This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information is discovered.
The university made the decision to cancel all study abroad trips scheduled to occur during spring break, March 8-15, because of the Coronavirus, according to an e-mail sent to students from SRU President William Behre.
The students scheduled to go on these trips will be refunded all trip-related charges, according to an e-mail sent to spring break study abroad participants.
“We are working on the details here, and the exact timeline is unknown at the moment,” Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jerry Chmielewski said.
According to the e-mail, sent around 1:10 p.m. today, the health and safety of the students, faculty and staff of Slippery Rock University is Behre’s first priority. He said keeping that in mind, and taking into consideration all information currently available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. State Department, World Health Organizations and local governments, the university has made the decision to cancel all study abroad programming scheduled to occur during spring break.
Behre said our international study abroad programs are designed to deliver immersive cultural learning experiences for our students, and with the given circumstances, it is their belief that the spread of the virus has negatively impacted their ability to meet that deliberate educational intent.
He said the decision was not entered into lightly. The decision was made out of abundance of caution and responsibility for the well-being of all involved.
Behre was unavailable for further comment due to traveling.
If anyone would like additional information, contact the Office of Global Engagement at (724) 738-2057.
