Almost 700 college students from universities across the country are living on a cruise ship in the Indian Ocean today, while still enrolled in University of Pittsburgh classes as part of one of the most unique "study abroad" options available.

The university has had enough, however, and the 24-year relationship between the university and the Institute for Shipboard Education will end next semester, leaving the ISE searching for a new home port.

"We're in the process of really reducing this down to those where there's a mutual agreement that this could be a good fit," ISE spokesperson Paul Watson said. "There are about six that are still actively in discussions with us, [but] it's not simply a matter of our choosing them; it's us choosing each other."

Citing a desire not to turn the sponsorship into a contest, Watson declined to confirm final candidates but volunteered content of several student-newspaper reports naming George Washington University, the University of Tennessee and the University of Nebraska as contenders.

University of Arizona Associate Vice President for Communications Paul Allvin said his university, too, is one of the final candidates considering sponsorship of the Semester at Sea program.

"It's moving from the University of Pittsburgh, and we're one of the places looking at it," Allvin said. "We're interested in seeing what the risks and benefits of bringing it here are."

Pitt announced its intention to part ways with the ISE following the spring 2005 semester and initially intended not to sponsor the program in the current academic year. The ISE then sued the university, citing contractual obligations for due notice, prompting Pitt to reconsider and extend its sponsorship through the spring 2006 semester.

"We've been having discussions about a new contract for over a year and just couldn't resolve some of the issues on both sides," ISE spokesperson Paul Watson said. "It really was a difference of opinion on decision-making."

The University of Pittsburgh ignored repeated requests for comment.

Watson declined to be more specific on the nature of the fallout, only debunking numerous media reports which have cited safety as a major concern of the university.

"I don't believe it was at all safety related," Watson said. "They even made the statement that they were not saying the program was unsafe."

The university's abrupt decision to terminate its relationship with the institution came only a few months after a nearly tragic accident in the Pacific Ocean, when a 50-foot wave hit the ship, forcing it to make an unplanned stop in Hawaii for repairs.

"The ship encountered very severe weather in the Pacific, when we were heading from Vancouver to Korea," Watson said.

Watson cited the program's 40-year track record of safety and emphasized he feels the program is "very safe" and should not be a concern of its host institutions.

"Risks can occur anywhere. Some things can go wrong on occasion, but we feel that we operate a very safe program and that is our first priority in every decision we make," he said.

Watson said the ISE never had discussions with the University of Wisconsin but attributed the lack of dialogue to a rapid search for securing a host, as he said given more time to investigate its options, UW likely would have been a good fit.

"We've had a good relationship with Wisconsin in terms of students coming on our program," Watson said. "This happened in a fairly quick time frame."

UW senior Nick Anderson, who enrolled in the program for the fall 2004 semester, said he never felt unsafe on his voyage and added it was as safe as can be expected.

"I felt the ship was as safe as it could be, [but] there's inherent risks in the way the program is structured," Anderson said.

Despite his superb experience in the program, Anderson did not blame Pitt for its decision to terminate its sponsorship and said the program will survive a change.

"It's a big responsibility for Pitt to host a program like this. It's a lot more admissions work," Anderson said. "[Semester at Sea] is well known and it's well respected, and it's not the first time that it's switched institutions for various reasons."