News 2020: Message from Chancellor Johnson on recent ICE regulations

Chancellor Robert E. Johnson and UMass Dartmouth stand with our international scholars

Dear campus community,

As you may have heard, new regulations have been issued by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that will have a major impact on higher education across our country. According to ICE, if international students attend institutions that offer only remote learning during the fall semester, they may no longer remain in our country.

There is simply no valid reason to create further hardship for the many thousands of students who will be forced to leave this country. We are all part of a global community of learners. Our connectedness inspires a better, more humane world. While these regulations may not affect you personally, it weakens our educational institutions and it weakens our global society.

As noted in our re-opening plan, UMass Dartmouth is offering options for learning this fall, including face-to-face, blended, and remote education. Our flexible plan allows our international students, already dealing with the challenges a global pandemic creates, to continue their studies with us. On behalf of those students who do not have such options and are needlessly forced into this situation, I condemn this misguided and cruel policy. UMass Dartmouth stands with our international scholars and anyone that finds themselves a victim of this unfair regulation.

If you are an international student and have questions on this issue, please reach out to Daniel Pirbudagov, the Executive Director of International Education.

With gratitude,

Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D.

Chancellor