OHIO announces changes to study abroad/study away programs

Ohio University has cancelled all fall and winter break international and domestic study abroad/study away programs for the 2020-21 school year.

The University announced the decision in response to guidance on non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic that it has received from the state of Ohio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of State, and its international security consultants.

“Ohio University is carefully reviewing state and federal guidance for non-essential travel and is working diligently to comply with all guidelines. Ensuring the health and safety of students before restarting our study abroad and study away programming is our top priority,” said Elizabeth Sayrs, Ohio University executive vice president and provost.

The travel restrictions extend to Ohio University students with plans to study abroad with third-party providers.

Any students who were directly affected by the cancellation of an OHIO program will receive a full refund of any expenses paid to date.

Despite these travel restrictions, students can still remain globally engaged through virtual opportunities. The Office of Global Opportunities is developing a webpage devoted to virtual global experiences that will go live next week.

Ohio University’s virtual opportunities include courses through its established Global COIL Initiative, in which students participate in a collaborative project with students abroad, as well as virtual study abroad and internship programs.

“The GLOBAL COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) Initiative brings together faculty and students within and across academic disciplines from around the globe to collaborate on joint virtual projects. It focuses on advancing inclusion and access to the global community by supporting the university’s digital transformation, general education, and student success goals through curriculum, experiential learning, and research and creative activity,” said Purba Das, an associate professor of communication studies at the OHIO Southern campus who serves as the academic lead for the COIL initiative.

For more information about study abroad/study away at OHIO or virtual global experiences, visit https://www.ohio.edu/goglobal or contact the Office of Global Opportunities at 740-593-4583 or global.opportunities@ohio.edu.