ACC & International Students
ACC Community:
New guidance addressing online class restrictions for international students studying in the United States for the Fall 2020 semester was released on July 6, 2020 by the Department of Homeland Security. In response to this announcement, ACC wants to reassure our international students and our community that ACC has options for our international students. We value the strengths, perspectives, and global experiences they bring to our college community and we will continue to support them. ACC is planning to offer in person instructional options for Fall 2020 and will not be operating entirely online. It is ACC’s intent to offer courses that will allow international students to continue their studies while remaining in compliance with visa requirements and guidance issued for the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) by the Department of Homeland Security.
ACC will work with international students to find schedules that meet their needs. We are in the process of updating the course catalog for Fall and students should watch their emails for that information. On July 15, ACC will share details regarding all ACC offered courses and the format in which they will be offered. At that time, students can review their Fall 2020 courses to see which will be in person, remote or virtual. Note that all courses that were originally scheduled to be offered online when the schedule was published in April 2020 will still be offered online, with other options of face-to-face, virtual or remote learning.
Current ACC international students who still need to register for Fall 2020 courses should schedule an appointment with Sara Squires, International Student Advisor via Navigate or email her at sara [dot] squires [at] arapahoe [dot] edu for guidance and assistance. Students seeking information about transfer to ACC may also contact Ms. Squires with questions or visit our Admissions webpage for more information.
Resources and references:
Published articles reacting to this announcement:
- Inside Higher Education: Department of Homeland Security Rule Bans International Students from Online-Only Instruction
- National Public Radio (NPR): ICE: Foreign Students Must Leave The U.S. If Their Colleges Go Online-Only This Fall
- Washington Post: International students must take classes in person to stay in the country legally this fall, ICE announces
Dr. Lisa Matye Edwards
Vice President of Student Affairs
303.797.5601
lisa [dot] matyeedwards [at] arapahoe [dot] edu
arapahoe.edu