The College Fix

For the second time this year, American universities are scrambling to get students abroad back to the United States.

Following the earthquake and subsequent fears of nuclear disaster in Japan, the Department of State issued a travel warning on Wednesday, which “strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time and those in Japan should consider departing.”

The result has been widespread evacuation and cancellation of spring programs.

Temple University evacuated more than 200 faculty and students from their Temple University Japan Campus over the weekend, flying students to Hong Kong. Stanford had canceled their Bing Overseas Studies Program in Kyoto, scheduled to begin March 30.

For the 2008-2009 school year, approximately 5,800 Americans studied abroad in Japan; students in Asia comprised 11 percent of all study abroad participants.

Schools have largely encouraged or arranged for American students to leave the country, but the approach has varied from program to program.

The University of Pittsburgh will send its seven students abroad home in the next day; American University has left the decision to remain in Japan or return to the U.S. up to students.

“The decision is ultimately the students,’ whatever they should choose to do, but the recommendation came in from us that they should evacuate as soon as possible,” Senior Study Abroad Adviser Ethan Merritt told the American University Eagle.

For students returning or in suspended programs, the question of class credit will loom large. Unlike students who were forced to evacuate from Egypt in late January and early February, there are few other academic options for these students so late in the semester.

Penn State has canceled its program in Japan and will evacuate the 17 students currently in country–and will try to secure some course credit for course work already completed.

Columbia has suspended its program in Kyoto, and will try to complete the semester with an online course for students.

“Given the ongoing uncertainty about how events will unfold as Japan responds to the situation in the affected areas, or whether the potential health risk may increase elsewhere, we believe it is prudent for students to make arrangements to leave Japan at this time,” a statement released by Columbia said.

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