Announcing Tufts New University-Wide International Center

June 29, 2018

To the members of the Tufts community,

I am pleased to announce the formation of a single, university-wide Tufts International Center to serve international students, scholars, faculty and staff, effective July 1, 2018. The consolidated office will provide immigration services, orientation, and ongoing support for international members of our community across all of Tufts’ schools and administrative divisions.

Currently, three separate offices provide visa services, training and advice on immigration status, and programming to support Tufts’ international populations. Effective July 1, these offices will consolidate under the Tufts International Center. The new Center will retain its physical presence at the existing locations on the Medford/Somerville campus at the International Center on Sawyer Ave and the Office of the Registrar at the Fletcher School, and on the Boston Health Sciences Campus in the offices of the Office of International Affairs in Posner Hall. It will report to Diana Chigas, Senior International Officer and Associate Provost, and will be led by Jane Etish-Andrews, until her previously announced retirement in October, 2018. A search is being conducted for her successor as director.

This new organizational structure will improve our ability to support international members of our community effectively and respond to increasingly complicated and stringent U.S. immigration policies and more frequent changes in visa regulations. Consolidating the offices will also allow us to offer greater outreach and programming support to students and scholars as they adjust to life at Tufts and in the United States.

Tufts has long prided itself on having a global perspective and being a welcoming and inclusive community for international students, scholars, faculty, and staff.  We believe strongly in the value of a diverse international community at our university, and are concerned about the impact of recent developments in immigration policies and practices on our students, on our campuses and in our communities.  We will continue to advocate for travel and immigration policies that permit the free exchange of ideas across borders and that create a welcoming environment for international, immigrant and undocumented students.

If you have any questions about this transition, please contact Diana Chigas, Senior International Officer and Associate Provost, at diana.chigas@tufts.edu.

Sincerely,

Deborah Kochevar
Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim