Interim President Stellar Statement on President Trump Executive Order

January 30, 2017

To the UAlbany Community:

As you know, this past Friday President Trump issued an executive order barring all refugees from entering the United States, along with citizens of seven nations. I am deeply concerned about the impact of the executive order on our students, faculty, and staff, and I wanted to let you know how the University at Albany is responding to this quickly-evolving situation.

Institutions of higher education are particularly affected because of the thousands of students and scholars from those countries on campuses across the U.S. UAlbany has approximately 30 students who come from one of the seven banned nations, as well as several faculty members and visiting scholars. We are contacting these individuals directly to provide a number of informational resources and to advise them not to travel outside the U.S. at this time.

Yesterday SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Board of Trustees Chairman H. Carl McCall issued a statement confirming the State University’s promise to support students, faculty, and staff affected by the travel ban, citing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. SUNY has also established a website to provide students and their families with resources and the most current information as it becomes available.

As an institution we draw strength from our diversity and global reach, and from our commitment to inclusive excellence. This strength is more important than ever as we navigate the implications of this executive order.

We will continue to review the status of this policy and will keep you informed of any changes as they arise. If you have any immediate questions or concerns about the executive order, please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at (518) 591-8172 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

James R. Stellar
Interim President