The University of Maryland announced Tuesday that the university has canceled all study abroad programs for the spring semester.
The decision was made “out of concern for health and safety during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Ross Lewin, associate vice president for international affairs, wrote in an email.
The announcement comes 12 days after Lewin announced the cancellation of winter 2021 study abroad programs.
The decisions were made in coordination with this university’s provost Mary Ann Rankin and the international risk management committee, according to the email.
According to the Education Abroad website, the university planned a roadmap prioritizing public health for reopening its programs and “many of the conditions for reopening have not yet been met.”
Restrictions on the entrance of U.S. citizens where study abroad programs operate also weighed in the decisions, according to the website. In Italy, where the university hosts five full-semester programs, non-essential travel from the United States is prohibited.
The international affairs office will collaborate with academic departments and programs “to develop engaging, project-based, virtual opportunities for students to prepare them to become impactful global professionals and citizens,” Lewin wrote.
