ACPA Response to Executive Orders that Exclude

ACPA Response to Executive Orders that Exclude
1 February 2017

We join members of the Washington Secretariat in protesting the harmful impact of the 27 January 2017 Executive Order, one part of which created a 90-day ban denying US entry to citizens from seven Muslim majority countries.   

ACPA-College Student Educators International core values include equity, inclusion, and respect for human dignity, justice, holistic student development and the free exchange of ideas.  Our core values provide the basis for our lives together in our professional community where we encourage members to work openly and effectively across differences.

Today, we want our members to know that our commitment to this work and our core values remains constant. This ban institutionalizes racism and religious discrimination by creating an environment in which people who identify or are seen as Muslim are even more vulnerable to acts of harassment and violence.

Among those affected by the Order are academics and students who are unable to travel to visit family, perform research, and participate in conferences. 

To support  members in the opportunity to participate in Convention in Columbus, Ohio 26-29 March 2017, we will: 

• Provide free access to all recorded sessions for members who cannot enter the United States due to this ban or other heightened restrictions

• Refund the registration for any person who is now banned from US entry

We are also collecting the stories of students and professionals who have been banned or who have experienced restrictions on their campuses and entering/exiting the US. We will share these stories in a policy brief with the US Departments of Education, Justice, Homeland Security and State. We know that one of the most powerful ways to change hearts and minds and to galvanize the conscience of human beings is to humanize these situations. If you would like your story to be shared as part of this policy brief, please send it to alex@acpa.nche.edu.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and others during this time.

Donna A. Lee, President
Stephen John Quaye, Vice President
Gavin Henning, Past President
Cindi Love, Executive Director