Dear students and families,

As you know from previous communications, senior leadership at Marist has been actively engaged in monitoring developments on the evolving coronavirus issue. Earlier this evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) increased their Italy advisory level to Level 3, “Avoid Nonessential Travel.” As explained in prior communications, College policy related to coronavirus (COVID-19) is guided by the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, Marist is suspending regular programming and coursework for the Spring 2020 semester at the Florence campus.

Our top concern is first and foremost the health, safety, and security of our students. 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. 

Students currently traveling outside of Italy, please contact me for further instructions and what your options are. 

All Marist Italy students will be able to complete the spring semester and studies from home. Students will receive further information regarding course completion in the coming days.

We will be back in contact tomorrow by 1pm EST with important, additional information. Please watch email and keep your phones handy. Marist staff are working to support students to plan their journeys home during this difficult time. Please contact me with any questions.

Best regards,

Dr. John E. Peters
Dean, International Programs
Acting Dean, Marist Italy
Associate Professor, Economics
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, New York
Tel. 845-575-3330