As this is a fluid situation, please understand that AMIDEAST Education Abroad will do their best to keep this space updated with any new information.
March 30, 2020
The global pandemic of COVID-19 represents is an unprecedented situation in education abroad, although the circumstances in which we now find ourselves are covered by our Financial Policies. The last month has been scary, fraught, and confusing, and we are as distressed and disappointed that the onsite experience ended as it did. We refer you once again to those Financial Policies, particularly pages 10-11, as to why we are not issuing refunds.
The program is not cancelled, and our concern now is completing the semester so that students can receive full credit. All faculty are finishing their courses and have had to transfer their labor in the classroom to additional training, preparations, and contingencies to deliver their courses online. Labor costs have increased due to the events of the past month and the incredible effort expended to go online. Most vendors upon whom we depend to provide goods and services that enable us to deliver the co- and extra-curricular components of our programs have already been paid according to our contractual agreements.
March 20, 2020
As of yesterday afternoon, the entire world carries a State Department Level 4 Travel Advisory.
While most countries of the MENA region carry a Level 2 CDC Travel Health Notice, the WHO has long since declared a global pandemic, and the countries where we operate continue to enact responses accordingly.
Morocco: despite many official declarations over the past week that Morocco would be closed to commercial air traffic as of particular days, limited flights have continued in a random and frenzied fashion while permissions to land charter flights were extremely limited. The US government, meanwhile, suddenly made a number of charter evacuations available as of this morning Morocco time. As of March 21st, there will be no students left sheltering in place with us in Morocco.
Jordan: as everywhere else, Jordan has been in an ever-tightening lockdown since stringent social distancing measures were enacted a week ago. This has proceeded in an orderly fashion, and commercial flights ceased as announced at midnight local time on Tuesday. Some students are left sheltering in place, and staff are in regular contact with them. There have been no charter evacuations as there have in Morocco. As of tomorrow morning, there will be an absolute curfew in place until further notice. Everything remains calm and orderly.
Note: the announcement of USG charter evacuations from Morocco came suddenly via STEP in the middle of the night. Given that, we recommend—again—all Jordan participants be registered in STEP, have their phones on and charged at all times, know where their passports and other key documents (including credit cards) are, and have the ability to pack quickly should the opportunity arise. US citizens in Jordan seeking emergency assistance have been instructed to email the US Embassy at amman-acs@state.gov. We recommend that Jordan participants include their local phone numbers, physical homestay addresses, and neighborhoods in which their home is located, even if they have previously updated that information in STEP.
It has been a very difficult and extended series of events, and our small teams at all locations have appreciated the support, patience, and kindness that many of you have shown us. That said, we are tired. Today things are beginning to turn quiet for the first time in too long. We only wish it were a good quiet.
Moving online: We’re almost there. Many of your sending universities instituted an extra week or two for this purpose. The same people who have been managing all of the dramatic turns of the past few weeks? Those are the same people who must manage the online transition. All EdAbroad courses will be moving online and upon completion of online requirements, students will be able to finish all of their registered credits. Students will be receiving instructions of how to enroll in their online courses by the middle of next week. Classes will be a combination of online, synchronous sessions and offline work to complete, so students will also be receiving a modified course schedule for the synchronous “live” sessions for each class.
March 18, 2020
As most are aware, Jordan and Morocco have continued to take on new proactive measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. Below are the newest directives each country has released.
Morocco
The Moroccan Ministry of Interior has continued to encourage everyone to shelter in place and stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Restaurants, bars, and cafes have closed and only supermarkets and pharmacies remain open.
The Government of Morocco has announced the closure of all international flight and maritime activity in and out of Morocco until further notice.
Jordan
Jordanian authorities have imposed a two-week nationwide lockdown that began today, March 18, in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. All people in Jordan have been ordered to shelter in place unless absolutely necessary.
Jordanian King Abdullah II has closed private agencies and businesses and suspended public transportation. Authorities have suspended all flight and maritime travel to and from the country until further notice.
We remain in ongoing contact with other study abroad programs onsite and with the US Embassy.
Due to these changing circumstances, AMIDEAST Ed Abroad has released an addendum to the Student Agreement and Release, which provides updated policies given these new circumstances. Students who remain on program in their host country will be required to sign the addendum via their student portal.
We will continue to support students on the ground and will begin online learning courses for all of our students shortly. We thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
March 15, 2020
Evening Update
Late this morning, the government of Morocco announced that the few remaining flight routes in or out of Morocco would be suspended until further notice. While there has been some question as to when exactly the suspension takes effect, there is consensus that flights scheduled for Monday, March 16th remain as scheduled, but there will be none thereafter until the suspension is lifted. That changed the picture on the ground significantly, and AMIDEAST Education Abroad will now have several students sheltering in place in both Jordan and Morocco.
Key points regarding shelter-in-place and what has been communicated to students:
Online learning: As with many US universities, AMIDEAST EdAbroad will briefly put the semester on pause to introduce faculty, staff, and students to the new reality of course delivery, taking into consideration the logistics of doing so for groups both onsite and stateside. This week will be used to prepare, train, and support faculty and staff. We hope to have details and instructions to students by the end of the week, approximately on March 20th, with a desire to go live on approximately on March 23rd. Those dates are subject to minor changes.
Daily life: With an eye on what was happening in Italy, staff began sharing COVID-19 mitigation strategies with students, both verbally and in writing, a few weeks ago. These included the same advice given in the US, including hand-washing, use of hand sanitizer, maintaining clean spaces, staying home when ill, and practicing at least some measure of social distancing. Our staff has also been sharing routine updates on the COVID-19 situation in their host countries.
As Morocco and Jordan have moved within the past 48 hours to temporarily close schools and universities, AMIDEAST EdAbroad students have been advised to stay at home and observe strict limits on being out and about. While neither Jordan nor Morocco has undertaken dramatic shut-downs and daily life continues, both host country governments have implemented measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. While those measures as pertain to Morocco cannot currently be found in one document or article, those in Jordan were included in an official document of the Prime Minister’s office which has been shared with all students remaining onsite. This helpful article from The Jordan Times details the contents of that document.
We will continue, as always, to provide support to students onsite as we pivot to distance learning for them and for students who have returned to the States. We will likewise continue to provide updates here as the situation warrants.
March 15, 2020
Dear University Partners,
We thank you in advance for reading this long update in its entirety.
It bears mentioning that, while all AMIDEAST EdAbroad host countries have moved to take unprecedented measures to mitigate and contain COVID-19, the situation on the ground in our host countries remains calm, practical, and organized. Host country governments have recommended to their citizens abroad that they shelter in place. There is much about the situation in the United States that colors perception of what is happening outside of it, affecting how those of us based there read and interpret alerts and news of what is happening abroad, especially for those with limited knowledge of our host countries. That is expected and understandable.
So much happened throughout the day on Saturday, 14 March in so many places that it quickly became impossible to work with the usual flexibility and within normal communication protocols. Staff messaging to students on the ground was outdated almost as soon as they hit “send” or hung up the phone, and while many universities had already stopped including study abroad providers in discussions about their decisions in the context of the situation on the ground abroad, since the night of 11 March, many had stopped communicating with providers in advance, if at all. It is understandable; we are in an unprecedented moment and everyone is doing the best they can.
The big picture:
On Saturday, 14 March, Jordan made an expected announcement that schools and universities would move to online learning for two weeks beginning 15 March;
AMIDEAST offices remain open (for now) for normal operations, but not classes; Jordan made an additional announcement that all borders would close entirely as of 17 March and until further notice; as air carriers continued to suspend routes, this caused an even greater run on available flights;
On Friday, 13 March, Morocco made an announcement that schools and universities would move to online learning; AMIDEAST offices remain open (for now) for normal operations, but not classes;
On Saturday, 14 March, Morocco continued to suspend air, land, and sea traffic, and added a large number of destinations around the world to its list of suspended flight routes; at time of writing, Royal Air Maroc continues to fly direct to the US.
Important take-aways:
Online learning
As noted in our messaging here, to students on the ground, and to university partners, AMIDEAST EdAbroad has been working to move to online learning if and when it became necessary. Our planning has been in consideration of online learning in our host countries (i.e. the short-term closure of schools and universities in Jordan and Morocco) as much as for continuation of our programs should students depart program for the US.
Until yesterday’s events, we still had more students intending to remain onsite than leaving. That had important implications for how we move forward with online coursework. Twenty-four hours later, the situation is very different, and has important implications for how we move forward with online coursework.
Most US universities have closed and instituted an extra holiday to give staff, faculty, and students time to transition to online learning. AMIDEAST EdAbroad is doing similarly. We have communicated to all constituents that details regarding online coursework will be forthcoming this week (March 15th-20th) as we move to implement. We thank you for keeping in mind that across study abroad everywhere, the people who have been managing the escalating situation over the past few weeks are also responsible for managing transitions to online learning. We are professionals and we will get it done, but we do not have support across multiple university departments backing us up—we are the support. We thank you for your continued patience.
We will continue to support students onsite
Students are required to adhere to the policies and decisions of their own universities.
We respect that students who have more flexibility from their sending institutions may have a number of reasons for deciding that remaining on program is the best and safest choice for them. Limits on flights and closing borders may likewise be a barrier to leaving program. If you decide to stay or are forced to stay, we’ve got you.
As always, please be in touch with your questions and concerns.
Warm regards,
Elena D. Corbett, Ph. D.
Director of AMIDEAST Education Abroad
March 12, 2020
Dear University Partners,
The decision of the U.S. administration to restrict travel for 30 days of individuals from and having traveled within the Schengen area effective midnight 13 March is another extreme shock in the midst of an unprecedented global situation.
As of this moment, there is little additional guidance from US government sources. Please see the statement from the Department of Homeland Security, and continue to monitor their website for the promised guidance regarding transit points and screening for US citizens trying to return from or having traveled within the Schengen area. Travel from the UK and Ireland remains unaffected.
Some of our university partners have mandated their students return home immediately in light of these restrictions, and more may follow. Meanwhile, none of our evacuation triggers have been tripped. As noted previously, CISI will help with rebookings, although there is no coverage for rebooking and other fees under the current circumstances. As flights will likely be difficult to come by in the coming hours and days, we urge patience. US citizens needing to fly after today, who have recently traveled to a restricted country, and who cannot find routes through the UK or Ireland should wait for the promised guidance about necessary screenings and where those will be available for flights back to the US.
We are just under 60 days from the end of spring and academic year programs, and the situation on the ground where we have EdAbroad programs remains as it was last week. We will continue normal operations, and have been planning in the event that normal operations move temporarily online in one or more host countries. In the (hopefully) unlikely event that the new restrictions on travel to the US last beyond the end of programs or become more widespread, affected participants and anyone else for whom sheltering in place is simply the best option may remain onsite, and we will work on specifics of those arrangements if and when they become necessary.
With some participants leaving and others staying, this greatly complicates the delivery of programs. Beyond this, the imposition of sudden, widespread travel restrictions creates more temporary chaos. Much like many participants’ sending schools, AMIDEAST Education Abroad appreciates your patience in the hours and days ahead as we deal with the myriad issues in front of us one at a time. We realize that you, our constituents, are stressed and exhausted. We are, too. But we’ve got you. Right now, the priority is dealing with the fallout of the new travel restrictions while we continue to monitor conditions on the ground in host countries. It will be a few days before the dust settles. Meanwhile, we will continue to roll out remote contingencies, and update you with details when we are ready to go. Most US universities are taking an extra week or more to get online contingencies up and running, and we will do likewise. We thank you all for your continued patience and support.
Best,
Elena D. Corbett, Ph.D.
Director of AMIDEAST Education Abroad
March 9, 2020
Jordan Travel Restrictions: Suspension of Work and Vacation Travel for Expatriate Workers and Foreign Students
Today the Government of Jordan (GOJ) announced the temporary suspension of travel for expatriate workers and foreign students, effective this week. This does not affect non-Jordanians’ ability to leave Jordan, but to leave and return. In other words, AMIDEAST Education Abroad students may not undertake independent travel outside of Jordan until further notice. Students exiting Jordan will not be allowed to re-enter the country. Please see this helpful article from the English-language daily The Jordan Times for more details about GOJ measures related to COVID-19.
Jordan continues to report only one confirmed case of COVID-19, with several dozen persons under observation in hospital-based quarantine.
There are no further disruptions to operations, services, or daily life in Jordan at this time, and AMIDEAST Education Abroad programming proceeds as normal. We thank our students in advance for cancelling any plans they have for travel outside of Jordan, and we thank our institutional partners for their continued support.
March 5, 2020
In response to many questions regarding policies and procedures for AMIDEAST Education Abroad, in light of the COVID-19 situation, please see below.
If the program is evacuated, will students be able to finish the semester remotely?
Yes, if the program is evacuated and all students depart, they will be able to complete their program requirements remotely through our online LMS. Some courses will have synchronous learning components, combined with other requirements to be completed offline. Syllabi may be revised slightly to adapt to the online platform. Updates on this contingency will be provided as they become necessary.
What if a student chooses to return home, either by individual choice or if their university decides to evacuate?
If the whole program is not evacuated, students will have the option to complete their program requirements remotely through our online LMS, although additional fees will be required for this option, as it will require AMIDEAST to run parallel programs. Updates on this contingency will be provided as they become necessary.
What if I have a scholarship?
Because AMIDEAST scholarships are given as tuition credits, students with an AMIDEAST scholarship who elect to leave program by individual choice will forfeit the unused portion of their scholarships and will be billed accordingly, dependent on type of award and date of departure.
Students with AMIDEAST scholarships who leave program at the explicit direction of their universities will be required to complete specific scholarship requirements.
Students on other scholarships, including those from their home universities, should contact their universities or scholarship providers with questions about how departure from program affects such awards.
What factors would trigger a program evacuation?
Program evacuation would be triggered if one or more of the following occurs: 1) the situation on the ground becomes untenable due to various restrictions imposed by the host country; 2) health or other support systems in the host country become overwhelmed, threatening student health, safety, and security; 3) the WHO declares/changes the grade of an emergency and/or the CDC declares/changes a warning level for a host country such that an evacuation is the most appropriate course of action; and/or 4) general deterioration of the situation on the ground such that the U.S. Embassy and/or our insurance provider (CISI) calls for evacuation.
Have you spoken with CISI, your insurance provider, yet?
Yes. As with all insurers, CISI does not cover evacuation costs related to disease or pandemic, even if an evacuation is triggered. While CISI will assist participants in re-booking flights, all expenses related to departure from program will be at participants’ own cost, unless other arrangements have been made by their universities.
What restrictions do you think could come into effect in host countries and how will you address them?
It is possible that there will be additional restrictions to travel and movement within the host countries, as well as internationally. Host countries may impose restrictions on public gatherings, cancel or close various services, or instate quarantines. We will work with our local contacts and resources in each host country to provide continued onsite support for students, keep channels of communication open, and do our best to provide ongoing access to health care and supplies.
What about quarantine or other restrictions imposed by home institutions?
Unfortunately, we cannot speak to what students may encounter upon their return home, either in terms of a travel quarantine, or home institution policies regarding academics, on-campus living, and so forth. Please contact your home institution to learn more about its policies and guidelines.
March 3, 2020
Dear University Partners,
As you most certainly were, we too were surprised and disheartened by the CDC’s Guidance for Foreign Student Travel for Institutions of Higher Education issued on Sunday, 1 March. In its wake, we very much appreciate, support, and concur with the joint statement released late Monday, 2 March by The Forum on Education Abroad and Pulse.
At time of writing, one case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in each of Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, and two cases have been confirmed in Egypt. As everywhere else within and beyond the MENA region, including here in the U.S., certainly more will follow.
All MENA countries, including those in which we currently have students, have been taking proactive measures for the past several weeks to deal with the changing dynamics, both real and potential, of the spread of COVID-19. Certainly these efforts will continue. The situation is fluid, and we will continue to monitor and act per the health, safety, and security situation on the ground and in concert with the advice and guidance of vital local, US, and international partners.
While we are happy to do what we can to answer the many questions you may have for us in the coming hours and days, we know that the CDC’s guidance and the response from the Forum and Pulse have triggered important conversations on your campuses. Among the many and dynamic factors that inform us as the COVID-19 situation progresses, your institutions’ decisions are obviously important, and we are happy to help inform your discussions in any way we can.
We thank you in advance for your patience as we undertake to address all of your questions and concerns, and we appreciate any insights you have resulting from the ongoing dialogue on your campuses.
Warm regards,
Elena D. Corbett, Ph.D.
Director of AMIDEAST Education Abroad
