UMass: “We will Accept Iranian Students”

University of Massachusetts Amherst has reversed a controversial decision to exclude Iranian students from its student body.

In a statement released on February 18, the college said it would “accept Iranian students into science and engineering programs, developing individualized study plans to meet the requirements of federal sanctions law and address the impact on students.”

The university announced the decision to exclude Iranian students from some programs in the Colleges of Engineering and Natural Sciences on February 13. The announcement met with protest and criticism from Amherst students and generated widespread debate on social and mainstream media. Iranian students already enrolled in courses at Amherst expressed anxiety over the future of their academic careers, and some of them issued a statement on the “No to the UMass Educational Ban on Iranian Nationals” Facebook page, set up to respond to the policy and its repercussions.

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) welcomed the new decision. “Sanctions have caused many problems, but they are not an excuse to discriminate against Iranian students,” its president, Trita Parsi, said on its website. “UMass has done the right thing to correct its mistake and we look forward to learning full details about how its new policy will ensure Iranian students are not discriminated against.”

The college said it had revised its stance after “consultation with the State Department and outside counsel.”

“This approach reflects the university’s longstanding commitment to wide access to educational opportunities,” the statement said, quoting Michael Malone, vice chancellor for research and engagement at the university.

The university statement also reiterated that the “U.S. Department of State deny visas to Iranian students wishing to engage in certain fields of study related to the energy sector, nuclear science, nuclear engineering or a related field at U.S. colleges and universities.”