“All
business,
employers,
hospitals
and
schools
and
universities should be making plans
and appropriately preparing for
this disease,” Khaldun said. “We’ve
been working very closely with our
partners across the state for several
weeks on these preparations.”
At least eight states including
Washington,
California
and
New York are declaring states of
emergency in response to local
outbreaks.
When asked if schools across
the state would be closed down,
Whitmer said no decisions had been
reached yet. Several dozen colleges
across the country have canceled
in-person classes in response to the
virus, including Harvard University
and Ohio State University.
A petition circulated on Tuesday
calling
on
the
University
of
Michigan to follow suit. As of 11 p.m.
on Tuesday, the petition has nearly
4,000 signatures.
“Why are we being reactive
instead of proactive?” the petition
reads. “We should not wait for the
first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV
in Ann Arbor to take action. That’s
the kind of mistake that’s put many
areas in a dire state. This is a plea for
the University of Michigan to move
classes online now.”
The University’s Office of Public
Affairs did not respond immediately
to request for comment.
In an email to students on
Tuesday, the Center for Global and
Intercultural Study’s senior health
and safety adviser Rachel Reuter
said there is a “strong possibility”
that CGIS will cancel its spring and
summer study abroad programs
due to concerns over coronavirus.
University of Michigan officials will
decide whether to cut the programs
by the end of the week, according to
the email.
Reuter noted the spread of the
virus to more than 100 countries
and the rapid increase in the
number of cases.
“As a result many countries,
including the US, are considering
or
have
already
implemented
responses that include restrictions
on mobility, cancellation of public
events and the temporary closure
of educational institutions to help
slow the spread of the virus,” Reuter
wrote. “As a result of the rapidly
evolving situation, officials from
across the University of Michigan
are meeting to determine whether
or not to cancel spring/summer
study abroad programs, and we
fully expect to provide you with a
decision by the end of this week at
the very latest.”
CGIS offers more than 140
programs in over 50 countries and
allows participants to fulfill degree
and language requirements while
studying abroad.
The continued spread of the virus
has led to a series of cancelations and
restrictions of University programs
abroad for countries with a Level
3 Travel Health Notice from the
Centers for Disease Control, which
urges avoidance of all nonessential
travel. In January, the University
issued a travel restriction for China,
discontinuing University-affiliated
travel to the country and only
allowing graduate students to travel
with an approved safety plan. The
school followed up with a travel
restriction for South Korea in late
February, expanding to include Iran
and Italy.
In an email sent to LSA students
on March 8, LSA Dean Anne
Curzan noted the disruption caused
by the travel restrictions.
“Winter study abroad programs
in countries with a CDC Level 3
Notice have been canceled, and
we will be working with affected
students
to
try
and
arrange
completion of coursework through
alternative means,” Curzan wrote.
“We will continue monitoring
the situation so that we can make
appropriate
arrangements
if
additional countries rise to CDC
Level 3. We will send out updates
as soon as possible about spring/
summer study abroad programs.”
Reuter also warned students to
refrain from buying airline tickets.
“I know how difficult and
frustrating this is, but given the
gravity of the situation regarding
COVID-19 and our dedication to
providing students with a healthy,
safe and academically enriching
study
abroad
experience,
the
University needs this time to gather
relevant information and consider
many factors in order to make as
judicious a decision as possible,”
Reuter wrote.
Students have struggled to adjust
their plans in response to the travel
restrictions.
LSA sophomore Hanna Smith
was signed up for the Spanish 230
program in Granada, Spain — which
allows students to complete their
final two required semesters of the
LSA foreign language requirement
— but now the fate of this program
is uncertain. Smith said while
she understands the need to take
precautions, she needs the credits
from the program.
“It
would
be
unfortunate
because myself and a lot of
people have to fulfill a language
requirement, besides the fact that
it would be an amazing experience
to be able to go,” Smith said. “But
also I do recognize the severity of
the situation and while it is really
unfortunate that I might not be
able to go, I understand it’s more
important to take precautions.”
LSA junior Rayna Shamah was
planning on studying abroad in
Costa Rica during the upcoming
spring term and Turks and Caicos
for summer term to complete
the language and natural science
requirements. Shamah, who said
she also planned to graduate a
semester early in order to save on
tuition costs, now doubts that she
will be able to graduate early due to
the CGIS cancellations.
“If the programs were canceled
I would definitely not be able to
graduate early, because I would
need those 12 credits to graduate,”
Shamah said. “I was extremely
disappointed. I think the main
reason is just because it’s kind of
early. I know the University wants
to take care of its students, that’s the
main priority, but we don’t know
anything about the virus, if it’s a
seasonal virus. It’s just really early.”
Shamah said she hoped the
programs would not be canceled
but also said she understood the
precautions the University is taking.
“They’re once in a lifetime
experiences,” Shamah said. “We’re
not going to be able to live with a
host family again, especially during
college.”
Managing News Editor Leah
Graham can be reached at leahgra@
umich.edu. Daily News Editor
Liat Weinstein can be reached
at weinsl@umich.edu and Daily
News Editor Alex Harring can be
reached at harring@umich.edu.
FE ATU RE
2A — Wednesday, March 11, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
TUESDAY:
By Design
THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk
FRIDAY:
Behind the Story
MONDAY:
Looking at the Numbers
WEDNESDAY:
This Week in History
March 11, 1965: University officials announce plans
for closure of admissions gate for freshman applicants
University of Michigan
officials
announced
yesterday
they
are
no
longer
accepting
freshmen for next fall.
A 32 percent increase in
freshman
applications
over
last
year
caused
the earliest closure of
admissions in University
history.
Approximately
12,300
high
school
seniors
applied to the University
for admission next fall.
Officials expect the total
number of applications
to exceed 13,000. Despite
an increase of 20 to 25
percent in the number of
state high school seniors,
the University received
an
additional
increase
of only 10 per over last
year in the number of
applicants.
The
University
is
increasing
next
year’s
freshman
class
by
600 above the number
admitted for the last fall
term. The freshman class
for next year will total
4,800,
an
increase
of
approximately 1400 over
two years ago.
The
enrollment
will
total
approximately
30,900, as disclosed by
the Office of Academic
Affairs in December. The
out-of-state students will
number about the same
percent of the student
body as last year.
The
effect
of
the
additional 600 students
on
classroom
and
laboratory crowding, as
well as on the hiring of
new faculty for next fall,
depends on the budget
still undetermined by the
state legislature.
An
increase
in
the
freshman class of 600 and
the subsequent increase
in
applications
was
anticipated last fall by the
admissions office, Bryon
L. Groesbeck, assistant
director of admissions,
said. The added increase
in applications caused the
closing of admissions at
this time.
The
increase
in
the
number of applications
from Michigan residents
and out-of-state students
has been about equal.
All qualified Michigan
residents who applied to
the University before Feb.
1, have been admitted.
Those who apply now are
being placed on a waiting
list.
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ALEC COHEN/Daily
Students and Ann Arbor residents wait in line to register to vote as volunteers offer water, pizza and other snacks outside of the Ann Arbor City Hall Tuesday afternoon.
VIRUS
From Page 1A
Michigan has 125 delegates, the
largest number of all states voting
Tuesday, which includes Missouri,
Mississippi, North Dakota, Idaho
and Washington and will be divided
proportionally between Biden and
Sanders. The former Vice President
was also declared the winner of
both the Mississippi and Missouri
primaries early Tuesday evening.
To win the Democratic nomination,
a candidate needs at least 1,991 of
the 3,979 pledged delegates.
Following Super Tuesday, a large
number of endorsements from
Michigan political figures endorsed
Biden, including Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist
and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
Players on the national stage
once included Sen. Kamala Harris,
D-Calif., Sen. Amy Klobuchar,
D-Minn., former New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and
former South Bend Mayor Pete
Buttigieg. All suspended their
presidential
campaigns
and
endorsed
Biden.
Shortly
after
CNN declared Biden the winner
in
Michigan,
Missouri
and
Mississippi, former Presidential
candidate Andrew Yang endorsed
Biden’s campaign.
Business student Jeh Mory was
at the Students for Biden watch
party on Tuesday and spoke
about the former vice president’s
chances of winning the Democratic
nomination.
“I feel pretty optimistic about the
future,” Mory said. “These wins are
important and going ahead, I think
it bodes well for Biden’s chance
of getting a delegate majority and
getting the nomination.”
Kinesiology
junior
Courage
Ekwonye was also at the Students
for Biden watch party. He noted
Biden’s appeal to Republicans as
well as Democrats.
“I’m
a
conservative.
I
traditionally don’t agree with the
majority of Joe Biden’s views,
but there’s something about Joe
Biden that separates him from the
Bernie Sanders wing,” Ekwonye
said. “Even though he has ideas
outside of the American tradition,
he still cares very much about this
country. It seems that the Bernie
Sanders campaign comes off as not
BIDEN
From Page 1A
See BIDEN, Page 3A
Spike in applications from prospective first-year students leads to earliest end to admissions period