President Sian Beilock met with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) while in D.C. for an event with the Constructive Dialogue Institute. They discussed the importance of federally-funded research in New Hampshire, and ways to better engage the state and business community in advocating for science. 

Dartmouth’s Office of Visa and Immigration Services, OPAL, and IDE hosted a “Know Your Rights” session on Oct. 2, during which the ACLU of New Hampshire shared information on immigration rights, public safety, community support, and how to navigate immigration-related challenges with confidence. OVIS Director Susan Ellison and Keiselim Montás, director of Safety and Security at Dartmouth, also took questions from the audience. The event was open to all students, faculty, and staff.

Dartmouth was one of nine universities asked by the White House to give feedback by Oct. 20 on a draft of its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” President Beilock wrote our campus community on Oct. 3, affirming her deep commitment to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values and our institution’s fierce independence.

The president and her leadership team are actively engaging with faculty across the university through Dartmouth’s shared governance framework and working closely with the Board of Trustees. Those engagements have included multiple meetings with the Council on Institutional Priorities—which represents all Dartmouth schools—and the School of Arts and Sciences’ Committee of Chairs. Meetings are scheduled with Thayer, Tuck, and Geisel faculty, and leaders have also heard from alumni and students.

We will continue to keep our community informed as the Oct. 20 deadline for feedback approaches.

The White House issued a proclamation restricting the entry or re-entry of H-1B nonimmigrants to the U.S., unless the employer pays a $100,000 fee per H-1B petition. It was later clarified that the restriction does not apply to current H-1B visa holders, or any beneficiaries whose petition was pending or approved before the effective date of the proclamation. The proclamation also directed the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security to promulgate regulations to prioritize highly skilled, high wage workers in the H-1B program. 

Dartmouth’s Office of Visa and Immigration Services has been communicating directly with our H-1B population on campus and providing support as needed. We are also engaging the New Hampshire Congressional delegation on the possible impacts of the proclamation on the Dartmouth community.

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a rule that would set time limits for how long individuals with F or J status—which includes international students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars—can remain in the U.S.

Currently, such individuals are admitted to the U.S. for “duration of status,” or “D/S”, and are permitted to remain in the country as long as they are participating in their F or J program. The proposed, new rule would replace this “duration of status” with a fixed expiration date, requiring individuals with F and J status to timely file an application for extension of status if the length of their program would go past the expiration date.

The public comment period for the proposed rule ends on Sept. 29. The Office of Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS) and Office of General Counsel (OGC) are preparing a comment on Dartmouth’s behalf opposing the proposed rule change.

OVIS has also posted an update on its website and is including information about the proposed rule during new international student orientations to ensure students understand that the rule is not yet in effect. OVIS and OGC are continuing to monitor this issue closely and will provide updates to our international community as new information becomes available.