This message was originally sent by email to the Council of Deans on April 10, 2025.
Dear colleagues,
We are writing to update you on UConn’s response to recent federal actions impacting international students across the U.S. As you may know, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has terminated hundreds of Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of international students in the U.S., which has implications for their immigration status. The Department of State (DOS) has also revoked a number of international student visas, restricting their ability to seek entry to the U.S.
Unfortunately, international students at UConn have also been impacted by these actions. The university has not received any notifications from the federal government regarding SEVIS terminations or visa revocations; their cases were discovered through a university SEVIS record audit. While only a small number of UConn students have been affected, the impact for these students is considerable. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and the university, through its International Student and Scholar Services unit, continues to monitor SEVIS closely for changes to student records and coordinate support for impacted students. This process will include notifying Deans and Department Heads when students in their programs have experienced a DHS SEVIS termination or DOS visa revocation leading to loss of status.
In February, UConn established a rapid response team to address immigration policy changes impacting our community. The team is co-chaired by Rae Alexander, Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs, and Fany DeJesus Hannon, Dean of Students, and includes representation from the Office of the General Counsel, The Graduate School, the Division of Student Life and Enrollment, University Communications, UConn Police and Human Resources. We understand that there are multiple conversations happening on campus about this important issue, and we invite you to send your inquiries to Rae Alexander, rae.alexander@uconn.edu, to ensure your questions and concerns reach the team.
Further communications and resources for international students and the UConn community are forthcoming. Thank you for your continued support of our international community during this challenging time.
Best regards,
Rae Alexander, Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs
Dr. Fany DeJesus Hannon, Dean of Students