Strategic Response Team

Since February, Oakland University’s Strategic Response Team (SRT) has monitored and responded to directives from the President of the United States, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and other federal authorities related to federal directives and executive branch policy changes pertaining to higher education. 
Federal courts have upheld the principle of academic freedom and the First Amendment while admonishing the federal government for its attempts to overreach its lawful authority. Nonetheless, the pressure to conform or face the consequences of losing funding and being subjected to an OCR probe have required a strategic response based on Oakland’s best interests. In that regard, the following are some of the actions that the SRT has taken through December 2025:

1. An ongoing review of policies, programs and practices to ensure that Oakland remains inclusive and non-exclusionary while complying with applicable law.
2. Ensuring there are no restrictions on the principles of academic freedom in the classroom. 
3. A comprehensive evaluation of Oakland’s scholarship, endowment and grant awards in light of the applicable legal requirements.
4. Elimination of the requirement of Diversity Statements in faculty searches.
5. Following the death of our esteemed colleague Glenn McIntosh, the position of Chief Diversity Officer has not been replaced, but the mission of fostering a welcoming campus has continued under the efforts co-chaired by Omar Brown-El and Tomoko Wakabayashi.
6. Ongoing monitoring of the federal budget and reforms to the Department of Education that impact Oakland’s operations, including student financial aid loan servicing.
7. Reviews of requirements from the National Institute of Health, e.g. the capping of indirect costs recovery.
8. Support for President Pescovitz’s endorsement (in April) of the American Association of Colleges & Universities’ statement that cited “unprecedented government overreach and political interference (now) endangering American higher education.” (In April, the list included 150 schools. To-date, more than 500 university presidents have signed the appeal.)

Federal action on travel and visa restrictions

The Trump administration issued a proclamation expanding U.S. travel restrictions to 39 countries, applying a mix of full and partial limitations on future visa issuance. Importantly, the policy is prospective and does not revoke visas already issued prior to the effective date.

Currently, there is no immediate impact to currently enrolled international students, scholars, or employees who hold valid visas. There may be implications for future international enrollment and hiring pipelines, which we will need to continue to monitor closely.

We will continue to track federal guidance and provide updates if circumstances change or if institutional action becomes necessary. International Students and Scholars Office remains the primary resource for individual student visa questions.

Key points:

• Visas issued prior to the effective date remain valid and are not being revoked.
• It appears that students currently abroad for winter break with valid visas should be able to return as planned.
• New visa issuance for affected countries is restricted unless applicants meet narrow exemption criteria.
• Lawful permanent residents, dual citizens, diplomats, certain students, and other defined groups remain exempt.
• The restrictions primarily affect future visa processing, not individuals currently enrolled or employed in the U.S. with valid status.
• The administration has indicated the list of affected countries may change over time.

International Students and Scholars page