As the safety and well-being of students is our first priority, UCR has been closely monitoring situations related to Coronavirus or COVID-19 on campus and around the world.

Based on guidance from the University of California system restricting travel, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recent Global Travel Notice, additional guidance from the U.S. State Department, and World Health Organization (WHO), and assessments from campus leadership and subject matter experts, UCR has decided to cancel our faculty-led education abroad programs (FLEAP) in summer 2020.

This decision was not taken lightly. Additional factors for cancelation include:

• the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 and the risks involved, including increasing interruptions to operations and daily activities around the world;
• the growing importance of measures to limit person-to-person transmission, including restrictions on public gatherings and closures of major events;
• the increasing restrictions on international and domestic travel; and,
• the increasing financial strain experienced by our students and their families.

Resources and Next Steps

Students who have placed the $300 FLEAP deposit will have it returned to their student accounts. Please note that these funds will be applied to any balance on the student account before being refunded to the student. Additionally, to simplify the withdrawal process, Education Abroad staff will withdraw all student FLEAP summer 2020 applications in myUCR Abroad.

While we recognize the disruption this causes students, faculty, families, and partners, the timing of this decision was prioritized to give students time to plan for other opportunities, with the support of the Education Abroad Office and other campus offices, such as:

• enrolling in on-campus summer courses;
• pursuing online or alternative global learning opportunities; or;
• making other arrangements to ensure continued progress toward degree completion.

Students: please email your academic advisor, with a copy to educationabroad@ucr.edu.

We also realize this decision comes during an already challenging and stressful time for students and are reminding them of important resources, including Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS).

Contact Information

Students and faculty with questions related to education abroad should contact the Education Abroad Office at EducationAbroad@ucr.edu or +1 (951) 827-4113.

Additional Resources

We encourage students to be current on the Coronavirus situation assessment on their county Public Health website. Additional information is available on the following resources:

• Coronavirus Information for the UCR Campus
• Centers for Disease Control
• US Department of State International Travel

UCR and International Affairs remain committed to providing high-quality and impactful global learning opportunities for all students. Thus: we are here to support UCR students and faculty today, and we are here for them tomorrow. Crises do end, and we will work with students and the faculty to enhance student’s international learning experience as conditions improve.

Kelechi Kalu, Vice Provost, International Affairs

Karolyn M. Andrews, Director, Education Abroad

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