of the United States and who are unable to return to Syracuse main campus for in-person instruction.

We understand how truly disappointing this must be for you and we hope that you choose to attend one of our Spring 2021 programs instead. Each of our centers is already designing exciting new activities, courses and programs to make the spring a robust and dynamic experience. As a Fall 2020 study abroad student, you are given the option to defer your application and receive priority placement for the Spring 2021 semester (or for a summer 2021 program if you prefer), without reapplying or paying another application fee or deposit. In order to properly transfer your application, we ask that you complete this questionnaire by Monday, June 29.

Please keep in mind that it could take a few weeks before your Bursar account is fully updated for Fall. Your Syracuse Abroad charges will be removed and replaced with main campus charges. This is a manual process, so please be patient while we work with the Registrar and Bursar offices to correct your charges.

Should you need assistance with your fall semester on campus, we encourage you to reach out to the following Syracuse University departments:

• If you need support finding housing for the Fall 2020 semester, the Office of Student Living can connect you with housing options in the area. Please contact orlsc@syr.edu or 315-443-3637 for further assistance.
• If you need to register for Fall 2020 courses on main campus or make adjustments to your existing schedule, please contact your assigned academic advisor in your home school/college.

We all at Syracuse University are committed to helping you as you now pursue alternative plans for the fall semester, and for a future semester abroad. I encourage you to reach out to Syracuse Abroad at suabroad@syr.edu if you have any questions about this news or your study abroad application.

Sincerely,

Erika Wilkens
Assistant Provost and Executive Director
Syracuse Abroad