Dear International Students,

I hope you are doing well, though we recognize it has likely been a stressful week for you.

Please be assured that Madison College stands with you. We value you, we believe in you, and we will continue to advocate for and support you. CIE has decades of combined expertise in international education and we are passionate about our work. Faculty, staff and administrators across campus have asked how they can help. You are in good hands.

The U.S. SEVP policy changes for Fall 2020 require enrollment in at least one hybrid course related to your program of study. Given the wide variety in programs available at Madison College, CIE is working on the following:

1. Facilitate the addition of the Global Studies Certificate to your academic plans. Note: we are in the process of updating the webpage to reflect alternatives for international students, which would include a waiver of additional language study for non-native English speakers and volunteer service hours in lieu of additional study abroad experience.

1. Enrollment in a 1 credit hybrid course in global leadership. This is based on an existing, established curriculum that emphasizes global awareness, leadership principles and professional development, focusing on academics, professionalism, and personal growth. In-person instruction would incorporate strict protocols with your safety and health in mind.

For those of you who may already have a hybrid course option in your existing program of study, we are working on a way for you to opt-out of the Global Studies Certificate and global leadership course. For those of you who decide to continue your studies at Madison College fully online while outside of the U.S. next semester, we will continue to assist and support you too.

We ask for your continued patience as we develop processes to streamline next steps for you. At that time, we will email you simple step-by-step directions and provide further guidance. In addition, we will host an informational session online next Wednesday, July 15 at 1:00pm, during which I will give you an update on our progress, as well as answer questions you may have.

In the meantime,

• Monitor your student email account for additional messages and guidance from CIE.
• Watch for the link to join us on Wednesday, July 15 at 1:00pm for more information and to ask questions.
• Utilize Counseling Services as needed to assist with stress management during this challenging time.

We all look forward to when we can see you back on campus again, but until then and always remember:

We are here for you.

Sincerely,

All of us in CIE