The situation UCSB students, especially international students, are facing is severe. Currently, almost all the things related to in-person instruction are getting really troublesome for most of us.

About off-campus housing:

Since about half of students are in their 3rd or 4th year, they can’t apply to undergraduate residence halls that serve students lower than a sophomore. Students who have not lived in residence hall consecutively before remote instruction are also not eligible to apply for an undergraduate apartment. I have started searching for off-campus apartments for rent since July in IV and Goleta, but none of them were available. Almost all the leasing offices said the occupancy at least will start from next year, or their waitlist is over 30. If we can not sign the lease for the house, when we come back to the United States, we might have a lot of trouble. For international student, non-resident with F1 Visa should have a legal residence.

About the fly tickets:

Almost all the flights still available are sold out or at extremely high prices. Some students returning to the United States in August have their tickets canceled by the airlines or the international flight epidemic prevention policy of China. Even considering transfer flights, the policy also becomes really hard.

About Covid-19 delta variant:

Based on the current cases, even if we have the vaccination, it is possible for us to be infected with the Covid (even taking a mask!). Because of the dramatic increase in the viral load in delta variant infected cases, the infect efficiency is much higher than the former virus. The number of new cases per day in California is back above 13,000, and it is still increasing. This harsh data urges us to reconsider whether we really should return to the United States to take in-person classes with full capacity. 

As international students, we have several suggestions hope the school authorities of UCSB to consider：

1. keep the remote instruction for more GE and major courses as an available option. For example, recording the lectures in on-site meetings and uploading them to gauchospace, opening online lab sections, and keeping the online homework submission gateway on gauchospace. It would be very helpful both for international students and other students who cannot go back to campus because of the lack of residence. Not only this, but this option will also help make the classrooms and campus less crowded to maintain the essential social distance.

2. For courses that have already decided to instruct remotely, add a remote lab for them as well. Several academic departments are considering providing some online lab sections for international students who cannot go back to the campus in the fall.

3. Students who have not registered for in-person courses and on-campus academic research with mandatory attendance can still attend remote courses and research normally without entering the United States, and maintain their F1 Visa and legal non-immigrant status.

The legal basis of this suggestion is the temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant F1 students taking online classes announced by The Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

We are asking you to sign this petition to reveal this harsh condition of resuming in-person instruction to UCSB. If you encounter any of the difficulties mentioned above, or any other factors that hinder you from taking in-person courses, just sign this petition. The school administration of UCSB should consider providing the optional remote instruction for undergraduate students to mitigate the housing crisis and reduce risk of mass infection on campus.