OU Italy Programs Closure Notice

OU Italy Programs Closure Notice

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of State have issued Level 3 travel warnings discouraging all nonessential travel to Italy and noting widespread transmission of the Coronavirus. Given the concerning increase in the number of transmissions of the COVID-19 Coronavirus in Italy, the CDC travel notice, and for the safety of its students, the University of Oklahoma is closing its programs in Italy effective Thursday, March 5, at 5 p.m. local Italy time until further notice. This includes OU Arezzo and all other Italy study abroad programs. Students are strongly encouraged to return to the U.S. as soon as arrangements can be made. Ideally, students will arrange to fly out by no later than Friday, March 6 to their respective home base.

University administration is exploring the answers to possible financial aid and scholarship-related questions that may arise for early returning students and will provide information as soon as it is available. Students who require assistance with return arrangements should contact Student Affairs at (405) 325-3161. In the event you need to secure on-campus housing after the self-isolation period (see below for details), please contact Housing Administration at (405) 325-2511 or housinginfo@ou.edu. Students must fill out a Student Travel Information Survey to inform the University of their travel plans and possible on-campus housing needs.

The University remains committed to helping students complete the spring semester hours in which they are enrolled. Information about course completion will be made available as soon as possible.

All employees and students returning to the United States must comply with the guidelines and restrictions provided in the link below, as may be updated, and must self-isolate and remain away from University campuses and events (including off-campus U.S. sites) through the self-isolation period. The self-isolation period begins on the date of your arrival in the U.S. or your last contact with an individual arriving in the U.S. from or through any of the impacted countries, whichever is longer. Presently, those countries are China, Hong Kong, Italy, Iran, Japan, and South Korea. The current self-isolation period is 14 days but may be lengthened as additional information becomes available.

Students and employees will not be permitted to return to any OU campus or any off-campus U.S. site until they:

1)    complete the telephone medical screening through their Student/Employee Health service, and

2)    complete the 14-day self-isolation period, and

3)    complete a follow-up telephone medical screening call through Student/Employee Health:
Norman: (405) 325-4611; OUHSC: (405) 271-9675; OU-Tulsa: (918) 660-3102

Additional guidelines are available here: link.ou.edu/coronavirus-faq

Updated information about COVID-19 and recommendations may be found at these sites:

OU Campus Guidelines: link.ou.edu/coronavirus-faq

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

VIDEO: OU Health Experts Discuss Coronavirus: https://youtu.be/uRkNEj29_aU?t=1

Summer Study Abroad: At this time, OU study abroad programs scheduled for this summer have not been canceled by the University. However, all plans for summer international travel sponsored by or affiliated with the University should be considered tentative and alternative options considered. We understand the critical need to plan, reserve travel, housing etc., and we will provide more information as it becomes available. 

The University is monitoring this ever-changing situation and will provide updates as the situation evolves.