The COVID-19 pandemic has forced social distancing in every aspect of society, including schools. In an effort at mitigation, some universities have decided to offer some programmes fully online.
The change has brought about a potential dilemma for many foreign students as President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing for students whose classes are moving entirely online for the new school year to be stripped of their visas and ordered to leave the US.
Many Guyanese student athletes in the USA are currently worrying about their status and having to return to the 592, but Coach Julian Edmonds who currently has five athletes in various learning institutions in the US is optimistic of an amicable solution.
“I think this is just a stunt the Trump administration is pulling in an effort for schools and universities to reopen” said Edmonds yesterday.
“I think the schools will work it out and I am optimistic of any far reaching implications” Edmonds added.
Edmonds who coaches Andrea Foster at Clemson, Natricia Hooper at Florida State, Claudrice McKoy at Texas Tech, Avon Samuels at St John’s University and Kenisha Phillips at Austin Peay State University said he has spoken to other coaches and the universities fighting against what Trump has in his intentions because it is just unfair .
Seventeen states have filed a lawsuit to block a new Trump administration rule that would revoke the visas of foreign students who take all online classes.
Edmonds concluded that he is not immediately concerned since there are too many international students to be removed at once. He also mentioned that he is optimistic of the indoor season in December. He further mentioned that there are “powerful schools” in the US and even if the rule is passed, he opined that the universities will be do their best to protect the students to have at least one course in class and the rest online.
The NCAA has over 20,000 international students registered as athletes. This is just a fraction of the international student body, as a whole, currently in the US with a student visa.
