There is no denying that the pandemic has taken a considerable toll on communities worldwide, with an estimated 375 million cases and over 5.5 million deaths worldwide and a comparably devastating 74.3 million cases and 883,000 mortalities in the United States. This has produced an astonishing statistic: of the total COVID-19-related deaths in the world (as of today), the U.S. has contributed over 15% percent toward the cumulative global number — even while keeping in mind the country’s population.

With such grim statistics, United States academic institutions have faced an overwhelming array of challenges as a direct result: student learning setbacks and economic vulnerabilities, decreased enrollment rates, and in particular, decreased enrollments among Black, Hispanic, and Native American students serve as some of the most severe. Higher learning populations in general have been duly and disparately affected by the country’s evidenced vulnerabilities to the pandemic.

Of course, as a community and an establishment, Syracuse University has done its part in preventing outbreaks of the virus since the pandemic’s initial onset. Especially when the university made the decision to shelter its students from soaring COVID-19 case numbers back in March, with the cancellation of in-person instruction.

By now, with it being almost two years since this fateful but necessary decision, both students and staff have learned to adapt in this new state of “abnormal normal,” with in-person instruction persisting in classrooms, despite continual, but mild COVID-19 outbreaks among the population.

But, what about SU’s international campuses? In other words, what is the current state of SU’s various study abroad programs, where students travel to regions such as the United Kingdom and Central Europe?

In actuality, SU did manage to successfully send a considerable population of students to abroad destinations in the fall 2021 semester, and by all accounts, these international campus locations fared well in terms of their ability to remain open. This was despite the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Currently, spring 2022 study abroad programs for SU have either already departed to their respective locations or are slated to begin soon.

The existence of these programs highlights an earnest endeavor on the university’s part to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for its students — all while getting the SU Abroad program itself back on track as a feasible and financially stable opportunity for which families can invest valuable time and money.

Moreover, these efforts demonstrate that SU genuinely won’t be inflexible in its ability to adapt to the many restrictions and sacrifices that have been imposed upon us as a nation. The SU Abroad website furthermore asserts the following: “The increasing Covid-19 vaccination rates across our program locations leads to heightened optimism. Please know that we are committed to communicating frequently and transparently as conditions change.”

These communicated and successful measures, both carried out by SU Abroad and the university itself, may mean a lot in regards to students’ more sentimental college experiences. What about surrounding communities that inevitably become affected by the actions of SU’s domestic and international representatives?

In truth, the persisting nature of abroad programs in these present circumstances could in fact benefit SU as an institution, as well as the countries visited by students. Syracuse as an establishment can exhibit itself capable of juggling the many demands of its main campus while ensuring the survival and success of its international locations, and host countries can in turn benefit greatly from ethical international student tourism — hopefully both financially and culturally. With precautionary measures and preventative protocols being taken, the university is efficiently demonstrating that it sincerely cares about getting its students, as well as any and all surrounding communities, back on track where travel is concerned.

All in all, SU has understood and taken the necessary actions to restore a sense of order and normalcy to its campuses and associations, particularly in the case of its many diverse study abroad programs, which many would assert as being an essential option during the student experience.

What’s more, such definitive activity assists in promoting an image of crucial resilience in an academic institution, especially in the wake of so much uncertainty across the country and globe. The fact of the matter remains that both big and small measures count, and will continue to count, when it concerns proving to students and community members that universities hold considerable responsibilities for health, safety, and wellness.

Eleanor Chapman is a junior english and textual studies major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at echapm02@syr.edu.

Published on January 31, 2022 at 10:46 pm