Following the enactment of new regulations in terms of migrant or international employees in American academic institutions, Florida International University has instituted an immediately effective “pause” in hiring people from countries including China, Cuba, and Venezuela- per an internal company email that was obtained by WRLN News.
The pause is motivated by a recent law passed earlier this year that is designed to combat “countries of concern” from infiltrating the higher education system. This term seems to imply a certain wariness about countries with a significant amount of internal conflict.
As laid out in the unanimously passed bill, SB 846, these countries include: Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, Iran, China, Syria, and North Korea. The only viable way around this ban would be to obtain waivers on a case-by-case basis to proceed with the hiring or recruitment process of people from these countries.
However, the changes at FIU could possibly lead to vacancies in science programs that recruit mostly Chinese grad students– or at their Cuban Research Institute which heavily involves Cuban dissidents.
In an email sent to FIU deans, department chairs, graduate program directors, and human resources liaisons by Andres Gil–FIU’s VP of Research and the dean of the university’s graduate school–stressed that due to the new state law and regulations, schools and departments should immediately “pause” any job offers or recruitments for individuals who are from the “countries of concern.”
“Any offers that have been made and any active recruiting should pause until we have a good handle on the process so it can be appropriately communicated to candidates and specifically referenced in our offer letters,” reads Gil’s letter.
Gil also wrote that the university does not get the final say in any candidate process. Instead, it is ultimately left up to the state Board of Governors whose members include Gov. DeSantis, and FIU’s board of trustees, most of whom are presumably appointed by DeSantis or his direct appointees.
In reaction to this policy at the University of Florida in Gainesville, over 300 faculty members have signed a petition stating that the pause at their school “could negatively influence the long-term development, reputation, and leadership of UF.”
The U.S. Department of State already performs background checks on international people coming into the U.S. for work, but the new law has created an extra rigorous state-level vetting and verification process.
