Davidson Cancels Fall Work Authorizations for International Students
The decision affects F-1 students with off-campus internships and research opportunities and comes just over a week before fall classes begin.
Davidson College has paused new Curricular Practical Training authorizations for international students and canceled those already approved for the fall semester. International students learned of the change just over a week before classes were set to begin, in an August 15 email from the International Student Engagement office (ISE).
CPT is a form of work authorization that allows eligible F-1 students to participate in off-campus internships, research and other practical training that is part of an established curriculum and directly related to the student’s major area of study. At Davidson, international students have historically used CPT for opportunities connected to courses such as XPL 199 and XPL 099, which pair internships with academic coursework, as well as Davidson in Washington, which combines a Washington, D.C.-based government internship with a political science seminar for course credit.
The policy change follows an August 12th broadcast message from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, or SEVP, which oversees institutions enrolling F-1 students. The message did not rewrite the federal regulation governing CPT, which requires it to be, “an integral part of an established curriculum.” Instead, SEVP announced increased scrutiny of CPT authorizations and specified that CPT only be authorized when it is a requirement of the degree for all students in the degree program. This new guidance comes after SEVP purportedly “observed a rise in CPT authorizations that do not meet regulatory requirements.”
Although Davidson has allowed students to receive academic credit for off-campus internships and research, those experiences are not required for a student to complete a Davidson degree.
In its message to students, Davidson said that after consulting college and immigration legal counsel, it determined its current curriculum could no longer safely support CPT authorization under SEVP’s stricter interpretation. “We do not want to do anything that puts students at risk of losing their legal F-1 visa status or facing future U.S. visa denials, nor will we do anything that jeopardizes the institution’s certification to host international students,” the International Student Engagement Office said in the email.
What this Changes
The change does not affect international students’ ability to work on campus, including on-campus research, nor does it apply to internships or research conducted outside the United States. Optional Practical Training, or OPT, a separate form of employment authorization requiring USCIS approval, remains unaffected.
Notably, Davidson is canceling CPT authorizations that had already been approved for the fall semester. That approach differs from UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and Santa Clara University, which also paused or suspended CPT processing in response to the federal guidance but allowed previously issued fall authorizations to remain in effect. The ISE wrote that “institutions have different curricula and policies so this shift will not impact all colleges and universities in the same way” and that “each institution has unique circumstances that make simple comparisons difficult.”
“I had an internship lined up for the fall, and Davidson had already approved it. Now, just days before the semester begins, I’m being told I can’t do it,” said one international student who asked to remain anonymous. The student was among those whose fall plans were disrupted when Davidson canceled previously approved CPT authorizations.
“The news about the CPT policy change came as a deeply demotivating and disturbing shock to the members of the DIA community,” said Amber Simnani ’29, vice president of the Davidson International Association. “Against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain job market and travel bans, the new restrictions have further heightened anxieties.”
The International Association has been working with offices across Davidson to explore possible alternatives for affected students. “We’ve been in communication with the Hurt Hub, the Dean of Students Office, the International Student Engagement Office and other department heads to figure out ways to incorporate credit-bearing internship courses into major requirements or other solutions that’ll help students navigate this situation,” Simnani said.
DIA has also been coordinating with international student organizations at other campuses to compare how schools are responding to the CPT guidance. Students have connected through Instagram and created group chats to share university announcements, compare policy changes and discuss how the new guidance is affecting international students.
Davidson has yet to announce whether the suspension will remain in place beyond the fall semester or what longer-term changes, if any, the college will pursue.