A Note in Anticipation of SEVP Guidance for Spring 2021
The Office of International Education (OIE) has consulted with our Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) contact several times, as have other schools and, as of December 17th, SEVP had not officially communicated any guidance to schools or students for the spring semester. We know the lack of guidance makes it more difficult for students to make final plans for the spring.
On December 9th, a spokesperson for SEVP indicated to the journal Inside Higher Education that SEVP will continue the guidance they “originally issued in March 2020.”
We believe that means that the guidance issued in the spring 2020 and continued through the summer and into the fall will likely extend through the spring 2021. New students—both those who arrived in the fall as well as those who arrive for the spring—will likely be required to have some in person classes. We do not know if there will be any changes to the guidance and we have questions. We know many of you will have questions as well.
OIE will update our website and communicate to students once SEVP officially announces their spring guidance. It is possible that SEVP will announce guidance during the time that the University, and the OIE office are closed (December 23 through January 3). If that happens, OIE will communicate as soon as possible upon our office re-opening in January.
We wish everyone a happy, healthy, winter break and we look forward, with hope and gratitude, to the coming of the new year!