DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wayne State University is responding to new guidelines put in place by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for international students.
The new policy, according to the university, would "impose restrictions that put undue burdens on students and institutions as we continue to deal with uncertainties caused by the pandemic."
This would require international students to be enrolled in at least one in-person class (which can be a hybrid) to maintain their visa status during the fall semester.
The decision was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WSU has about 1,500 international students.
"We have joined higher education institutions and associations from across the country who are calling for changes to these unfair and impractical policies and are mobilizing to advocate on behalf of our international students," Associate Vice President of Educational Outreach and International Programs Ahmad M. Ezzeddine, Ph.D. said in a press release. "As these efforts continue, we are also reviewing the specifics of these guidelines to identify areas that will require changes in our fall plans to ensure compliance with the new rules. The planned hybrid model (a combination of on-campus and remote/online classes) we were already considering for the fall term should provide some flexibility in that regard."
You can read the entire release from ICE here.
