Task force to address immigration services

Updated 10:00 AM September 13, 2004

Task force to address immigration services

By Laurel Thomas Gnagey

Universities across the nation are reporting concerns about a brain drain from campuses as the numbers of international students have declined in response to stiffer federal immigration laws. It is unclear, though, how the federal policy changes have affected recruitment of international faculty and staff at U-M.

What is certain is that the complicated procedures have increased demand for immigration employment services on campus. This has prompted a long-range look at delivery of such services as advising units and individuals of employment regulations; recommending an appropriate visa classification, then preparing and submitting temporary and permanent visa petitions; offering assistance with record keeping to show compliance with federal and state regulations; communicating changes in government regulations; and offering information bulletins and workshops.

Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper has appointed a task force to evaluate the services offered by the International Center, and to report on needs across campus. The Faculty and Staff Immigration Task Force will work throughout the fall and report back to Harper at the end of the calendar year.

"Our hope is that the task force will be able to identify any issues affecting the delivery of immigration services to faculty and staff, and will make recommendations about areas that require changes in scope, policies or procedures, or additional resources," Harper says.

The International Center long has worked with students, faculty and staff, says director Rodolfo Altamirano, but immigration services have become more complicated since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, increasing demand on the center.

Altamirano says his staff members do a wonderful job assisting with immigration issues, but he is looking forward to feedback from people across campus about how the center can make a good service better.

"We look forward to this opportunity to be able to open doors and collaborate across the University," Altamirano says. "Our work is significant to the University of Michigan due to increasing globalization and the need to bring the best faculty from all over the world. This is the call of the time—the call of the moment."

Task force chair Liz Barry, managing director of the Life Sciences Institute, says the ability to recruit some of the best brains from around the world is critical to many disciplines, but particularly to the sciences.

"The biggest users of immigration services by far are the science units on campus," Barry says. One assignment of the task force will be to determine what units across U-M have encountered when trying to hire foreign nationals, and whether there are ways the University can improve the experience for the faculty member and the hiring department, she says.

"We must do the best job we can to ensure that we can draw upon the best talent the world has to offer. That means offering seamless services to those entering our Michigan community and making sure that the interests of higher education are represented in national policymaking on immigration."

In particular the group will:

• Study current trends in immigration demographics and make a projection about numbers for the future;

• Identify federal policy trends regarding visa regulations, immigration processing times and security clearance procedures;

• Survey peer institutions to find out best practices for service delivery;

• Identify barriers to consistent delivery of immigration services and determine if staff resources are adequate;

• Recommend changes to existing policy and practices.

Other members of the task force include:

• Diane Benson, Human Resources and Affirmative Action

• Reynolda Brown, U-M-Dearborn

• Halima Cherif, LSI

• Kay Cifford, International Center

• Mamadou Diouf, LSA

• Izak Duenyas, Stephen M. Ross School of Business

• Jeffery Frumkin, Office of the Provost

• John Godfrey, Rackham Graduate School

• Clarissa Hunter, UMH Graduate Medical Education

• Douglas Kennedy, International Institute

• Karen Liska, College of Engineering

• Deb Komorowski, Medical School

• Donald Lopez, LSA

• Jan Mulcrone, Health System Human Resources

• David Placey, U-M-Dearborn

• Kathleen Rychlinski, Risk Management

• Robin Sarris, LSA

• Curt Smitka, Office of the Vice President for Research

• Donica Thomas Varner, Office of the General Counsel.

Task force to address immigration services

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