The following message was sent July 12 to Northwestern students from Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, interim vice president for student affairs.
Amid reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents plan to arrest thousands of migrants across the country Sunday, Northwestern wants to assure our community, including our undocumented students, that we are firmly committed to protecting our students, faculty and staff.
As we have said before, Northwestern is committed to protecting the privacy of student educational records. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Northwestern will not release information from a student’s education record, including immigration status and other identifying information, without the student’s written consent, except as required by law. The University encourages potentially impacted students to know their rights, including what to do if contacted by federal agents. The University also encourages students to access the many campus resources available, including:
- The Office of International Student and Scholar Services
- Multicultural Student Affairs
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Religious and Spiritual Life
- The Dean of Students Office
- The Women’s Center
- Student Enrichment Services
I am thankful to be part of a community that shares a commitment to being welcoming and inclusive. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my office, or to any of the resources above, should you need to do so.