Dartmouth will evacuate students participating in the College's Language Study Abroad program in Cholula, Mexico, amid concern over the swine flu outbreak that is believed to have originated in the country, College spokesman Roland Adams said on Tuesday. A group of 11 undergraduates, a faculty member and a teaching assistant are currently in Mexico on the LSA.
Students were notified today that the LSA would be cut short, according to Dean of the Faculty Carol Folt. The College has arranged for the participants to fly out of the state of Puebla, where Cholula is located, into Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, she said. From there, further arrangements will be made for the students to travel to their respective homes.
The decision to pull the students from Mexico was "precautionary," arising from a recommendation by director of College Health Services John Turco earlier this morning, Folt said.
None of the LSA participants have reported or exhibited symptoms, and the College has not received any official reports of swine flu in Cholula, according to Folt.
The decision was also driven by concerns about the students' academic experience, Folt added. The Universidad de las Americas, where the Dartmouth students are studying, was closed on Monday. Additionally, worsening travel conditions in Mexico could affect the cultural field trip component of the LSA program, Folt said.
College officials have been closely monitoring the spread of the disease in Mexico and will continue to communicate with students once they return to the United States, she said.
The involved students have been advised to remain at home for seven days once they return from Mexico, in accordance with standard medical practices, according to Folt.
Folt said her office is working with professors in the Spanish and Portuguese department to develop an alternative plan of study so that the students can receive academic credit for the term. The students may return to the College to complete their coursework or study online, Folt said, though a final course of action has yet to be determined.
