With more than 3,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 100 deaths reported in Italy, IU has now offered students studying there two choices: Leave and finish their classes online, or stay and complete their program.
IU has restricted all new travel to China, South Korea, Iran and, as of Feb. 29, Italy. To return to IU, students must undergo a 14-day self-quarantine per IU’s Safety Advisory Board.
“We are in touch with all of our students who are studying abroad in Italy about next steps," according to an email from IU spokesperson Chuck Carney. "We've suspended the few IU-administered Italy programs and we're in touch with the providers of the other programs serving IU students.”
The Office of Overseas Study is helping students return home or make new arrangements to finish up their course studies as well.
IU junior Carly Shoneman’s program in Florence, Italy, was suspended, and she chose to return to her home in Yardley, Pennsylvania rather than return to IU.
“We were traveling outside of Italy during the time, and in 24 hours, it went from don’t return to Milan to don’t return to Italy at all,” Shoneman said. “Because I was studying abroad, and similar to most students, I had a six-month lease, so I don’t have anywhere to live if I went back.”
With the suddenness of the outbreak and program cancellations, students were advised to leave the cities they’re in as soon as possible.
“I stayed in an apartment, and we were advised not to return to Italy, so I still have two-thirds of my stuff in my apartment in Florence,” Shoneman said. “The host institute sent out emails that they will be sending out forms for us to fill out to retrieve everything.”
Shoneman said IU told students via email it would reimburse their flights home.
Some programs were not canceled, however, and a few IU students have elected to stay in Italy. IU junior Abbey Dobosz chose to continue her program through International Education of Students in Milan.
“My program said that our classes would be online for the time being because other Italian schools were closed down,” Dobosz said. “I personally have agreed with all of IU’s decisions, they gave students the option to go home. IES has experience dealing with crises so I trust IES' decision to stay, and I’m glad IU did too because I didn’t want to be sent home.”
Dobosz said the IES staff member in charge of student medical care was helpful when she contracted a bad cold, which included upper respiratory irritation, a similar symptom to coronavirus, two weeks ago.
“Right away she took my temperature and asked me a bunch of questions about where I had been traveling and who I was in contact with,” Dobosz said. “The whole situation made me feel calmer. I feel they are as on top of it as they can be.”
While the virus continues to spread in Europe, being abroad still has its appeal to students.
“I’ve wanted to study abroad since I was a child,” Dobosz said. “I’d elect to stay in Europe and go to a different country if the program in Milan was shut down.”
