By Natalie Barden
After a nearly two year pause, SUNY Oswego students are studying abroad again.
About 175 SUNY Oswego students were abroad in the spring of 2020. An overwhelming majority of those students returned to the U.S. at former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive, when the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns began.
“I’m very proud to say that SUNY Oswego was the first SUNY campus to restart study abroad in January,” Dr. Joshua S. McKeown, the director and associate provost for the Office of International Education and Programs at SUNY Oswego said.
In a typical pre-pandemic year, anywhere from 400 to 500 SUNY Oswego students studied abroad yearly. There are currently 24 total students overseas in Paris, Barcelona, Spain and South Korea for the spring 2022 semester.
Three to four faculty-led international programs will depart at the end of the spring semester, with up to 30 students set to participate. Eleven students will attend a biology program in Tanzania; McKeown said it is the most students he has ever seen enrolled for that program.
“We’re building back. I look forward to building back to more typical numbers,” McKeown said. “A lot of students weren’t sure if the programs would run, and I don’t blame them for deferring.”
The college’s Associate Director of Education Abroad, Lizette Alvarado, expressed similar hope for future enrollment in study abroad programs.
“Students are pushing through and seem to be optimistic and ready to go,” Alvarado said. “We’re just getting to a point where I think students and parents are kind of ‘awakening’ from what we’re going through and questioning whether this is something that’s the best option for themselves.”
Alvarado said the Office of International Education and Programs is reviewing applications for summer programs and will review fall program applications soon after. Programs on six continents — all except Antarctica, consistent with pre-pandemic offerings — are open for student applications.
“I’m happy to see students are applying for the programs. At least the students that I’ve talked to haven’t seemed particularly concerned about COVID,” Alvarado said.
Still, there are various COVID-19 guidelines all program participants must follow.
“Every country is different, but there’s a pattern that’s emerging, in my opinion. And that pattern frankly is what you’re seeing at SUNY Oswego,” McKeown said, noting measures like mandatory COVID-19 testing, submitting proof of vaccination and quarantine procedures. “Those same protocols are being used worldwide.”
Students who attended the ongoing Paris program produced proof of COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy upon their arrival in France. After its approval, they downloaded a health pass, akin to New York State’s Excelsior Pass system.
Similarly, students enrolled in South Korea exchange programs completed a mandatory, in-country quarantine before their programs began.
“The things that students should worry about would be if for some reason they test COVID positive in the window of time before their flight,” McKeown said.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19 within 24 to 48 hours before departure, they are required to complete a quarantine period and produce a negative test before joining their program.
All 24 students attending spring 2022 programs tested negative before departure and arrived without delays.
“Our students were great. I say they’re heroic. In the two weeks leading up to program departure … they stayed home,” McKeown said. “They did what they had to do to stay negative.”
In addition to COVID-19-related health protocols, the office must also apply to the SUNY Office of Global Affairs for permission to open individual programs to students through a new petition process.
Alvarado said petitions consist of information that assesses the ability of a particular country and university to meet the needs of SUNY Oswego students, including an evaluation of the area’s COVID-19 levels.
“It’s an extra step … but it’s an important process to ensure that our students are going to places where it is determined that it’s the best place for them, health and safety wise,” Alvarado said.
Both Alvarado and McKeown expressed their personal beliefs in the importance of the option to study abroad for college students.
“I believe studying abroad is extremely important for our students to learn about the world, to learn about other cultures and people’s histories,” Alvarado said. “Even if you go to an English-speaking country, chances are there will be different words, different accents, different foods and things like that.”
“I know that sometimes, whether it’s the political situation in the world, or during COVID, the health situation, sometimes the risks [of international travel] look particularly daunting and challenging, but there are risks here,” McKeown said. “Take the opportunity, especially while you’re a student. Get the global knowledge, for your career and for yourself.”
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