Unilateral Sanctions Imposed by an Educational Institution
On Thursday, February 12th the University of Massachusetts Amherst announced its unique policy among all higher education institutions that “the University has determined that it will no longer admit Iranian national students to specific programs in the College of Engineering (i.e., Chemical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering) and in the College of Natural Sciences (i.e., Physics, Chemistry, Microbiology, and Polymer Science & Engineering) effective February 1, 2015.” Additionally, "all enrolled Iranian national students will be required to acknowledge the restrictions imposed by the 2012 sanctions and certify their compliance in writing.”
This policy enacted by UMass is clearly in conflict with academic values and principles that prohibit discrimination on the basis of color, race, religion, age, sex, and national origin. It also goes against the university’s policy of accessible education to advanced knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the world. This outrageous policy of a blanket admission ban on students of Iranian nationality is framed by UMass administration to be in ‘compliance’ with a 2012 federal law (H.R. 1905) that should only concern the Secretary of State and Department of Homeland Security.
While the decision is entirely left to be determined by the Secretary of State as clearly specified in the law, this educational institution is taking upon itself to be a law enforcer by framing its ‘policing’ as law compliance. Surprisingly, this unique interpretation presented by UMass is the only example of its kind among all universities in the United States. This act of collective punishment will severely damage UMass’ reputation as the flagship university in the state known to be the 'state of education' and ‘Spirit of America.’
This law clearly does not obligate any university to pose admission bans on Iranian students who seek to pursue higher education in the United States in science and engineering. As a State Department official told The Boston Globe on Feb 13th: “US law does not prohibit qualified Iranian nationals coming to the United States for education in science and engineering,” and “Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.”
This policy brings a lot of shame to our community that has been known for its progressive and undiscriminating environment. And at the time that UMass aims to set an example for leadership, making negative headlines that concern institutional discrimination and inequality is the last thing the community should be looking for. The Iranian community in Amherst is feeling betrayed, excluded, and threatened, which potentially can affect their academic contribution.