President Steve Standifird weighs in on the federal government’s announcement regarding international students’ remaining in the U.S. this fall at institutions teaching online only classes.
Video Transcript
Most of you are aware the United States federal government has announced its intent to ask international students to leave the U.S. if they attend colleges that teach online only. This shouldn’t apply to Bradley University because we are resuming face-to-face classes Aug. 26. However, these regulations do pose a serious concern for us.
I place great value on the cultural richness and diverse perspective our international students bring to any college campus. This view comes from traveling to dozens of countries with my wife, who is originally from Hong Kong, from having taught internationally and from the multitude of international students I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout my career. We value the richness international students bring to our campus and look forward to continuing to benefit from having them as a part of our community.
Our plan is to hold live or hybrid classes until Thanksgiving and transition to online classes for the remainder of the semester. Because we know how important it is for our international students to retain their immigration status, we are exploring our options to make sure they remain engaged on campus during those final weeks so the ruling won’t impact them.
Many believe this rule is an effort to encourage all schools to go back to face-to-face in-person classes, a decision Bradley has already made. Likewise, the rule is being litigated in the United States court system, and many legal experts believe there is a significant chance it will never go into effect.
For our new international students, welcome to Bradley University. We know your time on campus will be filled with enriching experiences in and out of the classroom. To our returning international students, welcome back to campus.
My wife Vivian and I look forward to meeting you. Until then, I wish you safe travels to campus.
