Dear Members of the Pitt Community,
As has happened at other higher education institutions over the past week, we are currently aware that one Pitt graduate student and two recent Pitt graduates have had their visas revoked and their records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) terminated by the federal government.
At the University of Pittsburgh, our international populations are a vital and vibrant part of our university community, and their continued well-being is a top priority. We recognize that this news has created anxiety and fear among our international populations, and we take these concerns very seriously. We are in regular contact with our documented international populations, students and scholars through our Office of International Services (OIS). Whenever OIS becomes aware of a change in a community member’s visa status, that team immediately reaches out to the impacted individual to provide support and resources. In the cases of all three of the currently impacted individuals, members of the OIS team have been in direct contact to offer support to the individuals as well as the affected department and school.
Additionally, we understand the prevailing concern as to whether immigration agencies are on Pitt’s campus. At this time, we are not aware of any immigration agencies or authorities visiting our campus for enforcement purposes. Recently, specific instructions were shared with deans, presidents and University center directors regarding how to coordinate with University resources if such a visit occurs.
OIS includes information on current regulations, travel considerations, available resources, and much more for students, faculty and staff on its website. We encourage anyone who has questions or concerns to reach out to our OIS at ois@pitt.edu. Members of that team are happy to answer questions and meet to discuss concerns.
As we take next steps together, I want to reiterate and reaffirm our support for members of Pitt’s international community. I also want to thank you for supporting each other and for all you do for Pitt.
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor