Wright State UCIE office | Photograph: Emily Linker | WSU Guardian
The coronavirus has impacted everyone in some way or another, but international students at Wright State University have been heavily impacted.
Lock down in and out of the country
Many international students have remained local while continuing their classes online and through remote communications.
They are permitted to return to their home countries after notifying WSU, who will help them navigate the process, according to Joy Wanderi, director of Education Abroad and Exchange Programs.
“Going home is not easy as many countries have locked down their borders or have stringent restrictions on for people coming into the countries,” said Wanderi.
The University Center for International Education (UCIE) is supporting students through emails, phone, virtual advising and regular contact. WSU is supporting students with the same methods.
Various departments are offering academic support for students, according to Wanderi.
Campus community support
“International students, like everyone else, are hard hit by this unprecedented global crisis. A lot of them are watching what is happening internationally and are worried about their families here and abroad. Remote education is also a foreign concept to most students, and I know this is true for international students,” said Wanderi. “It is a stressful time for all our Wright State students. Our student abroad students, for example, had to return home in the middle of their programs, which has been challenging to say the least.”
In the case of university admissions, coronavirus is changing the way the industry works and affecting the way everyone travels.
As of right now, it is not impacting future international admissions, according to Mariani Giancarlo, director of the International Admissions office.
“Students have to think of their daily lives and switching to internet and online learning but also you have to think that they also have to try to keep close contact with their families at home,” said Giancarlo. “I think that they have an added stress that many domestic student would not have.”
