Dear Highlanders,

With recent federal actions affecting student visas across the country, we know many in the NJIT community, particularly our international students, faculty, and staff, are feeling anxious and uncertain. Today, we want to share the latest information available about visa revocations and terminations of status and other recent developments, and provide information about resources available to the community.

Across the United States, many universities have reported instances of student visas being revoked. This has occurred at NJIT as well. At present, we are aware of 21 terminated Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS) records and/or visas of NJIT-sponsored F visa holders. This includes seven current students and 14 former students on post-graduation Optional Practical Training (OPT) or STEM OPT Extension work authorization. NJIT had no advance notice of or involvement with these decisions by the federal government, and the reasons for these decisions are unclear.

At this time, we are not aware of any members of the Highlander community being arrested or detained because of these terminations. Nor have there been any instances of federal law enforcement on campus, to date, related to these matters. Should such an instance occur, please recall that impacted individuals should notify NJIT’s Department of Public Safety by dialing 973-596-3100 or 9-1-1 and saying “NJIT”. No further action should be taken until Public Safety arrives. The Office of General Counsel will be notified as necessary.

NJIT’s Office of Global Initiatives (OGI) is monitoring the SEVIS system continuously. If OGI is notified or becomes aware that a member of the Highlander community’s visa status has been changed by a federal action, OGI will contact that community member and provide information and resources. To contact the Office of Global Initiatives, please call 973-596-2451 or email global@njit.edu.  

In instances where current students are affected, the relevant dean will be notified, and the Office of the Provost will work with the dean to enable the student to continue their studies, if possible. The State of New Jersey’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education also has provided guidance and resources concerning federal immigration requirements for New Jersey institutions of higher education. This guidance document may be found here. 

Additionally, members of NJIT’s research community should be aware of a new policy action announced by the Department of Energy on April 11, 2025. Details may be found here. Note that this new policy sets a standard indirect cost rate of 15 percent for all grant awards to institutions of higher education and notes that the Department of Energy is taking action to terminate all grant awards to institutions of higher education that do not conform to this new policy. If you receive any notification including a stop order and budget change on indirect costs rate on your award/proposal, or request to sign any attestation from DOE or any other funding agency, please forward the notification with any attachment to me immediately to Atam Dhawan at dhawan@njit.edu and copy Eric Hetherington at erich@njit.edu. Researchers are encouraged to check the website maintained by the Office of Research concerning federal actions regularly. 

We want to assure all members of the Highlander community that NJIT is committed to supporting its students, faculty, and staff who may be affected by any or all of these actions. We will continue to monitor the situation, act as appropriate, and share information and resources regularly. NJIT values every member of its community, and we thank everyone for their contributions and support during this challenging period.

Sincerely,

John Pelesko, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Marybeth Boger, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Bill Brady
Vice President for Human Resources