De Anza ISP

07/09/2020

Dear International Students,

On July 6, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued changes in guidance that modify the exceptions to regulations that were put in place due to COVID-19 for the Spring and Summer 2020 quarters.

Over the past four days, we have been working tirelessly to gather information, consult with our peer institutions, and with Foothill-De Anza District administration, to brainstorm student-friendly options. We also have to carefully consider how each option will fulfill the new SEVP F-1 requirements for Fall 2020.

The language in the SEVP memo is ambiguous and we will continue to gather information. Here is what we know as of today:
You will have options available that will allow you to continue your studies at Foothill or De Anza
Both Foothill and De Anza will be offering hybrid classes in the Fall of 2020, and thus meet SEVP’s definition of hybrid

What does this mean for me?
F-1 Students studying in the U.S.
If you wish to remain in the U.S., you will have the option to register for a hybrid class to meet the SEVP F-1 requirements. We will have the course options necessary for you to maintain your F-1 status. We will follow up with information regarding which classes you can add to fulfill the hybrid course requirement.
F-1 Students studying outside the U.S.
You can register for and take Fall 2020 classes from abroad regardless of whether you are in F-1 status or not. The SEVP guidance is still unclear regarding the details of maintaining your F-1 status during Fall 2020. We are continuing to seek clarification and will be back in touch with more details soon. In the meantime, we will not do anything to your SEVIS record. We will continue to be here to support you and to keep you updated.

We also want to reaffirm that the administration, faculty, staff, and students at the Foothill-De Anza District stand together with our international students and condemn this profoundly troubling and xenophobic policy. In addition to taking steps to assist our students, the District is actively advocating against this unjust requirement. Earlier today, Chancellor Dr. Judy C. Miner, announced that the District has joined an amicus brief in support of the Harvard/MIT suit, challenging the SEVP/ICE rule. The leaders of California’s public system of higher education are also filing suit against the Trump administration. You can read additional messages of support from our Chancellor and the Presidents of both colleges here.

We recognize that many of you are far from home and may feel isolated. We are here to offer our support. We understand that many of you will have further questions and concerns during this stressful time and we will continue to have opportunities for you to connect with us. You have always been, and will continue to be, welcome here.

In Solidarity,
Foothill-De Anza International Student Programs (ISP)

07/09/2020

Hello Everyone!
In advance of tomorrow's town hall meeting for current international students, we wanted to share messages of support for F-1 students from the Foothill-De Anza District leadership, including Chancellor Dr. Judy Miner and De Anza President Lloyd Holmes. We value you and appreciate you!

http://international.fhda.edu/message.html

03/19/2020

Dear Students, please see the link below for important updates and FAQs for F-1 students related to COVID-19.

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions and continue to check your email and the De Anza College website for important updates!

Two major updates:
- De Anza College will be holding classes using virtual methods for the remainder of the academic year, through the spring 2020 quarter.
- If you are a continuing F-1 student and register for at least 12 units in the spring 2020 quarter, you will remain in F-1 status, even if you decide to return to your home country.

02/19/2020

Join us in celebrating Black History Month as we welcome multifaceted educator and advocate Ericka Huggins for a talk this Thursday, Feb. 20, from 1:30-3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B. You won't want to miss this event hosted by the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education.

01/23/2020

01/17/2020

Enjoy your long weekend!

Yesterday's 🌈 over campus was beautiful to see, but it's also nice to have some ☀️ leading into the long weekend. Campus is closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

06/05/2019

Yeaaay! 🎊 The End of Year Celebration is tomorrow!
Please join us for appetizers 🍪🍰 and ice cream🍦 as we celebrate our ISP students moving on to the next exciting chapter of their lives! We hope to see you there 😊

06/03/2019

Meet Denica Kelly for today’s . This is her third year working at as an International Student Counselor.

When we asked her about the international students here and the advice she would give them, she answered, “We have a very diverse group of students, each are unique and different but generally, I think they’re super hard working and focused on their goals. They add special perspective to our campus just by being in the classroom and contributing to discussions and group work. The advice I would give them is to always plan ahead, at least for the upcoming quarter or the year, but on the other hand, to always be prepared if it doesn’t happen accordingly and to be flexible with different circumstances. So plan for the best but be ready for changes and know that there are a lot of people here to help and support you.”

05/24/2019

For meet Debopam Chatterjee from India. 🇮🇳 He is in his third quarter majoring in English at and he also works at the dining services.

D says that he loves the atmosphere at De Anza and is very grateful for the people that he met there but most of all, his job. He got the job when he was in need of money and now he’s financially self reliant and can pay his rent and bills on his own. Say hi 👋 to D if you see him there. 😁

05/13/2019

Meet Julie Wilson for today’s . This is her third year, teaching EWRT and Reading classes at . 📕

When we asked her thoughts on the international students here, she said, “I’ve noticed international students to be more focused on their academics, coming to class, and doing the work. I’ve also noticed cultural differences, what I usually do in my class is I have students talk to a partner before any assignments, but I’ve had some students who just won’t talk, so I would push them to speak. I later realized that those student weren’t quite because they’re not interested, they were quiet because of their culture and what they’re accustomed to. So, it was a nice reminder for me to check on my assumptions and make more space for all kinds of students to participate productively and also to help them break out of the mold.”

05/10/2019

For today’s meet Karen Kawashima from Japan. 🇯🇵 She is majoring in liberal arts and it’s her third quarter at De Anza.

When we asked her what she likes most about De Anza, she answered, “When I first came here, it was very difficult, since I was far away from home and my family and I had to do everything on my own, but then I started to make a lot of friends here and it became easier for me. I like that it’s a very diverse environment and we can make friends from different countries and get to know about their cultures and backgrounds.” 👍🏼😊