Skip to main content
2024 NAFSA Region XI Conference Main banner
Back
Session Evaluation

Session

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Political Discourse, Protest, and Activism: Advising on Rights and Risks

Sunday, October 27, 2024
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM EDT
Location: Meeting Room 23
Presentation Description: Foreign nationals in the US have the right to engage in protest and political activism, but risk immigration penalties for arrests and criminal charges, as well as possible censure and repercussions back home. In an era of elevated political discourse and organized disruption, what do DSO and AROs need to know to advise students and scholars of their rights and risks? How  do legal rights and community standards intersect when political activism happens on campus?

Learning Objectives:

  • Will learn about U.S. free speech protections and avenues for effective activism and advocacy.
  • Will gain an understanding of U.S. immigration-related risks that may follow an arrest or criminal charge, as well as risks the student/scholar may face abroad.
  • Will gain an understanding of the institutional considerations for protecting both personal rights and community standards when disruptions happen on campus.

    Presenter(s)

  • David C. Elwell, MPA (he/him/his)

    Associate Dean and Director, International Students Office
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    Cambridge, Massachusetts

    • Chair and Presenter(s)

  • Andrea Popa, MA

    Director, International Student Advisor
    Emerson College
    Boston, Massachusetts

    Slides

    • Presenter(s)

  • Kenneth Reade, MA

    Executive Director of Immigration Services
    University of Massachusetts Amherst
    Amherst, Massachusetts