News Item
Press Release: Pace University Stands with Over 110 Colleges and Universities In Support of International Students and Optional Practical Training
NEW YORK (November 25, 2019) – A federal district court is considering whether to strike down student experiential learning programs called Optional Practical Training (OPT) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) OPT. Over one hundred public and private universities and colleges filed an amicus brief in the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers Union v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Washtech) litigation to defend the long-standing immigration program.
OPT permits international students studying at colleges and universities in the United States on F-1 visa status to pursue practical training with a U.S. employer in a position directly related to their course of study. Hundreds of thousands of international students and graduates participate in OPT across the nation each year with over 325,000 participating in 2017 (the most recent year statistics are available) and 1.5 million participating between 2004 and 2016.
“The Pace Path, our signature educational model, is built on a powerful combination of classroom instruction and experiential learning,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “The Optional Practical Training program allows international students to benefit from that kind of hands-on training, and we’re proud to join more than 100 other colleges and universities in an amicus brief supporting the program. International students are an integral part of the Pace University community, and we remain committed to supporting them.”
“Experiential learning, such as OPT, is now and has long been, a crucial component of education in this country,” said Miriam Feldblum, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Presidents’ Alliance of Higher Education and Immigration. “The brief and its diverse, wide-ranging list of supporters, representing all sectors of higher education, demonstrate how colleges, universities, and the economy benefit tremendously from OPT. Any rollback of OPT will severely harm international students, the future of American higher education, and economic growth.”
“Our nation's economy and educational institutions are undeniably enriched by the presence of talented, diverse, and motivated international students and OPT is a key factor in attracting those very students,” said Esther D. Brimmer, Executive Director and CEO, NAFSA: Association of International Educators. “The U.S. is now in a global competition for international students and scholars. To ensure that we continue to benefit from these individuals and their investments in our communities, we must maintain this time-tested program.”
Pace University currently has 2,300 international students representing over 128 countries.
About the Amicus brief
The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and NAFSA coordinated the brief; and the amici are primarily represented by Jenner & Block. The Presidents' Alliance thanks and acknowledges the incredible work of Jenner & Block attorneys Ishan K. Bhabha and Lauren J. Hartz on the brief. The full text of the amicus brief may be accessed online.
About the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
The nonpartisan Presidents’ Alliance brings together college and university leaders dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact our students, campuses and communities, and supporting policies that create a welcoming environment for undocumented, immigrant, and international students. The Presidents’ Alliance is comprised of over 430 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, representing over four million students in 41 states; Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Learn more at http://presidentsimmigrationalliance.org.
About NAFSA: The Association of International Education
With more than 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education. NAFSA advocates for policies that foster a more peaceful world, result in a commonsense immigration process, encourage enlightened global engagement, and sustain an informed civic culture through international education. Learn more about NAFSA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of international education at https://connectingourworld.org/.
About Pace University
Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace University has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and The Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website.
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