Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Important Coronavirus Update, Academic Program in Florence to Be Suspended

Wednesday, February 26, 2020, By News Staff
Share

Dear Members of the Syracuse University Community:

Syracuse University continues to track the global threat of the novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, and remains in close contact with local, regional and national public health experts. We have communicated frequently to students, faculty and staff regarding prevention measures for this and any communicable virus, believing that education is a powerful tool to protecting oneself from getting sick.

One place experiencing a spike in confirmed cases is Italy, where there are 283 confirmed cases. Italy has taken a very aggressive stance toward virus containment, locking down whole municipalities to protect the population. This morning, a confirmed case was reported in Florence—home to the Syracuse Abroad Florence center—which has prompted restrictions on gatherings and a general evacuation of study abroad programs in that city. Please note: an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the University of Florence was closing down. The university remains open.

With this in mind, we have made the decision to close the academic program at our Florence campus and assist our students with returning to the United States. Concerns for the safety, well-being and free movement of the 342 students in our study abroad program in Florence, Italy, have guided this difficult decision, which was also informed by global health experts. We believe this is absolutely necessary to reduce the risk of our students being unable to leave Italy due to Italian containment efforts. We are working directly with our students to arrange their return to the United States. We will do everything we can to minimize disruption to their academic studies and their lives. Many will choose to return to main campus. However, they will not return until after spring break.

Additionally, we are continuing to work with many in our community, particularly our students from China, who have been deeply impacted by the spread of coronavirus. With spring break quickly approaching, we appreciate and recognize that many of our students will be unable to travel home as they had previously planned. It will also, potentially, have implications on our Chinese students’ ability to return home this summer. We are working with our schools and colleges, and with others to help accommodate the evolving needs of this important part of our campus community. Our Chinese students continue to worry about their family, friends and loved ones from afar. The Center for International Services continues to offer care and support to these students. Our Florence students will return to campus disappointed and disoriented. We ask that you continue to offer grace and support for all of these individuals who are experiencing a uniquely challenging situation that is affecting their overall well-being. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the center for additional support.

Finally, as a reminder, we continue to encourage our community to take precautions and exercise good health practices. To learn more about preventive health practices, please visit the Barnes Center at The Arch website. We will continue to provide updates to our campus community about information, protocols and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health.

Sincerely,

Steven Bennett
Senior Vice President for International Programs and Academic Operations

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Student’s Mobile Upcycled Clothing Business Turns Trash Into Treasures
    Friday, August 22, 2025, By Diane Stirling
  • Q&A for “Will Work for Food,” a new book exploring labor and the food chain
    Friday, August 22, 2025, By Ellen Mbuqe
  • Chaz Barracks Fuses Art, Scholarship and Community in Summer Residency
    Thursday, August 21, 2025, By News Staff
  • Welcome Week 2025: What You Need to Know
    Tuesday, August 19, 2025, By Kathleen Haley
  • How Otto the Orange Spent Their Summer Vacation (Video)
    Tuesday, August 19, 2025, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

Heartfelt Gift Recognizes Accomplished Alumna and 3 Generations of Orange

William Pelton and Mary Jane Massie have created the Barringer Pelton Public Service Graduate Scholarship to honor their niece, Jody Barringer ’95, L’98, G’08 (M.P.A.), and support future public servants. After working for a few years as an attorney focused…

Families Offer Words of Wisdom During Welcome Week Move In (Video)

Nearly 4,300 new undergraduate students arrived on campus this week, many of them with families and cars filled to the brim. As families help their children settle into their home away from home, they’re also sharing advice for the year…

Chaz Barracks Fuses Art, Scholarship and Community in Summer Residency

With a GoPro strapped to his helmet and a microphone clipped to his bike, Chaz Antoine Barracks spent the summer pedaling through Homer, New York, transforming everyday encounters into both scholarship and art. The filmmaker, media scholar and postdoctoral fellow…

The New York State Fair: Everything You Need to Know

Late August in Central New York not only means the return of students to the Syracuse University campus, but also the return of the New York State Fair. The fair is a 13-day festival of entertainment, agricultural exhibitions, cultural performances…

Department of Public Safety Celebrates Graduation of 9th Peace Officer Academy

On Aug. 14, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) welcomed families, friends and colleagues of the 9th Peace Officer Academy recruits to a graduation event. The ceremony, held at Drumlins Country Club, was the perfect culmination of their accomplishments over…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.