University of Arizona officials say they are ensuring students and faculty know about travel and safety precautions, and are monitoring and planning for any potential effects on campus, during the global spread of the new coronavirus.
The university has already canceled its study abroad programs to China at least for summer 2020. No students or faculty are currently in the affected areas.
“I think in general UA is doing what pretty much every other university is doing. Restricting travel — South Korea was added to the list yesterday — and alerting people of the risks while being careful not to be excessively alarmist,” said Fabio Lanza, an associate professor at the UA’s East Asian Studies Department.
First identified on Dec. 31, the new coronavirus has quickly spread to about 83,000 cases worldwide with the most in China, The Associated Press reported.
Arizona’s only confirmed case involved a man in his 20s who is part of the Arizona State University community and had traveled to Wuhan, China. He is no longer infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said, and is out of isolation.
The UA has suspended and is not authorizing academic and business travel to China and South Korea.
Ahead of the UA’s scheduled spring break, there are no travel advisories for possible out-of-state travel in the U.S.
The UA is also closely looking at its future enrollment.
“We’re paying close attention to the situation and have made some adjustments in terms of recruiting because we can’t send our recruiting team to China right now and also trying to respond to realities on the ground for our perspective students and helping them with their applications,” said Brent White, the UA’s vice provost for global affairs.
The UA’s “Global Wildcats World Tour” for recruiting international students in 20 countries is planned for March, but the previously scheduled stops in China will instead be conducted virtually, White said.
“We’re likely to learn a lot more in April and May as to what the future of the coronavirus is. I mean, there’s some indication that it would peak around April and so we’re hopeful that the situation means that Chinese students would then be in a position to enroll for the fall,” White said.
Chinese students represent the largest international student body enrolled at the UA, with nearly 1,500.
Admissions deadlines may be pushed back to accommodate the prospective students. Typically by mid-June, visas can still be obtained and students will be able to start the fall semester. White said the U.S. government won’t be conducting visa interviews until May.
If students can’t travel back for the summer, then accommodations will be made in Tucson.
“If it becomes a case where Chinese students can’t travel back this summer or it’s not advisable to do so, we’re working to make sure that there’s options available here on campus, housing options on campus and other course options available,” said White.
“So, we are working on a plan to make sure we can accommodate any student, Chinese or otherwise, who wishes to stay in Tucson over the summer.”
Graduating students who will be faced with expiring visas can stay for another year if they find an employer related to their major of study. Optional practical training allows for up to 12 months of training with an employer before the visa expires and they return home.
The federal government will be responsible for students’ travel back to their home countries for those who don’t find training opportunities and are designated to return, White said.
“We’re in communication with faculty who might have a program somewhere that would be affected. It’s not just a China situation, it’s a global issue, so we’re monitoring things closely,” White said.
Lanza, who hasn’t discussed the issue in his courses, said, “I wonder how the Chinese student population is doing. But I suspect they are mostly on a wait-and-see mode. At least my graduate students are.”
