Posted on 05/06/2003 5:55:51 AM PDT by chance33_98
Students From Regions Affected by SARS Denied Summer Enrollment
By KIM-MAI CUTLER
Contributing Writer Tuesday, May 6, 2003
UC Berkeley banned foreign students from SARS-affected regions from enrolling this summer, in a move that could cost the university nearly $2 million, Chancellor Robert Berdahl announced yesterday.
The ban will turn away about 600 students in the English Language Program from four SARS-affected areas including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
Already reeling from millions in proposed cuts from the state, the university will have to absorb this additional loss.
The new policy is based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control.
This UC Berkeley Extension program will take the greatest hit from the ban.
A task force composed of university, city and state health experts concluded that the only alternative would have been to quarantine all the students from SARS-affected regions for 10 days—a move that would prove too costly, considering that several programs only last three to four weeks.
"I think the bottom line is that there was simply no way we could handle any of these individuals if they became symptomatic," said Associate Chancellor John Cummins.
English Language Program directors do not anticipate any staff layoffs. Still, there will be several course cancellations, said program spokesperson Teresa Parker.
Because the program's housing is spread across residence halls, apartments, private homes and the YMCA, the effect on housing will be difficult to predict, she added.
With university-owned housing vacant, housing services may lose as much as $500,000, said UC Berkeley spokesperson Marie Felde.
The new policy also blocks university funds for travel to SARS-affected areas unless approved by a vice chancellor.
Some faculty, staff and students have already cut back on travel plans.
"I was supposed to be cruising the Yangtze River today," said UC Berkeley sociology professor Thomas Gold. His plans for an extensive lecture tour through China were canceled early last month.
Students who live permanently in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan or Singapore and decide to visit during the summer will be questioned and monitored when they return in the fall. Entering students from these regions will be similarly monitored.
University Health Services will require them to fill out a questionnaire about their travel history and possible connections with those known or suspected of having SARS.
They will also undergo 10 days of monitoring for symptoms. Those returning from canceled Education Abroad Programs in affected areas will also be monitored for 10 days.
In case suspect symptoms arise, University Health Services has set aside about five quarantine rooms in the residence halls, said Tang Center Director Steve Lustig.
Health workers have been instructed to distribute information about SARS as well as be on the look out for suspicious symptoms.
The symptoms of SARS are, however, similar to many other diseases, making the job tough. A fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, coughing and shortness of breath could all be signs.
Some students have already voluntarily come to University Health Services to verify whether or not they have symptoms. There have been no suspected SARS patients so far, Lustig said.
Concerns about the disease have skyrocketed. University Health Services has been fielding numerous SARS-related questions daily, Lustig said.
The most common calls are regarding summer plans, safety or relatives from SARS-affected regions visiting for graduation.
The public attention drawn by the disease may be exaggerated, however.
"We need to keep extreme possibilities open," said UC Berkeley anthropology professor Lawrence Cohen. "This could be a media spectacle—a perceived risk."
Emma Schwartz of The Daily Californian staff contributed to this report.
I think I will slip em a $20 and see if they can make some other recommendations.... :)
Oh, never mind, we already know what would happen.
Typical liberal double standard. Precautions like these are only acceptable if there are liberal lives at stake. To them, Berkeley is not expendable, but Middle America is.
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