Park University offers 'hybrid' courses to keep international students in U.S.

Moving to online-only classes would mean all international students would be required to leave the country, according to Immigration Customs Enforcement.

THE PRESIDENT'SADMINISTRATION TOLDCOLLEGES ANDUNIVERSITIES,INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSWOULD HAVE TO LEAVETHE COUNTRY IF CLASSESARE NOT HELD IN-PERSONTHIS COMING SEMESTER.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON EXPLAINS WHATPARK UNIVERSITY ISCONSIDERING TO HELPTHOSE STUDENTS.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGTHE PANDEMIC HAS PUTINSTITUTIONS IN A TOUGHSPOT.

MOVING TOONLINE-ONLY CLASSESWOULD MEAN ALLINTERNATIONAL STUDENTSWOULD HAVE TO LEAVETHE U.S.NADA MEAWAD - SENIOR -STUDENT-ATHLETE"It was shocking for us to hearthat in the beginning, in thebeginning I didn't believe itbecause this is something thatI would have never expectedcoming here."NADA MEAWAD AND HERSISTER NOURA ARE FROMEGYPT.THEY'RE STUDENT-ATHLETES AT PARKUNIVERSITY - AND CALLEDTHE ICE ANNOUNCEMENTUNSETTLING.NOURA MEAWAD - SENIOR -STUDENT-ATHLETE"We are just so scared and sosad because we want toenjoy, we want to play.

Wewant to play our senior yearand we want to do somethingfor Park, you know."ICE SAID THATINTERNATIONAL STUDENTSWOULD HAVE TO RETURNHOME IF THEIR SCHOOLSSWITCHED TO ONLINE-ONLY COURSES.WITH AN 8 HOUR TIMEDIFFERENCE - THATPRESENTED ANOTHERPROBLEMNADA MEAWAD"The time difference is hugeand then contacting ourprofessors and classmatesand all that, we have to makesure that everything is at thesame time as in the states."THIS MOVE BY ICE WOULDIMPACT THOUSANDS OFSTUDENTS IN THEMETROGREG GUNDERSON -PRESIDENT, PARK UNIVERSITY"Park University has 263international students out of1,400 that are on campus, sothey're a significant part ofouracademic and campus life."THE PRESIDENT OF PARKUNIVERSITY IS AMONGMANY WHO ARENAVIGATING THE NEWS.PARK IS JUST ONE SCHOOLPLANNING ON HYBRIDCLASSES IN THE FALL -WHICH WOULD PREVENTSTUDENTS FROM HAVINGTO LEAVE THE U.S.NOURA MEAWAD"He was really standing by usand he was trying to make usnot worry about anything."HYBRID COURSES AREJUST A MIX OF ONLINE ANDIN-PERSON CLASSES.GUNDERSON"We've communicated to ourinternational students thatwhat we have in place meetsthe requirement of ICE andthat we will adjust our plansaccordingly so that they areable to finish their educationalexperience with us."THE DECISION WOULDKEEP NADA AND NOURA ATPARK IN THE FALL - ANDSAVE THEIR SENIORVOLLEYBALL SEASON.NOURA MEAWAD"All my friends, we don't calleach other friends, we calleach other family.

So youknow, we want to stay,MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGK-U, K-STATE, AND MIZZOUARE ALL OFFERING HYBRIDCOURSES TO KEEPINTERNATIONAL STUDENTSON CAMPUS.IN Kansas City, MCKENZIENELSON, 41 ACTION NEWS