Policy and Practice Committee Monthly Update

In its monthly teleconferences, the Policy and Practice (P&P) Committee reviews input from the practitioners in the field and takes action.

• The four subcommittees of P&P Committee review, analyze, and prioritize your input to IssueNet and make recommendations to P&P each month.
• P&P's vice chairs also solicit input from the knowledge community (KC) chairs and bring these issues to the monthly teleconference.

Current Issues

From the Policy & Practice Teleconference held on August 6, 2008.

Members Present

DeDe Long (Chair),
Margie Gooding (ISS Vice-Chair), Heather Thompson (EA vice-Chair), Lynn Elliott, Connie Burk, Andrea Godfread-Brown, Jenny Bowen, and David Elwell.

Input from KC Chair Streams

Education Abroad: Nothing reported
Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship: Nothing reported
International Education Leadership: Nothing reported
International Students and Scholar Services: Nothing reported
Recruitment, Admissions, and Preparation: Nothing reported

Reports/Recommendations from Subcommittees & Point Persons

Heather Thompson, Vice-Chair of EA

1. Significant Activity: Discussing 2009 Annual conference proposals (review and submission of policy- & practice-related sessions.

Subcommittee	Report/Issue	P&P Action
Education Abroad	CampusFrance Update	Refer to EA Visas
	Changes to student visas and the registry/license for programs in the UK	Refer to EA Visas Working Group and staff to gather more information. EA Visas point person will attend AASAP (Association of American Study Abroad Programmes)/UK meeting in October and will provide update
International Student & Scholar	E-Verify	Refer to ISS Subcommittee for further discussion regarding liaison, practice advisory, or practice resource
Regulatory Ombuds	CSC RegOmbud Meeting 9/3/08	Refer to RegOmbuds and staff to solicit questions from members
	RegOmbud Meetings at VSC & TSC in Sept-Oct	No action needed at this time
SEVIS	SEVIS II Task Force – Revised Charge, Seeking Chair	Chair of SEVIS SC will send revised charge to VPPP to review
	SEVP Guidance (SEVIS Q&A with SEVP transcript, SEVIS July Teleconference, SEVP Quarterly Stakeholders' July)	No action needed at this time
	SEVIS 5.10	No action needed at this time
	J-1 Work Authorization Guidance	Refer to KC for possible Practice Resource regarding best practices

Staff Updates

Public Policy: Rachel Banks

• Simon Legislation – Bill included in package sponsored by Senator Reid, but it failed to reach cloture (8 votes short). Public Policy staff is working with other interest groups to find another vehicle to move the bill forward before Congress adjourns this year.
• August Town Hall Meetings – Members of Congress are holding town hall meetings this month in their home states/districts – all who can are encouraged to attend or alternatively, make appointments to meet with district office staff. Public Policy staff will send alerts to ACT members if/when their members of Congress post details about upcoming town hall meetings.
• National Lieutenant Governor’s Association passes a resolution on July 25 in support of a national international education policy - text and list of cosponsors are available on the NAFSA website. Whips in states with lt. governors who cosponsored the resolution have been asked to send thank you letters; other NAFSAns are encouraged to do the same.
• USA Scholarship Proposal – Rep. Delahunt plans to introduce a bill in September to provide financial aid to disadvantaged, non-traditional international students. Rep. Delahunt’s office has been in regular contact with NAFSA staff re: this proposal.

Regulatory Practice: Kirsten Snyder

• DOL Stakeholders Meeting 7/15/08. Minutes to be posted soon.
• E-Verify Meeting with USCIS Ombuds office 7/30/08. The Ombuds office requested that NAFSA provide information regarding ISS work authorization that is not available in the SAVE database to verify ISS through E-Verify.
• Regional Conferences – SEVP and EVP plan to send representatives to all regional conferences. Note: RegBuds coordinate government participation in regional conferences.
• NSC Student/Schools Teleconference 8/28/08