University President Jay Gogue and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Boosinger released a statement on behalf of the University in response to President Trump's travel ban revisions.
Read the full statement below.
"President Trump has revised his previous executive order that banned travel from seven countries.
We’re providing this update to the campus community so those directly impacted have the information they need and so the many others who have expressed concern are informed of the latest developments.
As we said in our previous message on this topic, Auburn is an international university. While we are diverse, we are one community and we stand with members of the Auburn family who are impacted.
The President’s previous executive order banned entry into the U.S. for anyone traveling from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. As a result, Auburn students legally studying here were unable to return to the U.S. if they chose to go home for any reason.
The revision drops Iraq from the list of countries. It also makes clear that the travel ban applies only to those without a visa and who have not previously entered the U.S. In other words, it doesn't impact Auburn students already in the U.S. Under this revised executive order, Auburn students from the countries listed in the executive order aren’t automatically banned from returning to campus after traveling outside the U.S.
The Association of Public & Land Grant Universities, of which Auburn is a member, is an advocacy organization in Washington, DC. Please click here for its statement issued earlier today.
The Office of International Programs stands ready to provide assistance and answer questions. The telephone number is 334-844-5001, and you are welcome to walk in at any time in 228 Foy Hall."
The Association of Public & Land Grant Universities released a statement form President Peter McPherson about the executive order.
The full statement, mentioned in Gogue and Boosinger's statement can be read below.
"While the revised executive order is more limited in scope than the first one, the impact is significant. The effect of this new order goes well beyond just the higher education community, but as a public university association we are particularly aware of how this will impact campuses. During the 2015-16 school year, more than 15,450 students and over 2,100 scholars from the six countries targeted in this ban studied and conducted research at U.S. universities. The pipeline of new students and scholars from those countries – many of whom are in the midst of the college application process -- is now cut off. Public research universities are also concerned that the new order could have a chilling effect on students and scholars in other countries who are considering whether to study and conduct research in the United States or elsewhere.
Our nation’s universities thrive in part due to their ability to connect throughout the world. This new executive order undermines that ability. Public research universities have historically benefited from attracting the best and brightest of all nationalities and religions to study and research on their campuses because these institutions are widely regarded as preeminent and our country is seen as friendly to immigrants. This standing in the world has been indispensable as a tool of diplomacy, including proliferation of our values abroad and as an economic and innovation boon to the United States.
It’s worth noting that all six of the 2016 U.S.-based Nobel Prize winners in economics and scientific fields were foreign born. The world’s most talented scientists are contributing to the advancement of our nation’s interests at our universities -- searching for cures to better treat and eliminate diseases, creating technological innovations that will create new companies and jobs, and improving our overall quality of life. And although international students only make up 5 percent of the postsecondary students in our country, they contribute billions to our economy. Almost half of U.S. economic growth over the last 50 years can be attributed to scientific advances and technical innovations. Immigrants have played a large role in that and all Americans have benefitted.
Our nation must be careful to send the right messages about our values or risk endangering much of what makes this country so special. Every president’s most solemn responsibility is to protect the American people, but the United States -- for its own future -- can and must remain welcoming to those who will strengthen our nation while pursuing their dreams of a better life. There will be much public discussion about this new order. As the administration continues to review its policies, it must keep in mind that this order will be seen abroad as adding additional uncertainty about how welcoming the United States is to foreign students and scholars.”
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