Dear Students,
On Monday, July 6, the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) released their
plans for fall term 2020.
Summary of the SEVP Broadcast Message
According to the guidelines set forth in the July 6 broadcast message, international students will not be permitted to enroll in fully online courses and stay in the U.S. in fall term. Students who are unable to register for at least one in-person class will have to go home. The guidelines also distinguish between three types of institutional plans; PSU falls into the “hybrid” model, with a mix of in-person and online options.
Fall Flex and Course Options
As mentioned above, Portland State will follow the
Fall Flex model, combining online and in-person offerings. Some individual schools and colleges planned to offer only online classes but we are working with departments that have large international student populations to adapt course offerings so that there are sufficient in-person options. Ultimately, you will need to work with your departments and academic advisors to identify at least one class, at least one credit, in fall that will have an in-person component. This class must be listed in the bulletin or class schedule as in-person or hybrid. The remainder of your classes may then be on-line or remote (synchronous or asynchronous).
I hope the following points of clarification will help guide the decisions that you will need to be making as you are registering for your classes. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list!
- For graduate students, research, thesis and dissertation credits are considered to be in-person credits.
- By-arrangement credits are considered to be in-person credits.
- Student leadership credits are considered to be in-person credits.
- Hybrid classes, which require less face-to-face contact but some in-person interaction are considered to be in-person classes.
- If you are not in the United States during fall term, you may enroll for as many online classes as you wish. However we will probably no longer be able to keep your SEVIS record active. (We are waiting for the government to clarify this point.)
- All students will be issued a new I-20, clarifying that PSU is offering in-person as well as online classes and attesting to the fact that if you are here, you are enrolled for an in-person class. We will be monitoring that once fall term begins.
- Sponsored Students: Our office will be communicating directly with your sponsors in regards to PSU Fall Flex plans as well as the ICE guidance. Directions on how to request letters for your sponsor for Fall term will be sent to your PDX email in the next week. Please be patient while we make a clear plan.
We are working hard to stay on top of the developments in this area and will keep you updated as the situation changes. Rather than send you an email each time there is a change, we have created a new web page and FAQ to share information as it becomes available. We will, of course, send you updates by email when there are substantial changes.
Fall 2020 Landing Page
Fall 2020 Frequently Asked Questions for Students
Response to SEVP’s Announcement
There has been a tremendous outcry against this Broadcast since it was released on Monday. It is truly unlike anything we have seen before. MIT and Harvard Universities have already filed a lawsuit to stop this rule from going into effect and there was news Friday that a judge may issue an injunction as early as next week. Many different groups are advocating the government to not let this rule go forward. We are extremely hopeful that this will have an impact in Washington DC and that the allowances for spring and summer term will be continued. But until that happens, it is best for us all to prepare for this new rule to go into effect.
We know that this is an incredibly stressful time for all of you. I want to tell you that your professors, advisors, support staff across the university have been SO eager to help us find a solution to this unexpected situation! The team at Student Health and Counseling Services wants you to know that they continue to be available to you if you are experiencing anxiety or stress. All you have to do is give them a call at 503-725-2800 or go to the
website and you can make an appointment. And, as always, the advising team in OISSS is here for you too. We miss seeing you, but you are still always in our thoughts!
Best wishes for your continued health and well-being during these unsettling times!
Christina M. Luther, Director
Office of International Student and Scholar Services