Dear Members of the Teachers College Community,

As many of you have seen, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has withdrawn guidelines that would have forced international students already in the United States on F-1 student visas to return home if they’re enrolled in programs that are offering instruction entirely online. This is important news, and is in no small part thanks to the efforts of students, faculty, and staff here at TC and elsewhere in higher education making our voices heard.

We are working to make sure we understand exactly what this means for our international students – those who are already in the US and those who are not, those who are new to TC and those who are returning – and Office of International Students and Scholars will communicate more details in the days ahead.

In the meantime, this means that we can redirect our energies and efforts toward welcoming all of our new and returning students to TC, and toward ensuring that our academic offerings and support services deliver a deeply fulfilling and rewarding experience for all of our students.

In a year when good news has been scarce, ICE’s decision to rescind its draconian rule for international students counts as really great news. Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief.
 

Thomas Bailey
President, Teachers College