Washington University in St. Louis has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenging a federal policy that they believe will harm international students.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced last week that it was changing Student and Exchange Visitor Program policy to prohibit international students from entering or remaining in the country if all of their classes are online. The move comes at a time when universities across the country are grappling with whether and how to hold classes this fall in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health concerns it raises for students, faculty and staff in close quarters.
Last week, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Provost Beverly Wendland wrote a letter to the university community expressing their unwavering support for international students in light of the “ill-conceived and dangerous” federal policy change.
“Our international students, faculty, and staff make Washington University a more vibrant, engaging and intellectually stimulating place through their innumerable contributions,” they wrote. “We are here for our international community and will do everything we can to protect them and ensure that they are able to pursue their academic goals fearlessly and without interruption.”
Washington University is among dozens of colleges and universities who have filed an amici curiae brief in the lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. Washington University plans to offer some in-person instruction, with an online option for those who need or prefer it.
International students “make valuable contributions to amici’s classrooms, campuses and communities — contributions that have helped make American higher education the envy of the world,” the universities state in the court filing. They argue that the government’s move was arbitrary and capricious, didn’t provide a reasoned explanation for the change and failed to consider the consequences the policy will have for universities and their students.
The full text of the brief is available online.
The post University supports suit challenging federal policy on international students appeared first on The Source.