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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 21, 2003 Southern Oregon University foreign students, from left, Satsuki Doi, 24, of Japan, Mirela Livadic, 27, of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Jose Cardenas, 21, of Costa Rica, say increased scrutiny of their activities is to be expected in a post 9/11 world. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Students face scrutiny For SOU foreign students who fall below full-time status, new federal rules heighten the risk they may be dropped from programs and have trouble returning By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune ASHLAND — In a post-9/11 world, foreign students studying at Southern Oregon University and elsewhere are facing stricter enforcement of rules governing their stays. Starting this month, that will range from closer scrutiny of student enrollment to online tracking of foreign students’ activities, according to new federal guidelines. "The biggest difference isn’t the actual rules, it’s the consequences," said Keith Chambers, director of International Programs at SOU. "It’s not a slap on the wrist." Students who drop below full-time status of 12 units or who withdraw from the university could find it more difficult to remain in or to regain entry to the program, said Chambers and Jennifer Yockey, SOU international student adviser. "The answer might be, ‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to leave,’ " Chambers said. Students themselves say such changes are to be expected in a time of international tensions. "As long as we follow the rules, it’s not big change," said Satsuki Doi, 24, a photo-journalism student from Japan. The level of increased scrutiny is relatively moderate, added Mirela Livadic, 27, an English education student from Bosnia-Herzegovina. "It’s not like they’re going to show up in the middle of the night to see if we’re all sleeping in the same room," she said. But administrators in charge of the program say the full implementation of SEVIS — the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System — subtly shifts the relationship between school and students. School personnel now will be required essentially to police and report on foreign students’ enrollment compliance, they said. "It’s hard to overlook how this has been accelerated since 9/11," said Yockey, noting that SEVIS had been pending for five or six years until the 2001 terror attacks prompted new interest and funding. "It’s hard for some of us to see our students as threats," she added. About 140 SOU students are part of an international exchange program that placed some 6,500 foreign students in Oregon colleges and universities during the 2000 school year. More than 1,700 foreign students were enrolled at the University of Oregon in Eugene, for example. Overall, nearly 583,000 international students received credit at U.S. schools in 2000, according to Open Doors 2002, a report published by the Institute of International Education. More than 154,000 U.S. college students earned credit for studying abroad that year, the report showed. Part of the new SEVIS requirements include creation of a computerized database of foreign students by Aug. 1. That makes sense, says Chambers. But it also raises questions about government scrutiny that can be uncomfortable for some Americans. "It has overtones of things you grew up reading, like ‘1984,’ " he said, citing George Orwell’s 1949 novel. It’s important not to over-emphasize that element, however, Chambers said. Concern over the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States simply have rippled into the wider community, including international student exchange. "The world climate has changed in two years," he said. "There’s scrutiny everywhere." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S