STORY BY:

TORI STINCER

PHOTOS BY:

SAMANTHA MOON

DESIGN BY:

AMBER FENIMORE

Houston, we have a problem.

The Coronavirus pandemic has altered nearly everything in our daily lives; however, one of the most impactful effects has been on the tourism industry. 

According to Forbes as of January, COVID-19 has cost the global tourism industry $935 billion. 

With countries around the world attempting to decrease the number of positive cases through lockdowns and travel restrictions, one of the most rewarding experiences in college is now at a standstill: education abroad.

The benefits to studying abroad are numerous and allow students to expose themselves to different cultures while maintaining the structure of a college environment.

The Education Abroad office within the Capstone International Center worked tirelessly over the summer to provide faculty, students and families an answer to what study abroad would potentially look like this year. 

The beginning of the pandemic shut down last year’s Germany program just two weeks before the program was scheduled to depart in April.

The benefits to studying abroad are numerous and allow students to expose themselves to different cultures while maintaining the structure of a college environment.

The Education Abroad office within the Capstone International Center worked tirelessly over the summer to provide faculty, students and families an answer to what study abroad would potentially look like this year. 

The beginning of the pandemic shut down last year’s Germany program just two weeks before the program was scheduled to depart in April.

Dr. Thomas Herwig, Honors College Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama

Thomas Herwig, an Honors College professor originally from Germany and the director of the “UA in Germany Honors: Global Perspectives through Intercultural Experience” program, said he was extremely frustrated by this decision. 

Herwig had led the program five times and believes his students are grateful for the opportunity as the “world becomes the classroom.” 

Yet when the pandemic shut down the program all the work and planning that had gone into the trip for the previous year had been lost. 

As a result, he told Carolina Robinson, the Education Abroad Director, that he would not start the planning for the spring 2021 program until the University was certain it would go. 

Herwig said his goal is to get the program prepared for a trip in May 2022. 

The University cautiously reopened applications for select programs late fall 2020 in hopes of conducting the summer 2021 international programs. With the final decision set to be made the first week of March on whether the summer programs would take place ultimately the decision came early. 

On Feb. 3, The University of Alabama (UA) made the difficult decision to cancel all faculty-led education abroad opportunities for spring and summer 2021. The University has not made a final decision yet regarding fall 2021 education abroad programs.

Sara Hartley, the associate dean of Undergraduate Studies for the College of Communication and Information Sciences (C&IS), led the C&IS France program in 2018 and 2019 and has been in her current position for the past seven years. 

Hartley expressed her disappointment at the cancellation of the summer programs, but understood and supported the University’s decision as it was in the students best interests.

“In the best interests of the students they actually made the decision quicker because now our students still have time to get summer internships,” Hartley said.

She said the students that had already applied to the France program were notified of the cancellation immediately and Hartley got their information if they wanted to learn about the program for 2022. The college’s domestic travel programs are operating virtually and are continuing as scheduled.

Dr. Sara Hartley, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and External Relations for the College of Communication and Information Sciences (C&IS)

The cancellation of the programs was especially difficult for Paul Phelps, the leader of the Oxford University Honors Abroad program, as this is now the second year in a row the program has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus.

The Oxford program is one of the University’s oldest abroad programs taking anywhere from 30 to 45 students each time. 

The decision to cancel may have been difficult to hear; however, Phelps, a graduate from Oxford and a member of UA faculty since 2015, is happy to have a final decision instead of waiting and worrying about the trip being cancelled last minute.

“There is an unbelievable sense of relief of not being in the nether space anymore because that is really difficult too, to feel like you’re working on something that doesn’t really have a life line,” Phelps said. 

Nathan Parker, Department of English Instructor at The University of Alabama

Nathan Parker, an English professor, self-proclaimed “Hobbit nerd” and the director of the “UA in New Zealand: Adventure in Literature,” said he supports the University’s decision 

Parker believed that if the University had not canceled the program it may have been cancelled anyway because the students might have not been able to enter New Zealand since they have eliminated the coronavirus; allowing international students during this time could be a risk to their population.

Regardless, he believes that this year’s interested students were anticipating this outcome. 

“I think the real disappointment for students was more last year than it was this year because there were students who had already signed up before news of the pandemic hit. There were students who were so committed at that point emotionally,” he said.

While the administration could have waited to make the decision many programs require early deposits and planning, it was more responsible to make the decision earlier than planned.

Glenn Tootle, the director of the “UA in Austria & Germany: History, Science, and Engineering program,” encourages students to study abroad; however, he recognizes that the decision must be made between the student and their family. He and his daughter are working together to make a plan as she hopes to study abroad this summer. 

“I think the number one challenge really is the uncertainty the program would go and planning your courses and things such as that,” he said.

With some international programs exploring virtual methods, Herwig encourages waiting until students can go abroad in-person safely to truly experience the cultural immersion.

“We always go to France because I want to give this experience to go to another country without a border, it’s the European experience,” Herwig said.

Even though Herwig had already canceled his program for 2021 prior to the University’s decision he was “astonished” by how many emails he received from students interested in the program. He believes the students are being very realistic about life during COVID-19 and that he sees this in his current in-person classes.

The unique nature of the study abroad experience is not the same in a socially distanced environment.

“I wouldn’t want to give them [the students] a socially distanced Oxford, that would be terrible,” Phelps said. “I wouldn’t want to give anyone a socially distanced international experience not just because of the people, but because the locations matter.”

As the vaccine rollout continues in the United States, Phelps, who started his vaccination process in February, is excited about the potential to travel again and he is not the only one. 

Dr. Glenn Tootle, College of Engineering Associate Professor at The University of Alabama

Katie Teipel, Honors college graduate student at The University of Alabama

Katie Teipel, an Honors College graduate student, has attended the Innsbruck, Austria Abroad program previously and was planning on participating in the summer program as a teaching assistant. 

She said she always wanted to travel and is looking forward to traveling in the future.  

“You get so much of a culture experience and you get to see the other side of the world that you never have before. There are so many different people, languages and historic sites to see,” Teipel said. 

Teipel said while she is sad the program was cancelled since so much can change in two months, she understands the University needed to make a decision and she is hoping the program will take place next year.