On April 19, 2021 the US Department of State (DoS) announced that it was planning to elevate travel advisories for up to 80% of countries around the world to Level 4: Do Not Travel, and bring Department of State travel advisory guidance in alignment with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assessments. Many of those have gone into effect and we continue to review them and their potential impact on summer programs. We are also in contact with our off-campus program providers and our insurer, EIIA, to ensure the health, safety and security of our students on Denison approved off-campus study programs.

These changes should be situated in a broader context. They were implemented by DoS to bring DoS and CDC advisory levels into alignment with one another; they do not represent an elevation in risk. The April 19th announcement explicitly noted that the changes did not “imply reassessment of the current health situation in a given country, but rather reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s Travel Advisory system to rely more on CDC’s existing epidemiological assessments.” It is important to note that the DoS travel advisory system is not static. It responds to different contexts, threats and risks around the world. In fact, it has changed several times over the last few years and it is not the only source of information used in risk assessment for study abroad programming. DoS travel advisories are meant to provide broad, general guidance to U.S. citizens who are considering travel. They do not focus on student overseas travel and study, and do not factor in the high level of support our students receive onsite in host countries to ensure safety and their well-being. Our program providers regularly monitor ongoing and evolving risks in each country, including crime, terrorism, political instability and civil unrest, natural disasters, and other public health matters, and employ a holistic, nuanced approach to assess risks. They also utilize the expertise and knowledge of experienced host-country faculty and staff.
Based on this context, Denison will still support students wishing to study abroad this summer as planned. Any potential program changes or cancellations are typically communicated directly to impacted students and updated on provider websites. We will, of course, work closely with students to help them find an alternative program or location when this happens.

Vaccination policies for study abroad programs are evolving. We urge students scheduled to go abroad this summer (or this fall) to carefully review these and to regularly read emails and updates from providers, or contact them directly regarding these matters.