Hi All,
I actually had a case back in 2021 where one of our students with Leukemia had accrued the maximum number of days for the medical RCL approval and needed additional time still for his on-going treatments. I reached out to our SEVP rep and he forward the request up the chain and it was approved within a few weeks! I got a letter of approval signed by the SEVP Division Chief and it gave an allowance for the RCL for medical reason throughout the remainder of the student’s program! I’m not sure how common this is, but I was relieved it was able to be processed for our student. 😊 The subject on the approval memorandum was “F-1 Student Exception for Long-term Disability” so perhaps this is something worth exploring for students.
Thanks,
Kim
Kimberly Anthony
Advanced Student Immigration Specialist
The Ohio State University
Office of International Affairs
International Students and Scholars
140 Enarson Classroom Building
2009 Millikin Rd., Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-6101 Office
anthony.118@osu.edu / oia.osu.edu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Buckeyes consider the environment before printing.
From: Omolesky, Caroline <omolesky.2@osu.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2024 11:10 AM
To: Lin, Shuhui <shuhui-lin@uiowa.edu>; Beth Isensee <isen0021@umn.edu>; btaa.intl.support@lists.unl.edu
Subject: [btaa.intl.support] Re: [External] Supporting International Students with Disabilities
Hi Beth, Here at Ohio State we do not have any specific supports or groups in place for international students with disabilities. In recent years we have developed somewhat better communication with our Office of Disability Services, and their
Hi Beth,
Here at Ohio State we do not have any specific supports or groups in place for international students with disabilities. In recent years we have developed somewhat better communication with our Office of Disability Services, and their staff have been proactive in looking for ways to connect better with international students. I don’t recall us getting requests from international students to remain below full time enrollment for more than 12 months due to their disability, though it’s possible it’s come up for my colleagues. . . I’m not aware of any advocacy for that coming from our campus.
Have a great weekend everyone,
Caroline
Caroline Omolesky
Program Officer for Sponsored Programs & Academic Liaison
The Ohio State University
Office of International Affairs
International Students and Scholars
140 Enarson Classroom Building
2009 Millikin Rd., Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-6101 Office
omolesky.2@osu.edu / oia.osu.edu
International students: please note that as of Autumn Semester 2023 SEVP ended COVID-19 flexibilities with online enrollment, meaning that you may count no more than 3 online credit hours towards your full time enrollment requirement. See: https://oia.osu.edu/units/international-students/summer-autumn-2023-updates/.
From: Lin, Shuhui <shuhui-lin@uiowa.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2024 10:23 AM
To: Beth Isensee <isen0021@umn.edu>; btaa.intl.support@lists.unl.edu
Subject: [btaa.intl.support] Re: [External] Supporting International Students with Disabilities
Hello Beth, Thank you for reaching out. We don't have anything specific, but I had a student staff who explored this a little bit the past two years. We have started to use accessibility practices more regularly in our programming and social
Hello Beth,
Thank you for reaching out. We don't have anything specific, but I had a student staff who explored this a little bit the past two years. We have started to use accessibility practices more regularly in our programming and social media design (this accessibility-informed events and programming guide, and some additional social media guidelines), and included a neurodivergent topic at one of our coffee hours last year.
Best,
Lin
Shuhui Lin, (she/her/hers)
International Education Program and Student Affairs Advisor
International Student and Scholar Services
UI Staff Council – Academic Support Services; Libraries Function Representative
Phone: 319-335-0335
https://international.uiowa.edu/isss
https://staff-council.uiowa.edu/
The University of Iowa Acknowledgement of Land and Sovereignty
https://nativeamericancouncil.org.uiowa.edu/acknowledgement-land-and-sovereignty
From: Beth Isensee <isen0021@umn.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2024 8:53 AM
To: btaa.intl.support@lists.unl.edu <btaa.intl.support@lists.unl.edu>
Subject: [External] [btaa.intl.support] Supporting International Students with Disabilities
Some people who received this message don't often get email from isen0021@umn.edu. Learn why this is important
Hi BTAA colleagues,
I hope the transitioning of new international students went well this fall and that your students and scholars are engaging!. There is definitely a lot more energy on our campus!
I am writing to get your feedback on two areas:
1) Do you do any specific support for international students with disabilities at your institution? If so, can you share the broad themes of what you do?
We just started an international student affinity group called "Abilities Beyond Disabilities" that is being led by student leaders.
2) Do you know of any advocacy that is being done around the intersection of USCIS course registration (12 credits) and the ADA. Specifically students being unable to complete the 12 credits due to challenges with their disability which is misaligned with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
REDUCED COURSE LOAD AND VISA STATUS An additional unique area affecting international students noted by interview participants and more than a quarter of survey respondents (26 percent) was the regulatory framework of maintaining a full time student status for a student visa, which can be at odds with a disability accommodation that allows for a reduced course load. For international students who may need this accommodation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2020) does permit international students to take a reduced course load for illness or medical conditions, but this is limited to only twelve months within a program level. There may be a need for advocacy or the exploration of policy change that support how international students who may need longer-term accommodations can remain in status.
I appreciate any insights you have!
Beth
Beth Isensee
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Associate Director - Student Engagement and Intercultural Initiatives
International Student and Scholar ServicesGlobal Programs and Strategy Alliance
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities