Resources to Support International Students
International students are important members of our community, discipline, and programs. As the COVID-19 pandemic forces many classes and institutions online, educating ourselves on policies that affect international students is critical.The July 6, 2020 statement from the Student Exchange and Visitors Program modifies temporary safety precautions put into place earlier in the pandemic. International students are being effectively forced into face-to-face courses, directly affecting their safety, well-being, and education. We encourage our colleagues to follow the leadership of NextGen’s “Advocacy Call to Challenge Institutionalized Xenophobia against international students,” specifically by reading and endorsing NextGen’s statement, sharing these resources with individual campus stakeholders, and advocating for international students with local government officials.
Institutions continue to join the lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT and others are developing procedures to support international students. Here are some resources for program administrators and teachers to use at this critical moment to support international students:
https://cgsnet.org/ice-guidance-unnecessarily-puts-international-students-risk
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GCkZpfGz6c3h6L9xMj1ppzgdm26shD8E-TaoyTnITLw/edit?ts=5f0646ee
https://nextgen-listserv.org/isad-open-letter
As an organization that continues to benefit from the multiple contributions that international students, faculty, and community members make to technical and scientific communication, we refute ICE’s discriminatory policy and will continue to support international students.