Study abroad trips to Valencia, Spain, for the fall and spring semesters were canceled on June 15 after a partner university in Spain cut half of the classes offered for students.

The Office of International Programs and Study Abroad partnered with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, which provided the courses during the trips; however, in March, public university elections were held, said Mark Barneche, the executive director for international education and study abroad. Following these elections, the new UPV leadership decided to cancel half of the classes that were offered to ACU students.

“In sort of late May, early June, making a transition to offer all of the courses that we were offering by some other means, it was too late to really transition effectively,” Barneche said. “That was the big challenge that led ultimately to the decision to postpone.”

This fall, 17 students were signed up to go to Valencia, after the trip was canceled, students were given a week to decide whether to go on another study abroad trip to Oxford, England, or Leipzig, Germany, or to stay in Abilene, where Residence Life and the students’ academic advisors were already aware of the situation and prepared to help students transition. Nine students chose to go on other trips, and eight decided to stay in Abilene.

Emma Mejia, a junior social work major from Canton, who was supposed to study abroad this fall, said the housing process was hectic despite ResLife’s attempts to help the students. As a result, she was placed in sophomore housing.

“I didn’t have plans for this fall, so that was the most nerve-wracking thing,” Mejia said. “Eventually, they were like, ‘Smith-Adams is the only place we have.’”

Although the trips to Spain this year are not happening, study abroad still wants to provide students the opportunity to live in a Spanish-speaking country, Barneche said.

“We’re planning on offering programs in Valencia in summer 2026 and launching full semester programs in the fall of 2026,” Barneche said. “But what we were able to do in the last year was establish our legal entity in Spain: banking accounts, tax compliance, rural services and so we are able to fully employ people.”

The current application cycle includes spring 2026, summer 2026, fall 2026 and spring 2027. The priority deadline is Oct. 1 and the final deadline is Nov. 1.