International students' online courses reduced

By Inga Lukaviciute

International students will no longer be able to take more than one class online, under a new federal rule enacted this semester.

This, along with some other restrictions on the full-time enrollment, comes as a part of Student Exchange Visitor and Information System (SEVIS) implementation at Fresno State.

The new restrictions should not affect international students as much as the implementation of SEVIS has affected the international student office administration.

“ Restrictions for international students are not that different, but for the school’s offices that deal with international students it means adjusting to a new system,” said Carol Munshower, director of international student services and programs.

Full-time regular enrolment is critical, Munshower said. Undergraduates have to meet the minimum full-time 12 units per semester. Graduate students should take a minimum of eight units of 200-level classes. International students are only allowed 12 months of under-enrollment status for medical reasons and one semester of under-enrollment for academic difficulty.

There has always been concern for international students completing their programs which is why a minimum enrollment requirement has been established, Munshower said.

Some international students were unaware of SEVIS and the new restrictions. They did not report any changes in their student and academic lives.

SEVIS is an Internet-based system that holds current information on international students and their dependants. SEVIS allows the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of State to learn about international student or exchange visitor status changes, such as admission at Port of Entry, change of address, change in program of study, and other details.

SEVIS, under original name of CIPRIS, was first initiated after the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. It was almost dismissed as unnecessary. But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks it was revised and implemented in the SEVIS form, Munshower said.

The implementation of SEVIS is not all about restrictions for international students. Eventually, SEVIS should mean less time and confusion at the embassies and ports of entries, Munshower said.

Student response and feedback to the new regulations is minimal.

“ Students accept these restrictions as a part of what comes with the package,” Munshower said.

The implementation of SEVIS did not have any effect on the international student enrollment either, Munshower said.

With the semester well started, only one international student enrolled in two online classes.

The student was notified and given time to comply with the new online course restriction, before sending a report to the ICE.

Students did not think online class restriction posed them any problems.

“ I like interaction with students and teachers directly and do not plan to take any online classes,” said Misako Kamiya, anthropology major from Japan.

Chauhan Jatin, a computer engineering student from India, said he did not plan taking any online classes either.

The full-time enrollment requirement seemed to be fair and manageable to Satya Sahukar, MBA student from India. He said enrolment requirement helps him stay in focus.

A couple of students voiced concerns about their privacy because of the SEVIS, but they did not object the online class and enrollment restrictions.

For more information on SEVIS and new requirements for international students, students should check the Online adviser for ISSP office section on Blackboard or contact the ISSP office.