July 8, 2020

Email to Spring 2021 Lafayette Engineering Program Students on July 7, 2020

Dear Spring 2021 Madrid and Bonn Engineering Students,

 

I hope that this message reaches you and your families well. You are receiving this message because our office (IOCE) still believes that you intend to study abroad in the spring 2021 semester. If this is no longer the case, please let me know and I will withdraw your application.

 

I’m writing with a few updates for the spring semester.

 

EU Ban on Travel from the U.S.

Even though we are still almost six months away from your travel, you may be curious how the EU ban on entry from the United States will affect these programs. As we understand it, the list of banned countries will be reviewed and updated every two weeks. We will continue to monitor the situation.

 

Deposits

Given the fluctuating nature of the pandemic and the continually evolving information, we will be extending the deposit deadline to August 15 to give you and your families more time to consider your options. I will send another update at that point to share any new information that may be available. If Lafayette cancels the program (see below), program deposits will be returned to students.

 

Status of Spring Programs

At the moment, we have every intention of running the spring semester engineering programs. The International Risk Committee is meeting regularly to review new information as it relates to these programs. Our FAQ page has more information on the decision-making process. The first date by which we would make a significant decision to cancel the program would be in early October.

 

Important Considerations for Spring Study Abroad

  • Students who decide to participate in study abroad in the spring semester will need to have a very high level of tolerance for ambiguity and be able to exercise a great deal of flexibility.
  • Students should not expect to be able to travel outside of their host country. At any moment, borders could be closed and/or the faculty leaders/host institutions may decide that travel overall or to particular cities/countries is unwise and will ask students to stay in the country. Students will be expected to follow these guidelines.
  • Families should not expect to be able to visit their students while they are abroad. Plans to do so should be made at the last possible moment to avoid disappointment.
  • At any moment during the semester, individual courses or all courses may move to an online format depending on how things develop, health concerns of the faculty, etc.
  • Students may need to quarantine upon arrival or undergo testing for COVID.
  • It’s very likely that students will be wearing masks and taking the same precautions that will be expected on campus.
  • Planned program excursions may need to be revised. In some cases, this won’t be known until the last possible moment.

 

The health and safety of our students is our first priority. As we look to the spring semester, we will be evaluating the best way to deliver the program while maintaining that priority. Students are encouraged to also reflect on their priorities for a semester abroad and to think about the above considerations as they decide whether to participate in the program.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to be in touch with me.

 

Stay well,

 

Rochelle