Travel to Mexico is again open to students, but for Duke in Mexico participants the country is still more than 1,000 miles away.
Members of the International Travel Oversight Committee voted unanimously to remove Mexico from its restricted regions list May 15, reflecting reduced concerns about the dangers of the new H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.
"We thought that by this time the public health risk was no worse than the risk in New York," said Gilbert Merkx, vice provost for international affairs and ITOC chair. "We have other people who are waiting to go to Mexico to do research and things like that, and we didn't want to take that away from them."
Merkx said although the committee reviewed the most recent information about the swine flu outbreak, "there was no doubt in anybody's mind that it was time to lift the ban."
Although DukeEngage participants in Arizona can now visit Mexico as part of their program, the decision came too late for participants of Duke in Mexico, whose program was relocated to Durham. The Office of Study Abroad gave students the option not to participate in the relocated program or to apply to another abroad program if students did not wish to study in Durham, Margaret Riley, associate dean and director of Study Abroad wrote in an e-mail.
Five of the original 19 students in the intermediate level Spanish group will attend the relocated program in Durham, Riley said. The beginning level group was canceled due to lack of interest.
"While we all understand that relocating the program was not the ideal situation, we also have to remember that this situation was evolving very rapidly in early May-when decisions had to be made in order to give us the opportunity to pursue alternatives for the students," Riley said. "The University relied on the best available information and guidance from public health officials and our own specialists. The paramount priority in any situation such as this is student safety."
Riley added that Study Abroad considered moving the program to another Spanish-speaking country, but such a move was impossible "given the logistical complications."
Josh Sanchez, a junior who chose not to participate in the Duke in Mexico program and attend Duke in Australia instead, said students who wished to apply to another abroad program only had to submit a new personal statement rather than complete a whole new application.
Study abroad classes that were relocated to Duke began this week. Sikoya Ashburn, a sophomore who opted to remain in the Durham program, said the students have weekly field trips and community service opportunities to expose them to Hispanic culture in Durham, in addition to their coursework.
"Tomorrow night, for example, we're going to take Salsa lessons, which we're all looking forward to taking," she wrote in an e-mail. "Although they weren't able to allow us to go to Mexico, they're finding interesting ways to bring Mexico to us."
Still, Ashburn, who hopes to study in Costa Rica and Madrid later in her Duke career, said she is glad she decided to take part in Duke in Mexico on campus.
"I am disappointed that I am not currently in Mexico, but I am not disappointed with my choice of sticking with the program," she said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.