REPOST: Campus Response to Recent Immigration Changes

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 17:10:49 -0400
diversityandinclusion

Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

Yesterday afternoon the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued a press release detailing changes to temporary exemptions for international students who hold F-1 and M-1 immigration status and plan to take classes fully online during the fall 2020 semester. We are writing to update you on the campus response to these changes.

This is a challenging time for our society and for many in our UMBC community. It is of the utmost importance that we affirm our commitment to the academic progress of our international students and our support for all of our international community members. We are working on a strategy to help affected students maintain their enrollment at UMBC in a manner that complies with ICE requirements.

Community members who are concerned about these changes in temporary exemptions are encouraged to contact International Education Services at ies@umbc.edu. International Education Services will hold a virtual town hall regarding the temporary exemptions on Friday, July 10, at 4 p.m. eastern time that is open to any UMBC community members who wish to attend. The Counseling Center is also available to serve community members in need of mental health support. Please call (410) 455-2472 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and leave a message; your call will be returned shortly. The after-hours support line is (410) 455-3230.

UMBC’s vision and core values are grounded in our inclusive culture. We greatly value our international community and are committed to helping our students navigate this situation.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous