With the White House announcement calling for an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), we are writing to reassure the campus community of San Diego State University’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students, faculty and staff. We are proud to be one of the most diverse campuses in the country; this diversity is critical for preparing students to work in San Diego’s binational economy and a global workforce.
Today, Chancellor
Timothy P. White of the California State University system sent a message to the CSU community regarding DACA that
can be read here. We continue to work with the Chancellor’s Office and our legal counsel to understand the new orders. For now, we are providing information to help students, faculty and staff who may have concerns, either about their own immigration status or that of their families.
As a reminder to all members of our campus community, our students’ immigration status is part of their educational records, and it is protected in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information on FERPA, visit:
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/privacy.html.
Additionally, immigration enforcement is the jurisdiction of the federal government and falls outside the scope of the University Police Department (UPD). The newly announced change does not change or influence the mission of UPD. If any member of our community is approached on campus by federal immigration officials, please contact UPD for further information at 619-594-1991.
Students
Associated Students provides free legal assistance to students through a partnership with a local legal services organization. Students concerned about their immigration status can find information on how to access legal services at:
http://as.sdsu.edu/azteclegal/.
Students experiencing an emergency related to food or housing security should contact the
Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT), a group of on- and off-campus members who connect SDSU students with resources when they have an immediate need. Email
ecrt@mail.sdsu.edu or visit the website:
http://go.sdsu.edu/student_affairs/ecrt. Also,
Associated Students, which may be reached at 619-594-6555, operates a Food Pantry and sponsors other food insecurity initiatives for SDSU students. More information is available online:
http://as.sdsu.edu/foodinsecurity/.
The
Office of Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) works closely with students of low-income, underserved backgrounds, including many of our undocumented/AB540 students. EOP’s dedicated on-campus academic counselors are available for consultation. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact the office at 619-594-6298 or visit the website:
http://eop.sdsu.edu.
Counseling and Psychological Services offers a range of services to help support students with a variety of concerns. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 619-594-5220 or visit the website:
http://go.sdsu.edu/student_affairs/cps.
The student organization
Education Without Borders was established in 2009. Fully student-run, the organization provides a social and academic network of resources, and support. To learn more, visit the website:
http://empower.sdsu.edu/.
Dean of Students
Randy Timm is available to address any individual student concerns. His office may be contacted at 619-594-5221 or email via
deanofstudents@mail.sdsu.edu. Students at SDSU’s Imperial Valley Campus can contact
Miguel Rahiotis, assistant dean of student affairs, at 760-768-5598 or via email at
mrahioti@mail.sdsu.edu.
For students and employees, the California State University system also provides information and resources related to enrollment, employment and travel and also ways to interact with immigration officials. Information is available online:
http://www2.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/resources-for-undocumented-students/Pages/faq-daca-update.aspx.
Faculty and staff
Concerned faculty can contact the
Office of Faculty Advancement at 619-594-6111.
Concerned staff can contact the
Center for Human Resources at 619-594-6404.
The
Employee Assistance Program offers SDSU faculty and staff confidential support for a variety of concerns, including emotional, relationship, health, legal and workplace issues. Information, resources and tools are available online at
www.mylifevalues.com (Login: sdsu; Password: eap) or by calling 1-800-342-8111.