Skip To Content Skip To Menu Skip To Footer

Dickinson College updates on Spring 2021

Global Study and Engagement Updates

April 24, 2021

UPDATE: Dickinson in Russia summer '21 program

Dear Students, 
 
Hello and greetings from the CGSE. I hope that you are hanging in there as the spring semester begins to wrap up. I am reaching out today with a very important update about the Dickinson in Russia Summer 2021 program. As you know, we have been continuing to follow the situation with the COVID-19 global pandemic in our study abroad program locations very carefully. At the forefront of our decision making has always been the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and local communities. 
 
As we have previously shared, Russia is listed as a Level 4 travel advisory on the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory and student visas are still not being processed at this time, with no indication as to when they may become available again. Therefore, because Russia continues to be listed as a U.S. State Department Level 4 travel advisory, and it doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon, we have had to come to the difficult decision to cancel the Dickinson in Russia summer 2021 program. This decision has been vetted by Dickinson’s International Travel Risk Assessment Committee, along with the President’s Staff, who have determined it is not suitable for students to travel to Russia for the summer program. 
 
We know that this is not the news that you wished to hear and how disruptive it is for students who were hoping to study abroad on the program this summer. Please know that we share in that disappointment with you. The CGSE is looking into the opportunity to provide other short-term program opportunities in the future. Please stay tuned as more information will be shared in the coming months.  
 
Best, 

Stephanie Gulden
Assistant Director, Education Abroad
Center for Global Study and Engagement

 

March 4, 2021 

Summer cancellation email sent to Food Studies - Italy summer students 

Dear Food Studies Summer 2021 Applicants,   

I hope that each of you are hanging in there this semester. I am writing today in regard to the Food Studies Summer 2021 program.  

As you know, we have been continuing to follow the situation with the COVID-19 global pandemic in our study abroad program locations very carefully. At the forefront of our decision making has always been the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and local communities.  

The Food Studies summer program relies heavily on in-country travel throughout Italy to different bioregions, which is an essential component of the associated course. Currently, Italy has been continuing to experience many various restrictions and lockdowns between its regions and provinces, making it incredibly difficult and often impossible to move between different regions and provinces. Because of the unpredictability of the ability for in-country travel, for which the program relies on heavily, we have had to come to the difficult decision to cancel the Food Studies program for summer 2021.    

We know that this is not the news you wished to hear and how disruptive it is for students who were hoping to study abroad on the program this summer. Please know that we share in that disappointment with you. The CGSE is looking into the opportunity to provide other short-term program opportunities in the future, and Professor Trazzi is hoping to run this program next summer. Please stay tuned as more information will be shared in the coming months.  

As always, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

 

March 3, 2021 

General GIS cancellation email sent to students in the following GIS programs: China, Argentina, Germany, Italy (Italian Studies and European Studies), Denmark, England, Brazil, Cameroon, and France  

Dear students,  

As we launched this semester, we created the Globally Integrated Semester program for students to engage with our sites, faculty and staff abroad and to make connections between local and global in hopes that students would have the opportunity travel at the end of the semester. Contrary to our hopes, the college has determined we are canceling all the GIS study abroad travel in May. This decision is based on on-going global travel restrictions on entry, quarantine requirements, limited mobility in-country and concerns about the health of our students and host communities around the world.  

We understand that this announcement may not come as a surprise to you, but is disappointing nonetheless. Your health and well-being is our number one priority. Although the travel portion of the GIS program is cancelled, we will still be holding the global learning, cohort experience through your globally integrated courses connected to a Dickinson program abroad, and globally themed specialized workshops during March and April of this semester. If you are graduating this semester or are unable to study abroad during a future semester, please know that there are many post-graduate opportunities to study and work abroad. The Center for Global Study and Engagement is partnering with the Advising, Internships & Career Center to host a workshop on post-graduate international opportunities in April. More information about this workshop will be provided in the coming weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.   

If you paid your confirmation deposit, this will be refunded to you as a credit on your Dickinson student account and may be applied to your Dickinson invoice for a future semester. More information about this process will be shared with you soon.   

The Center for Global Study and Engagement is looking into the opportunity to provide new GIS opportunities for fall with travel in January and in spring 2022 with travel in May to accommodate students. Please stay tuned as more information will be shared in the coming months.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me or set up a virtual advising appointment using the link in my signature below. 

 

GIS cancellation/ possible postponement email sent to GIS Spain students 

Dear students,  

 As we launched this semester, we created the Globally Integrated Semester program for students to engage with our sites, faculty and staff abroad and to make connections between local and global in hopes that students would have the opportunity travel at the end of the semester. Contrary to our hopes, the college has determined we are canceling all the GIS study abroad travel in May. This decision is based on on-going global travel restrictions on entry, quarantine requirements, limited mobility in-country and concerns about the health of our students and host communities around the world.    

Although it will not be possible for the program to travel at the end of May as originally planned, we are exploring the possibility of the GIS Spain program traveling in July. We are looking at moving the Spain summer program to a July start date as well.   

So that we can explore the possibility of a July start date for this program, please let me know by March 12 if you would be interested in/able to travel to Spain in July for this GIS program OR if you would be interested in switching your application to the summer program (with a July start date). If the program can be moved to a July start date, a decision regarding the ability for the program to travel will take place in the beginning of April.   

We understand that this announcement may not come as a surprise to you, but is disappointing nonetheless. Your health and well-being is and has always been our number one priority. Although the travel portion of the GIS program may not be possible in July, we will still be holding the global learning, cohort experience through your globally integrated courses connected to a Dickinson program abroad, and globally themed specialized workshops during March and April of this semester. If you are graduating this semester or are unable to study abroad during a future semester, please know that there are many post-graduate opportunities to study and work abroad. For more information, please reach out to our office or the Advising, Internships & Career Center. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.   

Additionally, the CGSE is looking into the opportunity to provide new GIS opportunities for fall with travel in January and in spring 2022 with travel in May to accommodate students.  Please stay tuned as more information will be shared in the coming months. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me or set up a virtual advising appointment using the link in my signature below. 

 

GIS cancellation/possible postponement email sent to GIS Iceland students 

Dear students,  

As we launched this semester, we created the Globally Integrated Semester program for students to engage with our sites, faculty and staff abroad and to make connections between local and global in hopes that students would have the opportunity travel at the end of the semester. Contrary to our hopes, the college has determined we are canceling all the GIS study abroad travel in May. This decision is based on on-going global travel restrictions on entry, quarantine requirements, limited mobility in-country and concerns about the health of our students and host communities around the world.    

Although it will not be possible for the program to travel at the end of May as originally planned, we are exploring the ability for the GIS Iceland program to travel in August.   

So that we can explore the ability for travel in August, please let me know by March 12 if you would be interested in/able to travel to Iceland in August for this program. If the program can be moved to an August travel component, a decision regarding the ability for the program to travel will be announced in April.   

We understand that this announcement may not come as a surprise to you, but is disappointing, nonetheless. Your health and well-being is our number one priority. Although the travel portion of the GIS program may not be possible in July, we will still be holding the global learning, cohort experience through your globally integrated courses connected to a Dickinson program abroad, and globally themed specialized workshops during March and April of this semester. If you are graduating this semester or are unable to study abroad during a future semester, please know that there are many post-graduate opportunities to study and work abroad. For more information, please reach out to our office or the Advising, Internships & Career Center. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.   

The Center for Global Study and Engagement is looking into the opportunity to provide new GIS opportunities for fall with travel in January and in spring 2022 with travel in May to accommodate students.  Please stay tuned as more information will be shared in the coming months.  

Should you have any questions, please be in touch. 

 

Summer cancellation/possible postponement email sent to Dickinson in Spain summer students 

Dear Dickinson in Spain Summer 2021 Applicants,  

Hello! I hope that each of you are hanging in there this semester. I am writing today in regards to your application to the Dickinson in Spain Summer 2021 program.  

Application review:  

Please know that we are just finalizing reviews of the applications, and we will be reaching out soon with decisions. Applicants who wished to be considered for financial aid will also receive information from the Financial Aid office regarding your financial aid package information.  

Decision making for travel in summer 2021:  

Currently, there are travel restrictions between provinces in Spain, along with other restrictions related to the number of COVID-19 cases. Because of these factors, we have determined that we will not be able to run the Malaga Summer program at the end of May as originally planned. Although the program will not be able to travel at the end of May, we are exploring the ability for the program to be moved to a July start date. This will hopefully give some additional time for risk mitigation and for the situation in Spain to improve.  

So that we can explore the ability for a July start date for this program, please let me know by Friday, March 12th if you would be interested in/able to travel to Spain in July for this summer program. If the program can be moved to a July start date, a decision regarding the ability for the program to travel will take place in the beginning of April.    

As always, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

 

Summer update email sent to Dickinson in Russia summer students 

Dear Dickinson in Russia Summer 2021 Applicants,  

Hello! I hope that each of you are hanging in there this semester. I am writing today in regards to your application to the Dickinson in Russia Summer 2021 program.  

Application review:  

Please know that we are just finalizing reviews of the applications, and we will be reaching out by the end of next week with decisions. Applicants who wished to be considered for financial aid will also receive information from the Financial Aid office regarding your financial aid package information at that time.  

Decision making for travel in summer 2021:  

We continue to monitor the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 global pandemic in all of our study abroad program locations. At the forefront of our decision making is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and local communities. Since this program is not scheduled to start until July, we will be making a decision as to whether or not this program will be able to travel in the beginning of April. Students require a visa for this program, and at this time, Russia is not processing or issuing any student visas. Please do not begin making any travel arrangements until instructed by the CGSE. We will keep you updated as we have more information to share.   

As always, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

 

Fall cancellation email sent to Dickinson in Brazil students 

Dear Dickinson in Brazil applicants,   

I am reaching out to you today regarding the Dickinson in Brazil program for the fall 2021 semester.   

While CGSE is optimistic that a majority of fall 2021 programs will be able to proceed, we have made the difficult decision to definitively suspend the Brazil program for the fall 2021 semester. This is due to a combination of factors, including health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic in-country and the academic calendar for this program, as the fall semester starts in July. We understand that this announcement may not come as a surprise to you, but is disappointing, nonetheless. Your health and well-being is and has always been our number one priority 

Next steps:  

If you already have an application opened and submitted for another program for the fall 2021 semester, your application for that program will be reviewed soon, and you will be receiving a decision from the CGSE in the coming weeks. There is nothing further you need to do at this time. If we notice anything is missing from your back-up program application, we will be in touch.   

If you currently do not have an application open for a back-up program but wish to apply to an alternative program for fall 2021, please email global@dickinson.edu so that we can open the new application for you. We can copy over as much as we can of your Brazil application so that you will not need to start from the beginning on your new application. At the very least, you will need to request new advisor approval forms for your new program application. If you would like to defer your application to the Spring 2022 semester, please let me know and we can update your application.  

Additionally, even if you had a backup plan, we did want to let you know that we are still accepting applications for the Dickinson in DC program for fall 2021. The Dickinson in DC program is currently running for the spring semester, despite COVID, and we anticipate a similar program structure in the fall. We understand that this past year has brought significant uncertainty for students and some may be interested in a study away program that does not require international travel. This program offers students the opportunity to connect with industry leading internships and is open to students of all majors. There will be an info session for the DC program on Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm (EST).  More information, including the Zoom link, is available on EngageD. If you are interested but unable to attend this session, please email me at mitchmar@dickinson.edu.   

If you would like to make an advising appointment to discuss an alternative program option or have other questions, please let me know or you are welcome to schedule an advising appointment with the appropriate CGSE advisor

 

Fall cancellation email sent to Dickinson in Ecuador and Argentina students 

Dear Dickinson in Ecuador and Argentina applicants,   

I am reaching out to you today regarding the Dickinson in Ecuador and Argentina program for the fall 2021 semester.   

While CGSE is optimistic that a majority of fall 2021 programs will be able to proceed, we have made the difficult decision to definitively suspend the Ecuador/Argentina program for the fall 2021 semester. This is due to a combination of factors, including health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic in-country and the academic calendar for this program, as the fall semester starts in late June. We understand that this announcement may not come as a surprise to you, but is disappointing, nonetheless. Your health and well-being is and has always been our number one priority. 

Next steps:  

If you already have an application opened and submitted for another program for the fall 2021 semester, your application for that program will be reviewed soon, and you will be receiving a decision from the CGSE in the coming weeks. There is nothing further you need to do at this time. If we notice anything is missing from your back-up program application, we will be in touch.   

If you currently do not have an application open for a back-up program but wish to apply to an alternative program for fall 2021, please email global@dickinson.edu so that we can open the new application for you. We can copy over as much as we can of your Ecuador/Argentina application so that you will not need to start from the beginning on your new application. At the very least, you will need to request new advisor approval forms for your new program application. If you would like to defer your application to the Spring 2022 semester, please let me know and we can update your application.  

Additionally, even if you had a backup plan, we did want to let you know that we are still accepting applications for the Dickinson in DC program for fall 2021. The Dickinson in DC program is currently running for the spring semester, despite COVID, and we anticipate a similar program structure in the fall. We understand that this past year has brought significant uncertainty for students and some may be interested in a study away program that does not require international travel. This program offers students the opportunity to connect with industry leading internships and is open to students of all majors. There will be an info session for the DC program on Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm (EST).  More information, including the Zoom link, is available on EngageD. If you are interested but unable to attend this session, please email me at mitchmar@dickinson.edu.   

If you would like to make an advising appointment to discuss an alternative program option or have other questions, please let me know or you are welcome to schedule an advising appointment with the appropriate CGSE advisor

 

Fall cancellation email sent to University of Otago students 

Dear University of Otago Fall 2021 Applicants,   

I am reaching out to you today regarding the University of Otago program for the fall 2021 semester.   

While CGSE is optimistic that a majority of fall 2021 programs will be able to proceed, we have made the difficult decision to definitively suspend the University of Otago program for the fall 2021 semester. This is due to the borders of New Zealand being closed with no indication as to when they will re-open. In addition, the fall semester for this program begins in July, and so planning needs to be done earlier than other fall programs. 

Next steps:  

If you already have an application opened and submitted for another program for the fall 2021 semester, your application for that program will be reviewed soon, and you will be receiving a decision from the CGSE in the coming weeks. There is nothing further you need to do at this time. If we notice anything is missing from your back-up program application, we will be in touch.   

If you currently do not have an application open for a back-up program but wish to apply to an alternative program for fall 2021, please email global@dickinson.edu so that we can open the new application for you. We can copy over as much as we can of Dickinson in Australia application so that you will not need to start from the beginning on your new application. At the very least, you will need to request new advisor approval forms for your new program application.   

Additionally, even if you had a backup plan, we did want to let you know that we are still accepting applications for the Dickinson in DC program for fall 2021. The Dickinson in DC program is currently running for the spring semester, despite COVID, and we anticipate a similar program structure in the fall. We understand that this past year has brought significant uncertainty for students and some may be interested in a study away program that does not require international travel. This program offers students the opportunity to connect with industry leading internships and is open to students of all majors. There will be an info session for the DC program on Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm (EST).  More information, including the Zoom link, is available on EngageD. If you are interested but unable to attend this session, please email mitchmar@dickinson.edu.   

If you would like to make an advising appointment to discuss an alternative program option or have other questions, please feel free to schedule an advising appointment with the appropriate CGSE advisor

 

Fall cancellation email sent to Dickinson in Australia students 

Dear Dickinson in Australia Fall 2021 Applicants,   

I am reaching out to you today regarding the Dickinson in Australia program for the fall 2021 semester.    

While CGSE is optimistic that a majority of fall 2021 programs will be able to proceed, we have made the difficult decision to definitively suspend the Dickinson in Australia program for the fall 2021 semester. This is due to the borders of Australia are closed with no indication as to when they will re-open. In addition, the fall semester for this program begins in July, and so planning needs to be done earlier than other fall programs.  

The Dickinson in Australia program will no longer be operating, as we look to move the program to New Zealand moving forward.    

Next steps:  

If you already have an application opened and submitted for another program for the fall 2021 semester, your application for that program will be reviewed soon, and you will be receiving a decision from the CGSE in the coming weeks. There is nothing further you need to do at this time. If we notice anything is missing from your back-up program application, we will be in touch.   

If you currently do not have an application open for a back-up program but wish to apply to an alternative program for fall 2021, please email global@dickinson.edu so that we can open the new application for you. We can copy over as much as we can of Dickinson in Australia application so that you will not need to start from the beginning on your new application. At the very least, you will need to request new advisor approval forms for your new program application.   

Additionally, even if you had a backup plan, we did want to let you know that we are still accepting applications for the Dickinson in DC program for fall 2021. The Dickinson in DC program is currently running for the spring semester, despite COVID, and we anticipate a similar program structure in the fall. We understand that this past year has brought significant uncertainty for students and some may be interested in a study away program that does not require international travel. This program offers students the opportunity to connect with industry leading internships and is open to students of all majors. There will be an info session for the DC program on Friday, March 5th at 12:30pm (EST).  More information, including the Zoom link, is available on EngageD. If you are interested but unable to attend this session, please email mitchmar@dickinson.edu.   

If you would like to make an advising appointment to discuss an alternative program option or have other questions, please feel free to schedule an advising appointment with the appropriate CGSE advisor.