Adelaide University Chinese students offered care packages to help them resume study, following coronavirus-induced travel ban

After coronavirus measures kept many of Adelaide Uni’s Chinese students away, the university is now offering fee reductions and special tutoring so they can hit the ground running.

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Adelaide University is offering significant fee discounts and airfare reimbursements to encourage Chinese students affected by the coronavirus travel ban to commit to studying in the first semester.

The university was last year revealed as one of the most financially overexposed to the Chinese market in the English-speaking world.

Deputy vice-chancellor Pascale Quester has written to students offering a “care package” including a 20 per cent reduction in first semester tuition fees, and reimbursement of up to $2000 on flight costs to Australia once travel restrictions are lifted.

The travel ban from China to Australia was extended by another week as global cases grow. Pictured is a patient evacuation in Daegu, South Korea. Picture: YONHAP / AFP

Students who commit to study in the first semester will begin with online “preparatory material” from March 2.

“When you are able to join us in Adelaide, we will offer intensive tutorials, which will maintain the high level of immersive, face-to-face learning you expect from us,” writes Prof Quester.

“We will need to ensure you can attend campus for your immersive face-to-face experience no later than 1 June.

“We are confident travel restrictions will have lifted by that date. If the restrictions have not lifted then we will provide students with a full and unconditional refund, or offer a way to complete courses remotely.”

Those who defer to the “next available teaching period” will still be eligible for the flight reimbursement.

“We will offer repeat courses from Semester 1 and mid-year intensives to enable you to commence your course as planned,” writes Prof Quester.

Earlier this month, StudyAdelaide said about 5600 international students were stuck in China.

UniSA says 1000 will not make it to Adelaide by next week’s start of the first semester, while Flinders University says more than half its 800 Chinese students are already here.

Adelaide University has not put a figure on how many of its students are affected by the current travel ban. But a Centre for Independent Studies report last September listed it among seven “elite” Australian unis with “extraordinary levels of exposure” to the Chinese “cash cow”.

It said Chinese nationals accounted for 54 per cent of its international students and 16 per cent of all enrolments.

Deputy vice-chancellor Pascale Quester has written to students offering a “care package” including a 20 per cent reduction in first semester tuition fees.

Vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen wrote to staff saying each affected student would be sent a “personalised learning plan”

Ahead of Orientation Week beginning Monday, Adelaide vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen wrote to staff saying each affected student would be sent a “personalised learning plan”, with follow-up contact to determine their “best path forward”.

Flinders University has created “individualised alternative study options”, including online, for the first semester, and extended the last date for arrival to March 31, and the payment date for mainland Chinese students to April 3.

Acting vice-chancellor Clare Pollock said there would be “additional classes” for those students when they land.

UniSA chief academic services officer Marie Wilson said the UniSA Online platform meant it was in a good position to teach students stuck overseas through “lectures, discussion forums, tutorials and assessments”.

 Virus rumours hurting Asian schoolchildren

Students of Asian background at a prominent public high school are feeling “isolated” because of “ill-informed rumours” about coronavirus.

The situation prompted Brighton Secondary principal Tony Lunniss to write to the school community.

“As the news of the novel coronavirus continues to circulate, anxiety around its potential spread at our school has started to raise some concerns,” he posted on social media last week.

“In particular, some of our students of Asian descent are feeling isolated due to misinformation and ill-informed rumours. We encourage everybody to be actively inclusive of all our students during this time. At the moment there is no evidence of any of our students or staff having had contact with the virus or anyone who has. We will keep you updated if there is any further specific information.”

Mr Lunniss wrote that the school was adhering to “all the advice” from the Federal Government and SA Health.

One person wrote in response: “Parents need to discuss this with their children so they treat others fairly and knowledgeably.”

The school was contacted for comment.

Last week, the Federal Government extended the inbound travel ban for foreign nationals who have recently been in mainland China, until February 29. But on Saturday, the Government announced that Year 11 and 12 international students from China, except Hubei province, would be considered on a case-by-case basis for travel to Australia.