This message is intended for International Students within the Pratt School of Engineering:
Dear International Students,
We hope you are doing well. We are doing our best to keep you informed about Duke’s guidance regarding ICE’s July 6th policies for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. We are writing today to share a few updates.
For the latest and best information about Duke’s approach, please refer to this website: https://keeplearning.duke.edu/international-students/.
The FAQ section of this website addresses two critical questions that have been generating some questions among our students:
- What if Duke must move to an online-only model during the semester? Will international students have to leave the U.S. immediately?
Unless the student withdraws from a course, s/he is considered as enrolled in the course for the entirety of the semester. Thus, if a student enrolled in a hybrid course at the start of the semester and stays enrolled, the hybrid classification will remain.
- What if an international student has health concerns and cannot attend class? What should they do?
We ask that you report your illness to your academic advisor and Duke Visa Services so your concerns can be addressed and information provided so your SEVIS file will remain active.
According to this guidance, students will not be asked to leave the US if Duke has to move to an online-only model during the Fall Semester, as it did in the Spring Semester. Further, students with health concerns have a process for keeping their SEVIS file active. We are very pleased with this guidance and hope that these responses may relieve concerns you may have about the possibility of being sent home mid-semester.
We also want to make you aware that Duke plans to join a legal challenge to the recent policy by submitting an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit against these regulations. More information about this is available here.
Sincerely,
Deb Wojcik, PhD
Managing Director, Graduate Student Programs and Services
________________________________________
Pratt Master’s Student Services
Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University
