Trinity has expressed regret over the “difficult choice” students will have to make in the coming weeks when it comes to their Erasmus exchanges, after it left up to them the decision on whether to travel abroad for their studies in September.
College will warn students about the “issues and risks” involved in travelling abroad in September in a series of online information sessions over the coming weeks, according to Brendan Tighe, a member of Trinity’s Erasmus Office.
Students are currently grappling with the implications of Trinity’s decision last month not to cancel Erasmus exchanges for the first semester of next year. The College opted to run its study abroad programmes on a voluntary basis, meaning the decision in many cases lies with individual students.
In an email to students signed up for Erasmus today, Tighe wrote: “We regret that you are now faced with having to make a difficult choice and we understand that it will not be an easy decision to make.”
“Beyond your own health and well-being there are financial and academic matters among others that must also be taken into account”, he told students.
The series of webinars will start next week in order to help students make “well-informed decisions” on whether to go abroad next year or withdraw from the programme.
Trinity has admitted that its decision on Erasmus “may be revised” in the case of a second wave of the virus, and is discouraging students from going ahead with their exchanges if their host university is offering online teaching and learning only.
Juliette Hussey, Trinity’s vice-president for Global Relations, wrote in an email to students on May 29th that all exchanges will be voluntary, meaning students who are normally required to go on exchange as part of their degree will not be penalised if they do not go abroad.
Students can also return to Trinity and re-integrate with their programme, but must do so within the first four weeks of the first term.
There has still been no information from college regarding the state of non-Erasmus exchanges.
