Fordham will continue its suspension of study abroad programs through the end of summer 2021, Dennis C. Jacobs, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced today in an email. 

Jacobs pointed to the ongoing risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the CDC’s level three advisory regarding international travel in explaining the university’s decision. 

“The CDC has cited the formidable challenges and unpredictable circumstances that would be associated with facilitating study abroad programs at this stage of the pandemic as virulent strains of the virus responsible for COVID-19 are emerging globally,” Jacobs wrote. 

Students who were scheduled to study abroad in the summer can defer with priority placement to the same program in summer 2022 or a different semester without reapplying or paying another application fee. Those who decide to withdraw their application completely will receive a full refund of their application fee, according to Jacobs. 

In lieu of the traditional study abroad options, the university plans to offer virtual summer courses in partnership with faculty from Fordham’s London and Granada, Spain programs, according to the email. Fordham’s London Internship Program will move to a virtual format this summer but will still place participating students with companies and organizations as usual. 

Fordham-sponsored internships will also be available in Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. 

The university also plans to offer current full-time undergraduate students the opportunity to take up to two free summer courses this year. Students will have the option to reside in campus housing for the summer sessions. 

 “I deeply regret that the global pandemic has disrupted our ability to facilitate transformative study abroad programs for Fordham students this summer,” wrote Jacobs. 

He expressed the hope that study abroad programs will be able to resume in the fall.

“I am hopeful that, as mass vaccination programs roll out globally, the pandemic will pose less of a threat in the 2021-2022 academic year so that we can lift the suspension and confidently offer study abroad opportunities for our students,” he wrote.