Dear students,

As you may know, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) made an announcement on Monday, July 6 related to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the Fall 2020 semester. The announcement provides an overview of the policy and plans to share the details in the coming days.

We understand that many of you are anxious about the content of the announcement and its possible implications on your end. We want you to know that we are sympathetic to your plight and are just as frustrated as you are in dealing with all the uncertainty we are faced with because of COVID-19. Please note, USD and the Kroc School plan to implement a hybrid model, allowing students to attend classes in-person. Therefore, at this moment, we do not see this policy impacting our international students.

Please know the Kroc School is aligned with USD and President Harris in standing in opposition to ICE’s decision. And, we are working closely with USD’s Office of International Students and Scholars on back-up measures regarding temporary exemptions for the Fall 2020 semester in the case they are needed. As more information becomes available, we will update Kroc School students. For specific concerns, please contact our Academic Programs and Admissions team at krocadmissions@sandiego.edu.

Saludos,

Patricia Márquez | Dean

Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies
University of San Diego