A UT Arlington professor is offering to help international students with in-person classes after new federal immigration rules were announced that would prevent foreign students from staying in the country if they’re taking online-only college courses this fall.
Associate sociology professor David Arditi called the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ruling “incredibly unfair.”
“I was kind of flabbergasted by the fact that during a global pandemic, ICE would be saying students need to show up in class in person or be sent home,” he said.
So, Arditi took to Twitter to offer his help.
If you're an international @utarlington sociology student and you need a f2f class, let me know and I will do an independent study with you. @utalibarts @UTASociology @UTAShorthorn https://t.co/QluDUvobtb
— David Arditi (@david_arditi) July 7, 2020
He said he’s had a few students reach out to him, and they’re working to see not only what independent studies he can teach them, but also what the immigration policies are.
Arditi said the class would be a hybrid of in-person and online study. It would be easy to work mostly online with students and meet in person in limited capacity, he said.
“I’m trying to figure out how I can best help them, but a lot of it’s still up in the air,” he said.
In a letter to UT Arlington staff, students and faculty Wednesday, interim president Teik Lim said the university is committed to supporting its international students and working with them to ensure a fair and effective educational environment.
Lim said the university will offer in-person, online and hybrid classes in the fall and make any effort to help international students maintain their academic progress and meet all federal requirements.
International students are being contacted and the university is setting up listening sessions next week with additional info, Lim said. Students can contact the university’s Office of International Education with questions or concerns.
