Dear University community:
I am very pleased that the July 6 policy directive affecting international students on F-1 and M-1 visas has been rescinded. UT Dallas remains committed to all of its students and greatly values those who choose to come to the United States for their education.
Since the controversial ruling was announced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, this matter has been a top priority for UT Dallas. I joined in a letter composed by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities calling on Congress “to swiftly pass legislation that grants needed flexibility for our international students and institutions during the global pandemic.” As of 8:30 this morning, 655 universities and/or university systems had signed the letter.
Additionally, I have written to our two U.S. senators and three area members of the U.S. House of Representatives to “request that the July 6 directive be set aside, and that the Department of Homeland Security continue the temporary waiver of credit-hour limitations for online learning instated on March 13, 2020.”
The reversal of this decision is welcome as we prepare to greet students for the fall semester.
I want to thank Provost Inga Musselman and Dean of Graduate Education Juan González who worked diligently to provide options for our international students that would allow them to stay on track with their studies under the terms of the now-rescinded policy. Further, several faculty and many front-line student-serving staff, especially those within the International Student Services Office, spent countless hours working with anxious students, and I am grateful for their efforts under distress.
Let us continue to move forward and to work together in preparing for the new academic year.
Sincerely,
Richard C. Benson
President
Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership