DePauw University cancelled all international off-campus programs for spring 2021 due to COVID-19, according to an email sent to faculty and staff by Vice-President of Academic Affairs Dave Berque. The more than 50 students who are affected by this decision were notified earlier today.
Instead of traveling to Bristol, England, Junior Tori Tucker is now planning to spend next semester studying for the MCAT. “I deferred to study abroad fall semester, but I feel like that won’t really happen because I will be a senior and still have restrictions [due to COVID-19],” Tucker said.
Students who have been affected by this decision have been encouraged to defer their program for a semester or consider domestic programs that are still accepting applications.
One student interviewed said they intended to petition the decision made by the university. In an email to The DePauw, Mandy Brookins, director of off-campus programs, said, “Students who would like to discuss their options for spring must meet with me and go over their unique situations, and if they may consider requesting an exception from the suspension. Any requests for an exception will be reviewed by myself, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Vice President of Student Academic Life.”
Brookins did not say under what circumstances, if any, an exception would be granted.
Junior Katie Swenson was set to go to Copenhagen in the spring, but she pulled her application to attend earlier this semester before the announcement. “I was extremely sad I was not able to go abroad but knew it would most likely be canceled. I am shocked DePauw waited so long to cancel the spring semester abroad programs,” Swenson said.
While she’s given up hope on a semester abroad, Swenson hopes to travel during Winter Term her senior year.
Decisions about off-campus May Term courses and summer off-campus programs will be made later this semester, according to Brookins.
This story was updated at 4:40 p.m.
