Hi, we are a group of international students studying Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Adelaide. In view of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, we were advised by our government to return home to Singapore on the 17th of March. 2 days after our government's announcement, the dean of the medical school sent an email saying "we strongly recommend that you return home immediately". We heeded this advice and returned home as it is understandable that our families would be extremely concerned about us being alone and away from home in this period of uncertainty.  A travel ban was put in place on 20th March by the Federal government and direct flights back to Singapore were suspended from 24th March onwards, putting great pressure on us to decide quickly as flights were limited. Many emails were sent to the faculty as well as the international students office asking for advice on this matter, with no replies received. Up to this stage, we regret that no formal information has been received from the school with regards to how our education would proceed if we chose to go home as compared to remaining in Adelaide. Consequently, we were unable to make informed decisions. Many of us made the choice to return home under great time pressures and to alleviate the anxiety of our families back home.

Unfortunately, on 25th of March, the Faculty of Health Sciences sent an email informing us that the school has decided that all students who have returned to their home countries are to defer their studies or take a leave of absence on the basis that the online program may not work when the servers get overloaded, and the travel bans will most likely still be in place when we start clinical skills / placements. However, the university assured us that all students currently still in Australia, whether interstate or in Adelaide will have their classes moved online and receive full support from the school in ensuring that they complete the requirements for the year. We had further discussions with the school who made a concession on 30th March, stating "If Singapore students now still enrolled decided to withdraw at any time after the census date, I shall absolutely make sure that they are not penalised and that their fees would be fully credited to a future semester when they are able to return". However, at the end of the same week, we received an email from the faculty stating that all international students who have returned home will have to take a leave of absence by 17th April. Students who do not do so by then will have steps taken by the school to withdraw their enrolment. This contradicts the school's previous stance that students be allowed to withdraw at any time after the census date. The faculty of health sciences has suspended all face-to-face and online learning until 27th April, thus the previous agreement gives students the opportunity to test out if they are able to have access to the online material and make more informed choices on whether or not to take a leave of absence. In addition to this, students in their first 2 years of Dentistry and first 2 years of medicine do not have clinical placements in the hospital. Dentistry students have simulated clinics 1 to 3 times a week and pre-clinical medical students have clinical skills practice once a week, however their clinical skills teaching has currently been moved online which shows that online teaching of these practical skills is feasible, hence we are unsure of why the school is adamant on also making them take a leave of absence.

We are grateful that the University has refunded us our tuition fees, but we do not understand the University’s position in asking us to repeat the academic year after all the hours spent in class since the beginning of term. Our studies have formed an integral part of our lives here in Australia, and it will be a great pity if all of the efforts by our professors, the staff at the University and each of us go to waste like this. In our communications with the university, the school has repeatedly stressed that they are ensuring that students are not disadvantaged by refunding our school fees and ensuring that our place in the course is reserved for when we can join the school again. However, we are not only concerned about the financial losses but more importantly the time lost that we will not be able to get back. 1 year is an extremely long time and most of us have already taken a gap year in order to study in Australia. The Singaporean boys have also had to delay university entry for 2 years due to compulsory service in the Singapore Army. As a result, every extra year of delaying our graduation will significantly affect our lives. We spend an average of AUD$80,000 per year on school fees and AUD$14,000 per year on accommodation, excluding other daily expenses and this creates a great financial burden on all of us. During this time that we are back home, we are also continuing to pay for our accommodation fees. Every year that we delay our graduation is another year of not being able to get proper work to repay this sum.

More importantly, we are confused as to why the University is adamant in their position, especially since our peers in the same course but physically in Australia are receiving their studies online. Allowing us to continue our studies online in Semester 1 with everyone else is beneficial as if, on the slightest chance that the travel ban is lifted before placements recommence and we are able to return to the country for placements, we will not need to delay our graduation. This means that there is a chance that we can graduate as scheduled. However, forcing us to take a leave of absence now guarantees that our graduation will be delayed. The school has highlighted that they are aware that the best strategy for students is to engage fully in their studies and progress through their degrees rather than waste a semester. However, the forced deferral/ leave of absence being enforced goes against this principle as there are options and suggestions that have not been explored yet. We have raised several suggestions to the university where the students are ready to go that extra mile to reach a solution that could be mutually beneficial. However, the university did not accept them and did not change their stand on the decision. 

While we know that all universities are different and it may not be useful or fair to compare the response of other universities to the current situation, our parents and friends at home are outraged that our university is not offering more support to us in our time of need. The school recommended that we heed our government's advice to return home and we followed this recommendation in good faith, trusting that the school had a concrete plan to support us in completing the year online or with modifications to the program. However, our education is now being compromised by us being home with our families which is deeply disappointing.

We humbly plead for the University to reconsider their position and to allow us to continue our studies amidst this trying time. We want a chance to finish the year and are willing to work hard and put in extra hours for it.

We appreciate all the help we can get and we’ll definitely need your help in spreading the word to your friends who are studying in the University of Adelaide. If you have read our petition thus far, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, your support means the world to all of us. We hope that you will support us in our cause by signing our petition, thank you!