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St. Cloud State University
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Database set to track students
By Geoff Higgins
Published:
Thursday, October 3, 2002
The federal government is taking another step toward deterring dangerous terrorists from coming to the United States to commit violent acts.
In the year since the attack on America, the U.S. has come to the realization that it is easy for nearly anyone to enter the country and live an inconspicuous life.
International students are the first to be put through a system that keeps updates of their status while in the U.S. This system is called Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.
SEVIS is a computer database that will allow the federal government to access information on every international student that is currently in the country. SEVIS will be used to keep updated data of those students.
According to Nancy Conner, director of PR/media relations at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), the SEVIS database has been an idea that the government has been developing for years, but due to the attacks last fall the process got a lot of immediate support.
"The federal government is behind this (SEVIS), and even before Sept. 11 they were working hard to find a way to keep track of international students," Conner said.
The SEVIS database is set to start running in all of the MnSCU schools on Jan. 30, 2003.
Quick development of the system was largely boosted by emergency funding totalling $36.8 million that was part of the USA Patriot Act. The money and support for SEVIS has made MnSCU very confident that the system will run as planned.
"We are doing everything that should put us in compliance with this project and we are optimistic that we will be ready on time," Conner said.
The importance of MnSCU having the SEVIS database implemented on time is crucial. MnSCU will be using a method called batch reporting to relay the information about international students in its system to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS will oversee the information on the SEVIS databases. Batch reporting is a program that allows MnSCU to send the information to the INS through an Internet-based system every 24 hours.
Other dates that will be required of the SEVIS database are the date the student was accepted to a school or program, the date a student is issued a visa, the date the school is aware that a student has arrived, and the date that a student enrolls for classes.
Additional information is also required for the SEVIS databases. An international student's status will be updated on the database every time the student changes their address, credit load, field of study or name in the case of marriage. Another important part of information that the SEVIS will also track the number of years the student has been in school, or what year they are considered based on the number of credits they have.
Although the new SEVIS database may seem to intrude on international students' privacy, there are those that see some good things coming out of it. International students have always been given one year to complete practical training or an internship after earning a bachelor's degree. According to Jerry Pasela, assistant director and student advisor at SCSU's Center for International Studies, international students will now be given the opportunity to take on a internship that can last up to one year after completing a masters degree as well.
Although it seems possible that the SEVIS database will be implemented without a hitch, Pasela is still a little nervous that the system may encounter early problems.
"When any new system comes into play you have to be concerned if it will work correctly," Pasela said.
Although exact numbers as to how many international students are in the MnSCU system are uncertain, a recent voluntary survey given by MnSCU indicated that approximately 3,500 international students are on its campuses in Minnesota.
International students make up about 6 percent of the SCSU student body, double the national average of 3 percent international students per campus.
