COVID-19

Since early spring, Texas Global has continued to responded to challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues to unfold, it is important to stay up to date on how COVID-19 is shaping education abroad programs and practices.

 

 

Stay Informed

Education Abroad has launched a stay informed website Links to an external site. related to COVID-19.  We recommend that you review this page periodically and refer student and parents to it for the answer to the most common questions. Global Risk and Safety posts Safety Updates Links to an external site., which cover topics like testing requirements, COVID-19 updates, travel tips, and more. GRS will be posting updates every other week on Mondays. These updates will include various health and safety tips, information about world events, etc.

 

Go-No-Go

Texas Global has developed a Go-No-Go Links to an external site. matrix to help with decision making related to faculty-led programs. The SAIGE Links to an external site. is one element of this decision-making process. We recommend you review this explanatory document. March 12 has been set as the deadline for Education Abroad to determine if Maymester and Summer programs will go abroad. Departments may set their own deadlines and must ensure that the students clearly understand the timeline.

 

Program Design and Social Distancing

Faculty should make themselves aware of the current social distancing requirements in the host city and country. While we hope these requirements will be lifted by May program directors need to ensure they have back up plans for classroom space limitations and group outings.

Given the unprecedented nature of 2020, faculty and administrators coordinating a program abroad should encourage all students to talk to their Academic Advisor prior to applying for a study abroad program. Students should ensure that they have back-up plan to be making sufficient progress towards their degree without the course taught abroad. Also, prospective Maymester students should be encouraged to have sufficient credits (at least 12) for the Spring semester in case the program needs to be cancelled so that they do not drop below a full semester course load.

Financial Planning

UT leadership is encouraging faculty-led programs to refund program deposits and program balances if the program is cancelled by UT. Education Abroad will be billing our regular $500 deposit, collecting it on the normal payment timeline and then refunding it if the program is cancelled due to COVID. We will be waiting to bill the program balance until after the March 12^th date. We have also added very specific language to our financial responsibilities policies (Maymster and Summer) to ensure transparency with the students.

 

Student Resources

Global Risk and Safety offers resources students can use to prepare for going abroad and manage their health while in country.

• PPE Packing List Download PPE Packing List
  : GRS has worked with Texas Global Communications to develop this PPE packing list that students can refer to as they make their final preparations to go abroad.
  
  
• ISOS Quarantine Tips Download ISOS Quarantine Tips
  : A useful guide that we asked ISOS to develop for us that outlines several strategies and things that students would keep in mind if they have to go through a quarantine period. Although some students may not need to quarantine upon entry into their country, all of our students could be faced with quarantine at some period during their time abroad.  
  
  
• ISOS COVID-19 Pocket Guide Download ISOS COVID-19 Pocket Guide
  : A brief synopsis of mask-wearing and social distancing best practices developed by ISOS. We recommend that students download and look through the guide, and keep it someplace handy while they’re abroad.
  
  

Updates to Health Clearance Process

All programs that are 25 days or more will require a Health Clearance form Links to an external site. to be completed by all students participating. University Health Services has recently made some changes to their procedures that will allow them to complete travel abroad Health Clearances via telehealth appointments. To schedule an appointment, students will need to call UHS at 512-471-4955. Telehealth visits cannot be scheduled online at this time Telehealth visits are best suited for students who only need to complete the UT Austin health clearance form. Students who have an additional health form to complete for their host university or affiliate provider and would like to use a UHS provider to have them completed will still need to make an in-person appointment. If you're uncertain about whether you have additional health forms to complete, ask your program coordinator or faculty directer.  Students who need an in-person visit should print all of their paper forms and bring them to UHS for their appointment.