We are pleased to share that the federal government on Tuesday reversed a previously announced requirement that would have made it more difficult for international students to continue their studies in the United States.
We are thankful for this change, which allows our international students to remain in the country while taking only online classes.
Our international students contribute so much to our university community, in classrooms and research labs and throughout the entire student experience. All of us benefit from these global connections, and our international community helps to make Orlando a worldwide destination for innovation and diversity.
We appreciate the many efforts our faculty and staff have made on behalf of our international students, particularly in determining how we could identify face-to-face class options that would have allowed them to comply with this now-rescinded federal requirement. We appreciate your creativity, determination and, most importantly, how much you care about our students.
We continue working closely with our international students to help them pursue their studies through the added challenges from the pandemic. International students, faculty and staff members with further questions should call UCF Global at 407-823-2337 or email ucfglobal@ucf.edu.
UCF Global will hold a virtual town hall at 3 p.m. Friday about the fall semester and encourages international students to Zoom in.
We have put return-to-campus plans in place for the fall semester that prioritize our campus community’s health and well-being and allow us to be flexible in how we deliver our courses. We remain prepared to change course if health conditions necessitate.
There is no doubt this is a trying time with stress and uncertainty, but we remain committed to supporting each other and working together to help each of us rise to the challenges ahead with the tenacity and optimism that UCF is known for.
With gratitude for all Knights,
Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president
Michael D. Johnson, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs
