HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point University has issued a mandatory departure for 24 students studying in Italy after the CDC warned the public to avoid nonessential travel to Italy due to coronavirus concerns, according to the university.
High Point University said students will have the opportunity to complete classes online with their host school or back on campus. The university says students who choose to return to campus will do so after a "14-day, return-to-home" quarantine.
HPU said dozens of students are studying abroad in other countries. The university said 38 students are studying in Australia, Denmark, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweeden, and the United Kingdom.
High Point University said the mandatory departure was issued Friday, Feb. 28, and students should be coming home by the end of this week.
The university said they are working with each student to make sure they don't miss out on any academic credits. The program was supposed to last the entirety of the spring semester, according to the university.
Other Triad universities have made similar moves, including Elon University and UNCG.
Elon University canceled its program after a growing number of coronavirus cases in northern Italy. Elon University said 21 students and one faculty member were expected to return to their homes from Florence last week.
UNC Greensboro announced last week that it suspended all study abroad programs in China, Italy, Japan, and Iran. UNCG previously suspended its study abroad program in South Korea following the CDC's recommendation to avoid non-essential travel.
Moving forward, the university said it will suspend study abroad programs for any additional countries the CDC designates with Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Warnings.
High Point University said 22 students studied in Florence, while 2 others studied in Rome. HPU said it is closely monitoring the impact of the coronavirus worldwide and communicating with students who are studying abroad.