We would like to share a message we have sent to EVC Simmons regarding UCSD/UCOP’s plans to support international students, fellows, and faculty pending President Trump’s executive order further restricting immigration.

 

Dear EVC Simmons,

 

We write with great urgency as the Board of the San Diego Faculty Association (SDFA) to ask if UCSD and/or UCOP have a coherent material plan to protect international students, fellows, and faculty, from Trump’s pending executive order to suspend immigration. We are concerned about our fellow colleagues, as well as for international students and postdocs at UCSD more generally, some of whom might be facing deportation.

 

We are concerned that at this date, it appears that neither UCSD nor UCOP have prepared a coherent material plan to protect international students, fellows, and faculty beyond encouraging them to self-exile in the US and to limit their movement (i.e. to return to the US to avoid being locked out or to stay in the US so they aren’t later locked out).

 

We ask you, in your capacity as EVC, to take a firm stand to protect international scholars and students at UCSD. We need to hear your contingency plans: What do you intend to do in every possible scenario to protect our international colleagues? We would like to know what your plans are in the event that international scholars and students cannot get their visas renewed,

1) will you hold their jobs and positions until something is worked out?

2) will you form partnerships with schools internationally to support them until they can come back?

3) will you allow international students to enroll in other programs temporarily?

 

Once formulated, these contingency plans would need to be clearly communicated to international scholars and students. As you can imagine, the lack of a concrete and actionable plan from UCSD and UCOP has left international scholars and students feeling unsupported, stressed, and overwhelmed—all of which have made it difficult, if not impossible, for them to focus on their studies and research.

 

We await your response, and would be happy to assist in any way that we can.

 

Sincerely,

 

San Diego Faculty Association Board

Wendy Matsumura

Saiba Varma

Simeon Man

Jessica Graham

Matthew Vitz