Public Statements

Support for International Students

July 8, 2020

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

Earlier this week, the federal government issued new guidelines to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which could seriously disrupt the education of our new and continuing international students studying with F-1 and M-1 visas this fall. As Allen Harrison shared in his note to the campus last night, international students will not be permitted to enter or remain in the United States if the colleges they attend teach all classes remotely. These new guidelines are alarming and unjustifiable, especially at a time when the world community is relying on the collective wisdom and commitment of all its citizens to address the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hamilton intends to offer in-person instruction this fall, but the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic means we could be forced at any time to resume remote learning to protect the health and safety of our community. If such change proves necessary, our international students might be forced to leave the country, putting their education and wellbeing at risk.

Hamilton is part of the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a coalition of college and university leaders that supports policies to create a welcoming environment for immigrant, undocumented, and international students. The Alliance is working to find ways to address the issues created by the recent federal guidelines, and the College supports those efforts. We are also reaching out to our representatives in Congress to seek their support.

We are in touch with our international students to provide the information and guidance they need as they consider their individual situations, and will do everything we can to assist them and to minimize disruption to their education. Especially now, we welcome the perspective and experiences they bring to our classrooms and campus.

David

Related Message: Joint Statement From NY6 College Presidents on International Students and Scholars