More than 900 Elon students, faculty and staff travel on 37 global programs this January, including 28 programs offered through the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center (GEC), three graduate programs, and six Fellows cohorts.
Elon University’s Winter Term is again providing the opportunity for hundreds of students to participate in global experiences, with students, faculty and staff on 37 short-term programs around the globe.
Programs this January have faced challenges brought on by the Omicron COVID-19 variant, including testing requirements for air travel and border entry, as well as a major snowstorm in the Mid-Atlantic region that affected some travel plans.
“We are excited for the return of Elon’s signature Winter Term study abroad and Study USA courses. At the same time, we recognize that the pandemic is not yet over, and that students and their families are understandably anxious,” said Nick Gozik, dean of global education. “The health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and host communities are always our top priority.”
The university increased communication efforts to help keep students informed as they prepared for travel and worked closely with global partners to adapt plans as needed to accommodate health and safety protocols while also maintaining high academic standards. The Isabella Cannon Global Education Center (GEC) has been sending daily messages with key updates and reminders. All program changes are being tracked on the Winter Term Travel Status page, which also includes an archive of GEC daily messages, beginning Dec. 27.
This month will see more than 900 students, faculty, and staff travel on 28 programs offered through the GEC, three graduate student programs, and six programs for Fellows cohorts.
The recent development of the Omicron variant of the virus forced the cancellation of programs in the Netherlands and Greece due to conditions and travel restrictions in those countries. Other program itineraries are being adjusted to meet local health requirements and restrictions while continuing to support the academic and cultural learning objectives of the courses.
“The pandemic continues to shift how global learning can take shape safely and ethically,” Gozik said. “But, we have also learned a lot since summer 2020, when we resumed international travel and study. This has involved assisting nearly 600 study abroad and Study USA students and more than 150+ international students, who continue to face both health- and immigration-related challenges to study here.”
The return of Winter Term global programs, following a cancellation in Winter 2021, marks Elon’s highest volume of study abroad and Study USA since the start of the pandemic.
More than 1,200 students applied for winter 2022 programs, far outpacing the typical range of 700 to 800 applications. Many applicants were seniors who had not yet participated in study abroad or Study USA programs and wanted to do so before graduation. To serve those students, the GEC created two “Global Cities” programs available only for winter 2022. Through these programs hosted by Elon’s trusted on-site partners, 51 students are studying on Global Cities: Florence, and 14 students are studying on Global Cities: London.
For the full list of winter term programs, and for the latest updates, see the Winter Term Travel Status page.