Marist Suspends Programming at Florence Campus
Marist College announced that regular programming and coursework at its Florence campus will be suspended for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester on Feb. 29.
The announcement was prompted due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raising their advisory level for Italy to a Level 3. This means that all nonessential travel to the country should be avoided, and that “there is a widespread, ongoing outbreak of respiratory illness (COVID-19) caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that can be spread from person to person,” according to the CDC website.
“Our top concern is first and foremost the health, safety, and security of our students,” said Dr. John Peters, Dean of International Programs at Marist, in a statement released on Feb. 29.
“While daily life in Florence remains calm, we realize this has been a stressful time for students and families. We are committed to working with each student individually to make arrangements to return home safely.”
The 163 Marist Italy students were instructed that they will be able to complete their spring semester coursework from home beginning Mar. 23.
“Marist staff are working to support students to plan their journeys home during this difficult time,” Peters said.
A subsequent update, posted later in the afternoon on Feb. 29, stated that Marist will provide students returning from Italy with a $500 travel allowance and that they will collect taxi vouchers to the Florence airport from the LdM campus.
Housing will remain available to all Marist Italy students until departure plans can be made, and students are permitted to store a “reasonable amount of belongings” in the campus’ facilities.
Additionally, student visas will expire due to the suspension of academic programs in Italy.
“I know you will join me in extending your support to those students whose experiences abroad have been disrupted by this unprecedented global public health event,” stated Marist President Dennis Murray in an address to the community via email. “Rest assured that Marist is supporting these students in a number of different ways, including assistance with travel.”
He further stated, “We are committed to ensuring that all students remain on track for their anticipated graduation timelines.”
Murray also disclosed that, in accordance with CDC policies, students are not permitted to return to any Marist location after a self-quarantine period of 14 days in which they show no signs of illness.
Students living on campus may not host students returning from Florence until the conclusion of their quarantine period.
The email also detailed that numerous other precautions are set to be implemented at the Marist campus. These include distributing hand sanitizer stations and Sani-Hands wipes throughout building lobbies and offices, providing housekeeping staff with peroxide-based cleaners used in hospitals, and assembling an emergency preparedness team consisting of senior College officials and medical doctors.
“I know that many in our community are understandably concerned by these challenging times,” stated Murray. “Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this evolving situation closely, and will take all possible steps to safeguard the health and well-being of our students.”
For more information, students can visit the Marist College Coronavirus Updates and Resources webpage at https://www.marist.edu/coronavirus-updates.