Towson University a signatory on open letter to Homeland Security secretary

TU joined over 600 colleges and universities in signing the letter

By Megan Bradshaw on February 9, 2017

A board that displayed in Susquehanna Terrace during the event that contained post-it notes written by our students, faculty and staff to let all students know that #YouAreWelcomeHere.
A board that displayed in Susquehanna Terrace during the event that contained post-it notes written by our students, faculty and staff to let all students know that #YouAreWelcomeHere.

On Feb. 3, the higher education community sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly to express concerns about President Trump’s Jan. 27, 2017 executive order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” 

More than 600 college and university presidents, including Towson University’s Kim Schatzel, signed the letter, and the American Council on Education (ACE) sent it on behalf of itself and a number of major higher education associations.

In addition to TU, the other University System of Maryland (USM) schools who signed were: Bowie State University; Frostburg State University; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Maryland, College Park; and University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. Other schools in the state who signed were Goucher College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Maryland University of Integrative Health, McDaniel College, Morgan State University, Mount Saint Mary University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and St. John's College Maryland.

Read the letter and see the full list of signatories

Schatzel joined a large crowd of faculty, staff and students at a campus dialogue event on immigration and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Wednesday afternoon in Susquehanna Terrace. Co-facilitators were Vice President for Student Affairs Deb Moriarty and Vice President for Inclusion and Institutional Equity Leah Cox.

In brief remarks, the president re-affirmed TU’s commitment to providing information and support to TU students who have been or might be affected by the White House travel ban executive order.

Several students in the audience expressed support and appreciation for information that has been shared recently about the White House executive orders and their potential impact on some students, staff and faculty members.  Other students offered constructive suggestions on how that type of information could be shared more effectively in the future, such as presenting the information on the university website in different languages, including Spanish.

Resources and additional information:

President's message

Residency Requirements for Undocumented/DACA Students

FAQs and Resources for Undocumented/DACA Students

Financial Aid for Undocumented/DACA Students

Immigration news updates in TU's International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) site

 

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Campus