KENT, Ohio — Kent State University has announced that international students will need to take at least some in-person class this fall in order to keep their student visa due to changes in federal visa regulations that have come down.
While Kent will be offering in-person classes, many classes can still be taken online.
“This enables us to ensure the necessary physical distancing that is so important as we work to stem the further spread of the COVID-19 virus,” the university said.
Kent State University President Todd Diacon said he sent a letter to Washington D.C. asking the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider the “these new restrictions and return to the more flexible guidelines that were in place during spring semester to accommodate safety concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
You can read the letter, here.
“I believe these new guidelines ignore the health and safety requirements for physical distancing, which are the reason we have converted so many in-person classes to remote instruction. Furthermore, these regulations are punitive toward international students, who are and will always be an important part of our Kent State community,” Diacon said.
The university has 1,409 students that come from 99 counties, according to the school.
“Our entire university community benefits from the diversity that our international students bring to Kent State. They are invaluable members of our Golden Flashes family, and their contributions to our learning and living environment are immeasurable,” Diacon said.
According to Diacon, the school said it is doing everything in its power to ensure its international students can continue to pursue their education.
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