Students were asked to decide by July 8 whether they wanted to take up Residential Life positions for which they had been previously hired. These positions, previously titled Senior Community Advisor and Community Advisor have been renamed based on modifications to responsibilities under the new social compact and campus reopening plan: Residential Fellow and Community Assistant, respectively.
Many rising juniors and seniors — as well as international students living domestically — were unsure if their requests to live on campus during the fall semester would be approved. For international students living outside of the U.S., returning to campus for the fall semester was never an option, as consulates remain closed in other countries.
Photo by Ali Meizels ‘23
By Casey Roepke ’21
News Editor
The Trump administration and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently rescinded a July 6 directive which would have stripped international students of their visas. This reversal in policy comes after a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Days later, the universities were joined in suing the Trump administration by 17 states, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
The original July 6 policy was set to bar international students from obtaining visas if their college classes were conducted entirely online. Those students, who were either attending colleges without in-person classes or were unable to reside on campus, would have been required to return to their respective countries of residence.
Bri Rhodes, director of international student advising at the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, wrote an email to international students on July 6. In the email, she wrote: “Mount Holyoke College is aware of guidelines released today by the federal government regarding on-line coursework by international students next academic year. While Mount Holyoke’s curriculum has both in-person and online components, this guidance does not address many of the unique situations in which our international students find themselves.”
Because the College’s official fall plan indicates that juniors and seniors will not generally reside on campus, the July 6 directive raised concerns for international students — particularly juniors and seniors — at Mount Holyoke.
“International students of all years are eligible to apply for on-campus housing, so we recommend anyone wanting to remain in the United States for the fall to apply as soon as possible,” Rhodes wrote. “We know this uncertainty is difficult, please know that the College is working on this as a top priority and we will share additional information just as soon as possible.”
According to The New York Times, “To maintain their status, many international students raced this week to enroll in in-person classes, even if they were not connected to their majors, and students at nearly a dozen universities started an online spreadsheet so that American students could try to swap in-person course spots with their foreign classmates.”
On July 8, Mount Holyoke President Sonya Stephens sent a statement to the College community regarding the ICE guidelines. In the statement, she wrote, “This action is of grave concern to us, putting at risk the wellbeing, education, aspirations and freedom of our international students, and the millions of other students and graduates pursuing education and work in the U.S.”
Stephens added, “It is particularly challenging and especially aggrieving in the current context of anti-immigrant rhetoric, stigmatization of Asian individuals in response to COVID-19 and the ongoing brutality and racism experienced by so many.”
Stephens wrote that the College supports these lawsuits, and Mount Holyoke was a signatory on an amicus brief in support of Harvard and MIT’s lawsuit challenging the regulation. According to Stephens’ statement, the College will make international students a priority in on-campus housing applications. It is unclear whether, following the rollback of the regulation, international students will still be prioritized in this way.
On Monday, June 15, a few days after the College announced information regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, students who receive financial aid were notified by Student Financial Services about their eligibility for funding under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
Amherst College has reported its first case of COVID-19 on campus. On April 23, President Biddy Martin sent a message informing students, staff, faculty and others in the area that a custodial staff member had tested positive for the virus. Martin said the last time the staff member was on campus was on April 18, but that they had no contact with students remaining on campus, had worn a face mask and had no symptoms at the time.
As U.S. colleges shut down due to the outbreak of COVID-19, countries around the world limited international travel, leaving international students with increasing barriers to make it home. The Mount Holyoke News talked to international students from India about their journeys home after the country imposed their travel ban.
On April 16, the Mount Holyoke College administration hosted a virtual town hall meeting for students, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on the College and the broader campus community. Students who signed up to attend the virtual meeting were able to submit questions beforehand as well as during the meeting.
