On July 6th, 2020 ICE declared an unprecedented change in the immigration status of students studying under the F-1 visas in the United States. As a result such students now face the imminent threat of deportation if their academic institutions decide to follow an online-only model during the re-opening phase of the 2020-2021 academic year. (https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during

"Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status," read a release from ICE's Student and Exchange Visitor Program. "If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings."

According to the research done by the IIE, about 1 million of the country’s higher education students come from overseas. The complications of international travel have already become a major issue during this time of a global pandemic; and an unwelcoming and xenophobic statement of immigration restrictions during uncertain times like this has caused confusion and complexity rather than the clarity our students need.

Colby has yet to reach out to its international community on ways to support them during this crisis. Traveling “home” is not a 3 hour drive back to Boston for those who forced to fly back to their respective countries during this pandemic. For those who had to stay in the U.S., spending the last couple months away from home amid a global pandemic in order to finish their education, has been no easy task. Now, international students face the added concern of having their visas revoked and their education cut short.

In this time, we question Colby’s performative activism in “integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of [its] institutional life.” If Colby does not step up now to protect its international students against the U.S. government’s blatant racism, we believe it will have failed its “ethical commitment” to diversity and to “invoke inclusion… and a sense of belonging” for the entire student community. (https://www.colby.edu/diversity/

We hope that our institution deeply reflects on their role to protect the students who are at risk during this upcoming academic year due to this new immigration-restriction. International students are not “other” members of the community. They are core members of our Colby student body, and a prompt and direct response from the administration is necessary to ensure the safety of our students.

Proposal:

Demand #1:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the school’s adjustments in their academic schedules have failed to meet the needs of the international population on campus. Travel restrictions, time-zone differences, and other related issues were not mentioned in the messages directed to the entire school during the initial stages of the pandemic. Now, as Colby continues to plan the re-opening of their fall through an in-person model, the college still did not address the international communities directly in their planning for return to campus. 

What we ask:

A plan of action that addresses the following questions:

• How does Colby respond to SEVP’s new regulations that force international students to face deportation threats if any changes happen to the in-person academic classes on campus?
• Will Colby have any accommodations? Aid? Or other necessary assistance to protect these students from facing major disturbances in their learning?
• How will Colby accommodate for students taking mostly online courses due to their professors’ choices during the fall semester?
  Would these students be forced to switch into an in-person class?
• How does Colby plan to accommodate for students who will have to be quarantined for at least 2 weeks upon arrival in the U.S.?
• Will Colby provide transportation from international airports back to school, or from school to the airports in event of forced departures? 
• Will Colby provide some form of financial subsidy or assistance to international students whose flight tickets will cost triple or greater that of domestic students just to return to school?
• Does Colby have a plan for international students if the school decides to shut down due to a second wave of COVID-19 cases? Will Colby allow all international students whose homes are overseas to stay on campus during that time?

We demand Colby to pledge assistance to international students in any necessary travel, lodging and other living expenses. We demand Colby to protect its international student body and nothing less.

Demand #2:

We would like a statement from Colby on how it plans to address ICE and its unprecedented ruling. For the sake of all our students, we propose that Colby make an open statement against ICE and their racist new policies. We would like to know if Colby stands against an oppressive force that directly impacts and inhibits the safety of some members while pursuing their education at Colby. We would like to know if Colby will follow the joint lawsuit with Harvard and MIT against ICE and the US Department of Homeland Security to declare its ruling against international students unlawful. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/07/07/top-universities-vow-to-protect-international-students-from-deeply-cruel-ice-deportation-policy/#67d60cea20bc

The Colby Affirmation states: “As a community built on respect for ourselves, each other, and our physical environment, we recognize the diversity of people who have gathered here and that genuine inclusivity requires active, honest, and compassionate engagement with one another and surrounding communities. We agree to respect each other, to honor community expectations, and to comply with College policies. As a member of this community, I pledge to hold myself and others accountable to these values wherever I may find myself.

Does Colby stand behind their students and truly live up to the Colby affirmation?

What we ask:

• We ask for Colby to declare itself as a sanctuary campus
• We demand our institution to bar the presence of ICE agents
• We ask Colby to issue ONE-CREDIT classes to allow students to complete their education while maintaining their visa status (UCLA example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_c6AbjyDuy-psKLhphKOoVkhwqDcFJENdbGVWAjDc14/htmlview 

 

Demand #3: 

Colby needs to do a better job integrating and addressing the little “diversity” that they have on campus. The experiences and challenges international students face at this institution should not be placed on the periphery of the predominantly white narrative.  The international community at Colby as of now is not integrated with the predominantly white student population.  The narratives by BIPOC students cannot be a secondary source to check off the DE&I as a mere checkbox to the institution’s agenda. Instead, these collective narratives must be integrated to uphold Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the core philosophy of our school's culture, academic learning, and social behaviors. We must stop “othering” the experiences of students who do not fit into the school’s mainstream culture.

What we ask:

• A mandatory community conversation for first year students during orientation about DE&I on college campuses
• A revision of the college’s Gen. Ed. courses for an all inclusive learning of BIPOC’s history
• To consider a Global Entry Semester (GES) option in a country outside of Europe. Currently, Colby offers programs only in Salamanca, Spain or Dijon France. We ask Colby to extend these programs to Asia utilizing its connections at universities in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, and Japan to change the Eurocentric narrative with which GES students experience. 

 

International students are integral to educating a new generation of students who will go out into the world to build connections and bridge the gap between cultures, economies, and nations. They come to Waterville, Maine, rich with culture and knowledge of a different way of life that is fundamental to decolonizing education and training a more globally-minded student body.

If Colby is to pride itself in its learning and growth, it must learn to embrace and internalize the voices of BIPOC communities and its international students rather than to “other” their Colby experience. The limited cultural diversity Colby prides itself upon is nonexistent if the majority of its student body doesn’t interact with the people who actually bring it to campus. These students are not just numbers to elevate the institution’s demographics report. There will be no cultural diversity if the Colby administration does not demonstrate support upfront to the entire student body for its international students and their unique concerns, especially during this crisis.

Please help to ensure that Colby will fight for our international students and pledge to support them during this COVID-19 and ICE crisis.