Seattle Pacific University President Responds To Trump Travel Ban
With 100 undergraduate and 60 graduate students representing around 35 countries, Seattle Pacific University may as well be considered an international university. So, it comes as no surprise that when President Trump implemented his executive order to impose a travel ban to the United States for citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, the University didn’t remain quiet. Instead, school President Dan Martin sent a message to every international student and all students, faculty and staff with friends and family overseas.
In his letter, President Martin revealed that SPU is closely monitoring the travel ban and is in the process of working with all international students affected by the order. “We are committed to standing with our students and giving them all the support we can as they continue their education at Seattle Pacific,” he said.
Martin then went on to quote a memo that he wrote to the university shortly after the presidential election. In the memo, he empirically stated that every member of the SPU community matters and that the university wouldn’t be what it was without each individual. “We care deeply for our international brothers and sisters, and we will do all we can to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for them and all those on our campus, regardless of faith or nationality.”
He continued by expanding the issue past SPU’s borders to America as a whole, urging everyone to pray for wisdom and insight for our national leaders. He also asked readers to “continue to be a people who reach out to our neighbors and provide safe places to build community.”
The memo ended with President Martin’s promise to provide further updates as the university learned more about the impact of the situation. “I am proud that our faculty are leading a discussion this week to better understand the impact of this executive order on our students and our community.”
To read the full memo and to read any future updates, visit the SPU news website.
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Kelly Vo
Kelly Vo is a writer who specializes in covering MBA programs, digital marketing, and personal development.
