The stay-in-place order: On Tuesday, October 20, the Washtenaw County Health Department issued a “stay-in-place” order for U-M undergraduate students. The order will expire at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, but could be extended. U-M undergraduate students must stay in their on or off-campus residences, but can leave to attend in-person classes, to pick up food or medicine, for medical appointments, or for outdoor exercise in groups of not more than two. The U-M Stay in Place Order FAQ has more information about what is and is not permitted. The stay in place order only applies to undergraduate students, not to graduate students, scholars, faculty or staff.
Undergraduate classes: Most in-person or hybrid undergraduate classes will change to fully remote classes for the remainder of the Fall Term. Your instructor will notify you if your class will continue to be in-person or hybrid.
New students: U.S. government regulations required new F-1 or J-1 international students to enroll in at least one in-person or hybrid class for the Fall Term. However, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that if a university must switch to online classes in the middle of the term, as is the case for U-M undergraduate classes, students will maintain their F-1 or J-1 status and will not need to leave the U.S. The stay in place order will not affect your F-1 or J-1 status. However, you must continue to be enrolled full-time.
Leaving campus: You are not required to leave the campus. If your classes are now all online, and you decide to leave early, either to go to another location in the U.S. or to return to your home country, there are some important things to consider:
- All students leaving campus should follow U-M departure protocols.
- International students should be aware of travel restrictions that may make it difficult or impossible to re-enter the U.S. in January
- Make sure that you have the documents needed to re-enter the U.S. in January for the Winter Term, including a travel signature if you don’t currently have one or if your current travel signature will expire (be more than one year old) before February 2021.
- Your home country may also have requirements you must follow in order to enter.
- You should be aware of time differences and other issues, such as access to U-M Google services, that may make it more difficult for you to complete your courses.
You may have more questions, and the International Center’s advisors are available to assist you. How to Request Support from International Student and Scholar Services explains how to contact our advisors. We wish you the best as you navigate these next days and weeks and are here to support you.
Last updated: Wednesday, 10/21/2020, at 9:48AM.