March 11 Update for Students in Europe on Externally Sponsored Programs

To Middlebury students studying in Europe on externally sponsored programs:

You may have already heard about President Trump’s announcement Wednesday night during his speech to the nation about coronavirus.  We know that there has been quite a bit of concern about his statements regarding travel to the US from Europe.  At this time, US citizens and US Permanent residents are not included in the restriction according to the Department of Homeland Security (International students: if you have questions please contact the ISSS Office).  Regardless, we see this as an indicator that there could be more severe restrictions in the near future.   In light of this development, our recommendations at this time are as follows:

• If you are studying at a program that has just announced suspension, we urge you to return home as soon as possible.
• Many of your programs have offered the option of returning home to finish course work remotely; we recommend you take this option if it is available to you.
• If you are directly enrolled in a university that has not yet suspended or offered a remote learning option to finish course work, we recommend you consult the International Office at your host university as soon as possible to determine if you can work with professors individually to finish course work remotely.

Sincerely,

Carlos Vélez

Dean of International Programs