Message from the President
July 14, 2020
Dear UTRGV Family,
During a hearing earlier today in a federal lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it will immediately rescind its July 6 directive and subsequent FAQs related to online courses permitted for international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
This decision means that UTRGV will return to the guidance from DHS and ICE implemented in March 2020, which allows international students on F-1 visas to take courses in person, online or in a hybrid fashion, at their option.
This is great news for UTRGV and our international students. As I have stated before, all our international students are valued members of our diverse university community, and we remain committed to helping them continue their education at UTRGV.
It is unclear whether there will be further regulatory activity on this issue, but we will continue to monitor the situation and provide the latest information when available.
In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the guidelines, please contact the Office of Global Engagement at (956) 882-7092 or (956) 665-3572, or email international@utrgv.edu.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President