On March 12, the Office of the President of UTRGV announced that the university will cancel all study abroad programs in response to COVID-19. Director of International Programs and Partnerships, Alan Earhart explains how they began cancelling study abroad programs, beginning with China.
[Its] affected study abroad as well, I mean we started closing our summer study abroad travel programs first with China, and then we did it with South Korea, and then we canceled Italy and then obviously we ended canceling all of them…
Earhart says that the university requested all current students studying in foreign countries to return to the U-S-, and while many have returned several students have decided to stay.
Vaquero Radio spoke to Sabrina Guerra, a civil engineer junior who decided to stay in Barcelona. Guerra says when the situation is under control she will fly back.
[After] they have made it control, or a solution or something, then yeah for sure I will fly back, but like now I feel there is panic in every airport and I feel like its running towards the problem…
Guerra says if she returns now, she would expose herself to three flights through three international airports.
According to the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Spain as of March 14, Spain issued a “State Alarm.” Meaning that “U.S. citizens quarantined in Spain cannot travel to the United States until medically cleared.”
Exercise Science Senior, Jesus Saavedra was planning a non-affiliate U-T-R-G-V- trip to Canada over the summer. Despite CDC travel advisories, Saavedra says he does not feel scared to travel places.
Wherever we are travelling I feel like they are also trying their best to continue to contain the virus, so I feel pretty safe for that, I feel okay, I don’t feel to scare to travel places…
Earhart says that UTRGV cancelled the summer plans for about two hundred students, who were set to study abroad. He also says they hope to postpone the programs for next year.
For more information on traveling within university programs visit UTRGV.edu/Emergency preparedness.
Reporter Victor Rivero
