The recently signed executive order suspending immigration from specific countries has caused uncertainty and anxiety for members of the Temple community and all of higher education. We advise all nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to consider delaying international travel at this time, as it is not clear how re-entry will be affected by the new regulations. We hope the coming days and weeks will provide greater clarity, for the benefit of you as individuals and for Temple and other institutions of higher education.

Temple prides itself on being a community of diverse scholars, many of whom come to us from foreign nations. We are committed to enabling our faculty, students and visitors—both from the U.S. and from locations around the globe—to contribute to the vitality of the education we provide and the role we play in the local, regional and global economy. We embrace diversity as integral to our mission of education and discovery. Temple is a better university because of this diversity.

If you are affected by the immigration suspension, or are unsure of your situation, you are invited to reach out to the office of International Student and Scholar Services (www.temple.edu/isss; isss@temple.edu) for information on travel outside the United States and to discuss additional specific questions resulting from the immigration suspension.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will reach out with additional information as it becomes available.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to make our university such a diverse and welcoming place for education, scholarly inquiry and service to society.

Richard M. Englert, President