Faculty-led study abroad applications are due on May 1, 2020 despite COVID-19.

“The ‘priority application date’ for faculty-led courses coincides with Pace’s course registration for the semester,” Rebecca Slotkin, Assistant Director of Study Abroad said. “While Fall faculty-led courses travel abroad in January, they are still fall courses that follow Pace’s course registration timing.”

Slotkin, who oversees Pace’s faculty-led study abroad programs, said that they begin to process the applications around the time that fall course registration begins so that students can plan their academic schedules accordingly.

While study abroad tries to align the application process close to Pace’s registration period, the timing of processing applications has been affected this semester by adjustments to COVID-19. Due to this, the department has extended the priority deadline to May 1 and the office is working to make sure each student who has applied will have the opportunity to join the fall faculty-led course of their choice.

“We welcome students to apply for faculty-led courses after the priority deadline on a space-available basis,” Slotkin added.

The department is presently moving forward with Fall 2020 faculty-led courses that will travel abroad in January 2021 and Pace is continuing to monitor COVID-19 to make necessary adjustments for faculty and students’ health and safety.

“We want students to be able to take advantage of the wonderful study abroad opportunities here at Pace, but health and safety is the top priority,” Slotkin said.

In order to be registered for a faculty-led study abroad course, applicants must complete their study abroad application, which includes a 500 dollar non-refundable deposit. However, if the travel courses are cancelled, the deposit fee will be refunded in its entirety.

Junior accounting major, Ryan Sultan, has yet to put in the deposit for the Writing about Cultures program, but he plans on completing his application before the May 1 deadline.

“I feel like they are just trying to get money right now for the short term, but as long as I get a refund back in the worst case scenario, then it’s alright,” he said.

Although Sultan is not letting the deposit get in his way, the study abroad department recognizes that this may be an issue for some students and reiterates that they will refund the $500 fee in case of program cancellations.

“We understand that students may be hesitant about applying for a fall 2020 faculty-led course with travel abroad in January due to the global COVID-19 situation,” Slotkin said. “If a faculty-led course is cancelled by Pace due to an ongoing COVID-19 threat, the $500 deposit and any program fees that have been paid will be returned to students.”

The application process remains the same as it has always been despite the affects of travel. However, the department is still taking additional steps of recommending that students complete their application for a faculty-led course as well as selecting a backup Pace course on campus.

“This would protect them in case the evolving COVID-19 situation affects international travel, which could involve a course cancellation,” Slotkin explained.

As usual, students submit a study abroad application for the faculty-led course, which must be approved by the Education Abroad office. Once approved, students must submit their deposit to confirm their intention to participate. Education Abroad will then register students into the respective faculty-led course. Students cannot register themselves into a faculty-led course.

Slotkin strongly reiterates that students should complete their application for the faculty-led course they are interested in and select a backup Pace course on campus. She also advises that students should not buy plane tickets for their faculty-led course’s travel in January until the Education Abroad office advises to do so.

“There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, especially the world of travel. None of us can predict the future, but we can take steps as a community and as individuals to plan for different scenarios,” she said. “Being adaptable is one of the most important parts of study abroad and one of the top skills that students who return from study abroad find most valuable.”

Being adaptable is something that can be practiced here and now in the face of this global pandemic and study abroad hopes that students will be able to apply it to a new international adventure very soon.