UST’s highest priority remains the health and safety of our students. In terms of study abroad programming and international travel, at this time the University’s Emergency Task Force is permitting students, faculty and staff to travel. However, UST will not send students to COVID-19 Level 4 Countries. The Study Abroad Office will continue to monitor public health and travel advisory guidance from the US Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and foreign government laws related to international visitors.
The safety and well-being of our students remains foremost in our planning for studies abroad. As such, the university continues to reserve the right to cancel, at any time, university sponsored studies abroad (individual exchange and faculty led programs) due to risk factors in destination countries.
In the interest of the welfare of our students, the University of St. Thomas does not allow university sponsored outgoing study abroad (individual exchange or faculty led programs) to countries indicated as Level 4 risk (Do Not Travel) by the Department of State or the CDC. The University will consider university sponsored travel to Level 3 countries on a case by case basis.
Assessing risk based on CDC and State Department travel advisories is only the first step in the process of proceeding with an individual exchange activity, especially during the COVID pandemic. Subsequent steps include, but are not limited to, review of a) US Federal travel guidelines on departure from and return to the United States; b) Host country government travel guidelines or bans on travelers from the United States; and c) local destination and university guidelines for incoming students.
To protect against potential delays in academic persistence in the case of a program cancellation, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a full schedule of classes offered by the UST campus during the semester in question. Should an individual exchange location drop from Level 4 before the start of the destination university’s semester, the Study Abroad Office will endeavor to assist the student to transition back to an exchange activity abroad if possible and feasible.
Students planning on an individual exchange abroad are strongly encouraged to purchase trip insurance and plan ahead for possible cancelations.
For more information, contact the Study Abroad Program Coordinator, Claudia Baba at studyabroad@stthom.edu or call 713-525-3535.