Penn State Global 2020 Annual Report - International Student & Scholar Advising

The Office of Global Programs

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

LOCAL TO GLOBAL: FULFILLING THE MISSION OF A LAND- GRANT UNIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT & SCHOLAR ADVISING

DISSA is the critical source for immigration advice for all our foreign national faculty, staff, and students, and a vital source of advice and guidance for our international students.

Masume Assaf, Director of International Students & Scholars Advising (DISSA)

HISTORY International students have been at Penn State for more than a hundred years. In 1890, the first international student to graduate from The Pennsylvania State University was Potter M. Brown. Brown was a New Zealand native earning a degree in agriculture. In 1884, the first female foreign student enrolling at Penn State was Elizabeth B. Perry, who was from Quebec, Canada. Since our first international population at Penn State, each student has enriched and diversified our community, sharing their culture and experiences as we do ours with them.

After WWII, foreign (as they were called at that time) students and Fulbright scholars were advised by Professor R. E. Galbraith (who was also the swimming coach), a faculty member in the College of the Liberal Arts. He also advised returning GIs. In 1948, there were approximately 57 international students. International students integrated in every aspect of University life from athletics, classroom, groundbreaking research, and leadership.

PURPOSE The Directorate of International Student and Scholar Advising (DISSA) is responsible for advising international students, interns, scholars, and faculty who come to the U.S. to meet their goals as well as the goals of Penn State. DISSA is responsible for providing guidance and immigration processing at all Penn State campuses except World Campus and Pennsylvania College of Technology. Our job is to ensure these foreign nationals are able to enter the U.S. and maintain their status while completing their academic and research goals and while following federal regulations and statutes, ensuring Penn State remains in federal compliance.

EVOLUTION The job of advisers in DISSA has shifted over the past two decades since 9/11/2001. Beyond advising, there is more required monitoring and compliance in a federal database. This requires a balancing act to welcome and advise students while assuring regulations are upheld. DISSA has to make sure our international community feels welcome and cared for while safeguarding the ability to bring international students, scholars, and faculty to Penn State by following laws and regulations.

2020 - WHAT A YEAR! On top of the usual challenges of advising internationals, COVID-19 tested everyone at Penn State. The Directorate of International Student & Scholar Advising (DISSA), like all higher education international offices in the country, looked to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and State to provide relief through accommodations in the regulations regarding in person enrollment and continued activity within the U.S. As coronavirus cases increased, schools began to move classes online, allowing many international students, scholars and faculty to move home. At the same time, borders were closing and some of the international population was stranded in the U.S., including those who had completed their studies, research, teaching, etc. in the U.S. - a legal nightmare. Meanwhile, the administration in 2020 issued over 400 policy changes, proclamations, proposals, and interim regulations impacting many across higher education.

Over 2020, DISSA worked to meet students where they are - literally around the world. Most of this support transitioned to virtual means, thereby advocating for international students as they follow their academic dreams.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students contribute to the vibrant global communities at Penn State - the communities around our 24 campuses, and the lives of all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Each international student brings a unique perspective to the classroom and personal lives of those at Penn State.

International Student Council at Old Main, University Park

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BY THE NUMBERS FALL 2020

Penn State School of Medicine5

Dickinson Law 17

Penn State Law 52

The Graduate School 2943*

Undergraduate Studies 6212*

*Includes World Campus

Total 9229 from 140+ countries

International students are permitted to work in the United States after graduation for a limited time to gain career experience. This important opportunity is called OPT.

OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING (OPT) FOR NEW GRADUATES PER CAMPUS FA20

ABINGTON 5 ALTOONA 3 BEAVER 1 BERKS 6 DICKINSON LAW 9 BEHREND 24 GREAT VALLEY 57

HARRISBURG 100 PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 24 NEW KENSINGTON 1 UNIVERSITY PARK 1818 SCRANTON 1 YORK 10

TOTAL 2059

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS

A J-1 Scholar is a visiting researcher, professor, or specialist from a country outside of the United States who has been approved to enter the country for a specific purpose and for a limited amount of time. Penn State has a diverse academic environment, with J-1 Scholars from every part of the world, becoming essential components of the University by contributing unique perspectives in classrooms, labs, in our communities, and life on campus.

761 ACTIVE J-1 SCHOLARS

Typically, Penn State hosts between 900-950 international scholars annually. While we saw an increase in J-1 Scholars from other areas of the world, most of the incoming J-1 Scholars are from China. However, due to the unprecedented global pandemic and significant government imposed travel bans, our ability to host scholars was significantly impacted. Remarkably, despite these challenges Penn State was still able to welcome 761 scholars who enriched our communities and classrooms.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS BY COLLEGE AY 2019-2020 TOTAL 761

ENGINEERING 175 EBERLY COLL. OF SCIENCE 174 PENN STATE COLL. OF MEDICINE 94 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES 88 EARTH & MINERAL SCIENCES 72 LIBERAL ARTS 34 INFO SCIENCES & TECH 28 COMMONWEALTH CAMPUSES 20 DONALD P. BELLISARIO COLL. OF COMM 10 ARTS & ARCHITECTURE 10 HEALTH & HUMAN DEV 9 DICKINSON SCHOOL OF LAW 6 SMEAL COLL. OF BUSINESS 5 EDUCATION 4

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLAR BY CONTINENT AY 2019-2020

N AM 2%

AFRICA 2%

OCEANIA 1%

S AM 4%

C AMERICA <1%

EUROPE 14%

ASIA 76%

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS BY GENDER AY 2019-2020

Men 458 Women 303

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

In addition to activities provided through the International Scholar Advising Office and English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC), host academic departments provide cultural experiences to meet the US Department of State’s expectation of cultural exchange. Scholars participate in cultural exchange through: departmental lunches, dinners with host faculty and colleagues, picnics at local parks, bowling, and events on campus such as Penn State football games. Host faculty also organize field trips to Gettysburg, introducing scholars to the Civil War history, and local field trips to the maple syrup festival at Shaver’s Creek. Many scholars receive support from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and participate in program offerings such as: workshops on CV and resume writing; responsible conduct of research; individual development plans using SMART goals; and seminars on preparing for professional careers. Overall, offerings of cultural activities have greatly increased within the last three years.

A warm "thank you" to all out there who make our international scholars feel right at home! We know they are creating memories of a lifetime.

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VIRTUAL PRE-ARRIVAL MODULE

A NEW, virtual pre-arrival module was launched this year. This module is a requirement for all J-1 Scholars, covering immigration policies, the university and its offerings, and community connections, was launched this year. The new module streamlined the process and made it more accessible so that we can more effectively serve all our scholars.

PARTNERSHIP WITH EPPIC

The J-1 Scholar program meets the federal requirement that all scholars have day-to-day conversational English ability. This has been accomplished through a partnership with the English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC) on the University Park campus. EPPIC conducts virtual English fluency testing during pre-arrival.

In addition, EPPIC offers English courses post-arrival, which are specifically geared to J-1 Scholars. The courses offer oral communication sessions as well as academic writing communication lessons. For scholars who have schedule conflicts with the sessions and for those seeking additional language remediation, EPPIC offers individual consultation appointments for one-on-one support.

J-1 SCHOLAR NEWSLETTER

A NEW J-1 Scholar monthly newsletter was implemented this year. The newsletter serves as a way to connect scholars on a more personal level to experiences inside and outside the university environment. The newsletter also offers the opportunity for scholars to share their experiences at academic conferences around the country, personal travels (when possible), and across Pennsylvania.

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY

Penn State has a diverse academic and research community with faculty from every part of the world, representing important scholarship and teaching components of the University. International faculty are broadly defined as academics who hold appointments in countries where they were not born.

In 2020, the International Faculty Advising (IFA) unit in DISSA partnered with the University's Talent Acquisition team to implement streamlined internal hiring processes for tenure-line foreign national faculty. The IFA team conducted departmental workshops for all colleges/campuses and shared best practices for hiring foreign national faculty.

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY BY THE NUMBERS AY 2019-2020

421* Total number of H-1Bs and other employment-based visas supported by DISSA/International Faculty Advising

50 Faculty stranded outside the U.S. due to presidential proclamations, COVID-19 restrictions, limited visa services abroad, etc.

15 Advocacy for faculty impacted by Dept. of Labor Interim Final Rule

12 H-1B amendments filed to support faculty shifting to working remotely

12 Foreign national faculty at Non-University Park campuses (Including Hershey)

VISA CLASSIFICATION

OTHER 38 EAD 20 F-1-OPT 55 H-1B 328 TOTAL 421* from 54 countries

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY BY GENDER

Men 264 Women 157

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY BY COLLEGE TOP 10

EBERLY COLL. OF SCIENCE 69 ENGINEERING 56 LIBERAL ARTS 45 PENN STATE COLL. OF MEDICINE 42 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES 36 EARTH & MINERAL SCIENCES 30 OSVPR 17 HEALTH & HUMAN DEV 17 INFO SCIENCES & TECH 14 SMEAL COLL. OF BUSINESS 12

2020 Legal Challenges - The COVID-19 pandemic,and the related federal response, disrupted virtually every aspect of the U.S. immigration system. Visa processing abroad (immigrant and nonimmigrant) as well as the processing of some immigration benefits within the U.S. came to a near standstill or were severely hampered by hastily implemented rules or presidential proclamations. There were legal challenges to the public charge rule, increased immigration fees, drastically increased prevailing wage amounts, and overly restrictive qualification changes for H -1B sponsorship to name just a few. Most cases involved multiple lawsuits and court hearings overturning and/or delaying the new rules and policies, thereby making it difficult to track, adapt and update internal processes and notify departments and faculty.

*Data represents documents processed by DISSA and excludes student workers and permanent residents

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INTERNATIONAL FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

DR. SHENGXI HUANG ASST PROF OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

DR. DANFENG ZHANG ASST PROF OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Congratulations to Dr. Huang and Dr. Zhang as they have been awarded Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The awards are given in support of early-career faculty with potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Visit Penn State News for the complete story.

DR. HUANYU CHENG ASST PROF OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

Dr. Cheng was awarded (Nov 2020) the 2021 Frontiers of Materials Award from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society for his work on highly sensitive, wearable health monitoring devices. Visit Penn State News for the complete story.

DR. FABIENNE KANOR ASST PROF OF FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE STUDIES

Dr. Kanor teaches French and Francophone Literature and Cinema and is an award-winning writer and filmmaker. She has directed many movies (mostly documentaries) and published seven novels including her recent, Humus. The book is a fictional report, written by the commander of a slave ship, set in 1774. The report relates the loss of valuable “cargo” when fourteen African women leapt overboard from the hold rather than be taken into slavery. Visit The College of Liberal Arts for the complete story.

DR. HILAL TORAMAN ASST PROF OF ENERGY ENGINEERING AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Dr. Toraman was one of two researchers to join the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) as cofunded faculty members. Dr. Toraman’s research is in the field of chemical reaction engineering with a focus on developing new processes, materials and technologies for efficient and sustainable use of energy resources such as shale gas, biomass and plastic waste (April 2020). Visit Penn State News for the complete story.

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