What App State can do, is doing & will do
App State is committed to supporting our international and immigrant students, faculty and staff. The university provides and will continue to provide support and assistance to these individuals, who enhance our campus daily with their presence, their cultures and their knowledge. We are working harder than ever before to attract and retain international student, faculty and staff talent.
As a state institution, a member of the University of North Carolina System, an accredited institution of higher education and an institution that receives federal funding, App State is subject to numerous rules and regulations. While remaining compliant with the laws and policies that guide us and to which we are accountable, our university is taking action to provide support, both publicly and individually, to members of our community affected by immigration policies, laws and debates. Below you can read about some of these measures.
Joining with other colleges and universities across the country to show a unified voice in valuing and supporting immigrants and international students, faculty and staff.
On Feb. 3, 2017, Chancellor Sheri Everts joined more than 600 colleges and universities in signing a letter to former Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly expressing concern with President Trump’s Jan. 27, 2017, executive order.
On March 16, 2017, Chancellor Everts again joined hundreds of educational institutions across the country in a letter to President Trump expressing support for America’s “Dreamers” — a term named after the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The bill, first introduced in Congress in 2010, intended to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented children who grew up in the United States. The act failed to pass, but the term has lived on, as a way to describe children and young adults who were brought into the U.S. illegally as minors and who have lived their lives as Americans. These individuals are not documented, so they are not tracked, yet they attend colleges and universities across the country. The Obama administration released a white paper and fact sheet on the economic value of America’s Dreamers in 2010. Read more about Dreamers and the DREAM Act here.
Protecting privacy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. The term “education record” is broadly defined and basically includes any university-maintained information about a student other than that which the university defines by policy as “directory information.” Here’s where you can find out about FERPA information for App State students.
It is important to note:
- There are exceptions under FERPA that permit disclosure of education records. Exceptions include disclosures related to emergency health and safety concerns, and disclosures pursuant to a lawfully issued court order or subpoena. You can read more about those here.
- Students may request their directory information not be published. Students can do this by contacting the Office of the Registrar at 828-262-2050 or registrar@appstate.edu.
- App State does not list immigration status as directory information and, except for narrow exceptions related to specific federal reporting requirements, does not share immigration status. (Federal immigration regulations require App State to update and maintain faculty, staff and student records in the F-1, J-1 and H-1B categories.)
- App State does include “permanent address” in its definition of directory information. You can read the policy here.
- App State does have a process for changing university policy. You can read more about that here.
Making the safety of our university community members the utmost priority.
There are members of our community who are feeling fearful, and who both need and deserve the support of the institution that welcomed them to the United States, to Boone and to our campus.
The chancellor and her cabinet and leadership are committed to exercising every available legal option to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of our community, and to provide each and every member of our campus community with a positive and fruitful learning environment. No one should feel afraid on our campus.
It is important to note that not all of these actions are taking place in the public eye. Staff and administrators conduct many of their duties in small groups and individual meetings or work sessions, particularly in cases in which it is necessary to provide individualized support to assist students, faculty and staff with specific situations. That said, there is quite a bit that is being done in larger groups and settings that are more public.
See the Action section of this website for more information about what our campus is doing.
See the Resources section of this website for more information and resources.
Assisting with referrals to legal advice for students, faculty and staff.
While immigration law is a very specialized area, legal services are available to students, faculty and staff. Here are some places to start, where you can receive some general advice and, when necessary, referrals and/or additional resources.
Students who have legal questions can consult with App State’s Student Legal Clinic. It’s a free and confidential place to start with general questions, so if you need advice, make an appointment. While App State’s legal clinic attorney, Karla P. Rusch, can’t advise in all matters, she can provide general advice, and, when necessary, make referrals and direct students to additional resources.
For faculty and staff, the university’s Employee Assistance Program offers legal referrals and resources via ComPsych. Attorneys are on call for a free, 30-minute consultation, and if you require representation, you can receive a 25% reduction on their customary legal fees.
Additional information about legal resources can be found here.
Providing alternatives to in-class learning for students who are afraid to attend class.
App State has many ways to assist students who are facing challenges that are impeding academic success. These include everything from technology support to social and emotional support, and are typically highly customized to meet the needs of the student. The bottom line, however, is that no one should feel afraid to attend class. If this is the case, then staff and faculty will work together to solve the underlying problem. The Office of the Dean of Students is the place to begin, if you are a student or if you know a student who needs help.
Putting in place measures to reduce hostilities on campus.
This is a key issue for any campus, and at App State, many resources are being directed toward improving dialogue so that we can have conversations that are solving issues of hostile communications, become more comfortable talking about difficult topics as a campus, and create solutions together. Notably, this is work that is never done and requires diligence. We have an institutional commitment and plenty of expertise on our campus, so we all need to get involved, be willing to make mistakes and learn from them, and keep working together.
To learn about initiatives underway, see “What our campus is doing.”
Honoring confidentiality and offering emotional support.
Counseling for Faculty and Staff, the Counseling Center for students and the University Ombuds Office all honor confidentiality and offer emotional support.
FERPA (see Protecting privacy above) also affords additional privacy protection for student educational records. Most employment-related information in a personnel file is confidential as well, although there are exceptions to this, with which you can familiarize yourself here.
Additional key support areas are the Office of International Education and Development, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Center for Academic Excellence.
Learn more about additional on- and off-campus resources here.
Enhancing the levels of counseling and wellness to be sure all members of our community are adequately served.
Student health and safety are a top priority at App State. For students to progress academically, they must be well and safe. Wellness resources for students, faculty and staff are continually reviewed and evaluated for areas of additional growth and improvement.
The good news is much recent progress has been made in terms of providing wellness and counseling resources, particularly for students. For students, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, the Department of Wellness and Prevention Services and Student Health Service offer support and assistance for mental and physical health.
Counseling for Faculty and Staff is supplemented by additional assistance available through the university’s Employee Assistance Program.
Students who need additional resources can contact the Dean of Students office. Faculty and staff who need additional resources can contact the Office of Human Resources.
Creating opportunities for additional education and discussion in a public setting.
This is where institutions of higher education excel and can perhaps do the most to create, develop and continue constructive and thoughtful dialogue.
On March 29, 2017, nearly 150 students, faculty and staff turned out for an information session with Robert Lamb, associate attorney with Hatch Rockers Immigration in Asheville. Our campus possesses a tremendous amount of expertise in the areas of politics, law and international affairs, and there are resources to host and publicize speakers on our campus as well as panel discussions with members of our campus community.
Such efforts have and will continue to receive support from the Office of the Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, the Office of International Education and Development and other divisions and departments on campus.
