ACU Faculty and Advisors

Certain knowledge that you receive from students must be reported to the OISVS, such as:

• Material knowledge of off-campus work (or excessive on-campus work) that might be in violation of the student’s status (see more information on this page on federal regulations related to international student internships & work)
• Material knowledge of critical incidents  for J-1 students must be reported to the OISVS;
• Material knowledge of a student’s change of name, address or phone number should be reported on My.ACU as well as sent to the OISVS within 10 days of the change.

Please also direct students to the OISVS for accurate advising related to immigration issues when you suspect there may be some confusion about the regulations.

ACU typically hosts around 150 F-1 and J-1 students. F-1 students are admitted to the U.S. for the purpose of academic study and are usually self-sponsored. J-1 exchange visitors come for academic and cultural exchange and are sponsored by national governments or private sponsors. The regulations differ in some areas for each visa type.

While some students can easily be identified as international students, others may look and speak just like domestic American students. Therefore, we recommend you check the GOAINTL screen on Banner or call the OISVS to identify which of your students are F-1 or J-1 students.

International students must:

• Check in physically at the OISVS with their documents upon arrival
• Attend the International Student Orientation (scheduled each long semester)
• Complete a full load of face to face courses each Fall and Spring semester (12 hours for undergraduates, 9 hours for graduate students)
• Abide by the online restrictions (see below)
• Report their physical address, phone and mailing address to the OISVS within 10 days of moving
• Work only with authorization
• Maintain the accuracy and validity of their immigration documents
• Make progress toward their degree at all times
• Depart the U.S. within the grace period (30 or 60 days) after the completion of their degree or status.
• Other regulations may apply in certain circumstances.  This list is not exhaustive.  Students are encouraged to refer to the OISVS website (www.acu.edu/international-education) and check with the international student advisor for any questions.

First, any “internship” that is paid by ACU and carried out on campus is considered on-campus employment and should remain within the bounds of the 20 hr/ week limitation during the Fall and Spring semesters. International students in F and J status have authorization to work on-campus if they are in good immigration and academic status. (Note: DHS views “work” as any effort for reward)

Secondly, any off-campus activity with employers (profit or nonprofit, paid or unpaid) is a potential risk for an international student’s status, and therefore needs to be entered into only after careful consideration. 

If you encourage or require students to be involved in off-campus internships, please review the following two resources:

1. See this checklist, used to assist faculty and international students to clarify the parameters of the opportunity prior to meeting with Lucy Dawson in the OISVS. Be aware that sometimes even “volunteering” could still put a student at risk.
2. Please review the document about “Curricular Practical Training” (CPT) for F-1 students, which is a type of work authorization which can be granted for “work” that is required by the curriculum, such as an “internship” course. Click here to learn more about CPT from the faculty perspective.

F-1 international students in good immigration status may work on-campus 20 hours or less during the Fall and Spring semesters and apply for authorization to work off-campus in limited circumstances.  F-1 students may also receive 12 or 36 months of work authorization (called “Optional Practical Training”, or OPT) after graduation to get experience in their major if they file a benefit application within the required timeline.  Additional information is located on the OISVS website.

J-1 international students may request on-campus work authorization at any time.  They are also eligible to request off-campus work authorization to work in an area related to their major (called “Academic Training”) during and after their studies.

F-1 and J-1 international students are free to travel in the U.S. with immigration documents in their possession, and may leave and reenter the U.S. as students if they meet certain requirements.

F/J international students may be eligible to take a reduced course load (RCL) for one semester per degree program (not available retroactively).

Allowable reasons to drop below full-time enrollment (usually by 3 credit hours) are:

• Illness/medical condition (as recommended by a U.S.-based medical practictioner)
• Initial difficulty with the English language in the first year;
• Initial difficulty with reading requirement in the first year;
• Unfamiliarity with American teaching methods;
• Improper course level placement; or
• To complete the course of study in the current term.

Please refer the student to the OISVS to discuss whether they would qualify for this authorization before the student stops attending class or the reduction in course load takes place. Advisors will be asked to verify the reasons the student is requesting an RCL. View the Reduced Course Load Advisor Forms online or email Lucy Dawson to send a form for e-signature.

F-1 international students in a residential program may count one online class (without face-to-face interaction) per semester toward the 12/9 hour full-time status, and may not take an online class as the only class in their final semester. In most cases, international students are not eligible to enroll in online degree programs while they are physically present in the US. Please contact the OISVS for more information.

J-1 students may only take online courses above the full-time load.  No online classes may be used toward full time status.

Students who lose their immigration status begin accruing days of unlawful presence as long as they remain in the U.S. They are not allowed to work on campus or apply for immigration benefits and are subject to deportation. Please advise the student in this situation to meet with Lucy Dawson to discuss his or her options for regaining immigration status.

• Encourage students who are in danger of losing their immigration status to speak with the international student advisor and other support staff. While international students must meet all standards of the university, faculty may choose to allow an international student to continue to attend their class even though they will complete with a failing grade. In most situations, this would allow the student to maintain their status. However, the student must actually attend classes for this to be a viable option. For more information, please contact the international student advisor.
• Report any critical incidents involving international students, such as hospitalization, arrest, or negative media attention to the OISVS.  Please contact Veronica Whitt (X2821) or Lucy Dawson (X 2237) immediately if such you learn of this type of information.
• Encourage international students to check with the OISVS for information about work authorization or immigration status for internships and off-campus employment of any kind.
• Notify the OISVS if you are part of last-minute changes that could allow a student to graduate early.
• Do not support retroactive changes to a student’s academic record without first consulting the OISVS.
• Only schedule international students to begin work in your department after the completion of the I-9 and the OISVS confirmation of status.  (View an online resource for employers interested in hiring international students.)
• Follow all published admissions criteria in the admissions process for graduate students.  Immigration documents may only be issued upon unconditional admission following all published criteria. For questions, please contact Lucy Dawson (X2237).
• Create new academic programs with international students in mind.  Please see the section below titled “Administrative Issues in Program Development”

The Associate Director for the Office of International Students and Visiting Scholars provides holistic advising regarding complex immigration
issues for students and scholars at ACU. Please do not hesitate to refer students or call Lucy Dawson, at extension 2237.

Cultural adjustment can affect students’ behavior in the U.S. classroom, their interactions with other students and their general well-being at any point during their stay in the U.S. The OISVS staff have cross-cultural experience and can help guide a student through cultural issues. In many situations, an email to Veronica Whitt at vdw09a@acu.edu will be sufficient to get the process started.

Please see the OISVS website for the other services offered to international students.