Dear WashU students, faculty and staff,
Like many of you, I have been paying close attention to actions by the federal government related to immigration, particularly as they concern students and other members of academic communities at colleges and universities across the country. What I’ve seen has been alarming – visas revoked, immigration statuses changed, lives and careers disrupted. It’s sad and extremely frustrating to see these things happening, and to know that they can happen here and elsewhere.
I’m writing today first to offer the university’s support to our international students, faculty and staff. We see you and recognize that this is a stressful situation on many levels. We are here to support you and make sure you have resources to manage the current uncertainty, as well as any challenges that may come your way. Please see the bottom of this message for information about accessing university resources.
I also want to emphasize the value that each member of our international community brings to WashU. We are a global academic community and it would do a tremendous disservice to our robust, innovative thinking and creativity if we were to lose any of our international students, scholars or staff members who make important contributions every day to advance our mission in support of education, research and patient care.
As we continue to navigate the many uncertainties surrounding actions by the federal government during this time, we are committed to supporting our community and complying with the law. As much as we are able, we will provide assistance to our students, faculty or staff in any potentially distressing situations that may arise.
If you need support, or are trying to help someone else, the most effective course of action would be to contact the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS). The OISS team is best equipped to respond to questions or concerns about immigration or related issues, and to provide resources for our international students and scholars. OISS hosts weekly webinars and other events that contain useful information, and their staff is available 24/7 to help with emergent issues. In addition to OISS, I also would strongly encourage our entire community to utilize the university resources available to you as WashU students (Danforth Campus and Medical Campus) and employees if you are in need of support.
In times like these, the dedication and support of our WashU community is of paramount importance, and I am grateful to those who can provide comfort to those in need. I want to assure you that our leadership is closely monitoring what is happening in Washington and in our region. We are engaged with our elected officials to educate them about our positive impact on society and to encourage them to stand up for WashU, higher education and our academic community, including our international students and scholars.
Sincerely,
Beverly Wendland
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs