Fellow Spartans,
We are writing to reaffirm Michigan State University’s longstanding commitment to supporting a vibrant international community.
As we have seen at colleges and universities around the country, some of our international students recently learned of visa revocations or termination of their records in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.
Through our Office for International Students and Scholars, we are monitoring the situation and consulting with colleagues and immigration attorneys to understand more. OISS is communicating directly with impacted international students to provide individualized guidance and support.
International Studies and Programs has posted additional information, including a page with Frequently Asked Questions and a letter from Vice Provost and Dean of International Studies and Programs Titus O. Awokuse. The FAQ page includes information such as what authority immigration officials have to enter campus; guidance for traveling outside the United States; and regulations and policies regarding sharing and safeguarding student information.
Spartans with immigrant status, including recipients of DACA, should refer to the Immigrant Support and Safety Resources website. While this site currently includes information and referrals for students, we recognize the need to expand support for noncitizen faculty and staff, including permanent residents. ISP is working with campus partners to identify appropriate points of contact and enhance available resources.
Reports of worrisome incidents involving international students and scholars, both here and elsewhere, create understandable distress. We will continue to seek ways to respond to the situation and support our international Spartans, who are highly valued members of our university community. Joining us today from approximately 140 countries, these community members have contributed so much to MSU’s academic and research excellence as well as our campus culture and global outlook for more than 150 years.
As our 12th president, John A. Hannah, envisioned, Michigan State is a university not only for the people of Michigan but for the world. University leaders have advanced this commitment to international engagement over the decades, from the late Clifton R. Wharton Jr., an international development economist, to M. Peter McPherson, a former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
This moment calls on all of us to uphold this legacy. We have spent time with many groups of students in recent weeks, as well as postdoctoral scholars, and have heard international Spartans express their concerns. I (President Guskiewicz) am in Washington, D.C. today, meeting with congressional leaders and speaking about these concerns and the anxiety our students and university community are experiencing.
To Michigan State’s international scholars, students, employees and families: We hear your concerns and are doing everything in our power to support you. We will continue to communicate either directly through ISP and OISS or through messages like this. And to those university community members not directly impacted, we urge you to reach out with support to our friends and colleagues.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
President
Thomas D. Jeitschko, Ph.D.
Interim Provost