The fall Duke Study in China program, scheduled to run Aug. 28 through Dec. 8, has been postponed until spring 2004, officials announced last week.
In a meeting June 12, faculty and members of the Office of Study Abroad made the decision to delay the program because the U.S. Department of State continues to warn travelers about the risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Sydrome abroad.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of State continue to recommend U.S. citizens consider deferring non-essential travel to China because of SARS concerns," said the May 6 update of the State Department's list of travel warnings.
Director of Asian/Pacific Studies Mavis Mayer said the Office of Study Abroad could not wait any longer to make the decision to postpone the program. Mayer said students enrolled in the program from other universities had to be given to time to let their respective schools know if they would be there in the fall.
Duke students were faced with similar time constraints. Chris Paul, currently studying abroad in South Africa and scheduled to participate in the Duke in China program, said he has had to make new arrangements for the upcoming semester.
"Although they say they've just postponed China, it's essentially the same [as canceling the program] for the students because we're stuck scrambling for fall plans," Paul wrote in an e-mail. "I understand the issues of safety, especially from the point of view of institutional liability, but the process has been frustrating."
Mayer said parents and students alike have been hoping the SARS problem would "clear up."
"A lot of the parents of students are disappointed with the decision because they've been hearing on the radio and the news and from the CDC that it's getting better," Mayer said.
She added that even though the CDC has cut back on areas of restriction, the CDC is still recommending that nonessential travel be deferred.
"We would like to have been able to run [the program in the fall]," Mayer said. "[But] we have to go by the State Department regulations and they still have their regulations up."
Although it is not certain how many students will be able to participate in Duke in China in the spring term, Mayer said the Office of Study Abroad is optimistic that they will maintain the original number of 20 students.
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