This message is a follow up to our message from July 14, 2020. In that message, we spread the word that the July 6, 2020 policy directive put forth by ICE has been rescinded.  In short, this means that we have returned to the guidance issued on March 13, which allowed for greater flexibility regarding the mode of instruction, as well as student location, much like we experienced in the Spring 2020 semester. 

In today's message, I aim to clarify and bring your attention to a few points but please note that we are still waiting on official guidance from SEVP so we may not be able to answer all of your questions right now. If you have questions, please email Danielle to get the most up-to-date guidance we have available. 

Please also plan to join us on July 22 for the next COVID Call-In. 

TRAVEL/ARRIVAL BY AIR

If you will be travelling to Menomonie by air, you should check on both current flight availability, as well as travel restrictions. As the situation continues to evolve across the US, we encourage you to follow guidance put forth by the CDC and to contact the Dunn County Health Department for addtional guidance, ensuring that Menomonie remains safe community.

If you are travelling from outside of the US, please be advised that Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) provides a current list of Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the U.S.. With specific expectations, foreign nationals who have been in these countries within the past 14 days may not enter the United States. This list currently includes: China, Iran, UK, Ireland, Brazil and the Schengen area but could change as time goes on. 

Please contact Danielle if you have questions or concerns about travel.

FALL 2020 COURSE SCHEDULE CHANGES

As a part of the planning to control and monitor building density, the campus has worked to identify face-to-face course that can shift effectively to online or online synchronous delivery format for the fall 2020 semester. For our customized instruction student population, much of your coursework was online prior to COVID and remains unaffected. The changes are entirely driven by and connected to the safety of both our students and faculty/staff populations and current social distancing guidelines.

As of today, the Access Stout scheduling system reflects the changes. As noted from the chancellor’s memo on May 15, all courses will have a virtual component. In-person components to in-person and hybrid courses, will abide by CDC safety guidelines, including social distancing. Our COVID-19 website has detailed information regarding our campus preparations, including health and safety requirements for the campus.

Your instructors are working hard to ensure that you experience the high-quality, student-centered, learning experience that we value at Stout. If you are currently enrolled in courses, and your courses have been impacted, you will receive an email communication informing you of the schedule changes. A program representative will also reach out to you to address questions and concerns..

As continuing students, we fully expect that you will be returing. Our operational plan is a combination of: in-person, hybrid and online. 

In you are currently in the US: please ensure that you are enrolled in a full course of study (minimum 12 credits undergrad, 9 credits graduate). We advise that students enroll in as many in-person/hybrid courses as possible. 

If for some reason you cannot return to the US, please contact us: it is essential that we connect to review you situation and provide advice specific to your circumstances. 

SCAM ALERT

We recently became aware of a scam targeting international students on another campus. In this case, the student was informed that their visa and passport were fake and that they needed to pay a large sum of money to avoid being taken to jail. 

Scams are when strangers target individuals and mislead them in order to illegally receive money or personal information. They contact their targets in different ways, often by making threatening phone calls. Scammers may target international students because cultural and language barriers can make it difficult to determine whether an offer for help or request for money is real or fake. 

If you receive a threatening call or message from someone claiming to be a government or law enforcement official, you should:

• Do not give the person any personal or financial information. 
• Try to collect contact information from the caller. 
• End the conversation immediately if threats and intimidation persist. 
• Contact Danielle and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line.