International Students on Campuscampussafetyconference.com/images/uploads/230_Intl_students_06-10... · • Recognize/respond to visa/transcript fraud ... and unofficial transcripts

International Students on CampusWhy We Must Care

Presenters Chief Dan Dusseau

Northern Virginia Community College Lt. John Weinstein

Northern Virginia Community College

Our Goals• Minimize criminality based on cultural differences• Monitor the precursors to terrorism to:

– Avoid violence on campus and society in general– Avoid use of college documentation as legitimate ID

• Recognize/respond to visa/transcript fraud• Promote full integration of international students

(I/S) into college experience

NOVA’s Challenges • Largest of VA Comm. Coll. System’s

23 colleges: ~75K students• 6 campuses/ 3 centers; centrally

administered. Teach at 300-400 locations.

• NOVA is the 9th most internationally diverse U.S. higher ed. Institution– Students from 180 countries

• NOVA has ~2,000+ I/S on campus per year and 5th highest I/S enrollment for U.S. CCs

• NOVA administers the Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) Funded by State Department, Provides opportunities for foreign

students to develop leadership capabilities, professional skills, and English language proficiency, at a U.S. community college.

Since CCIP’s 2007 establishment, more than 75 community colleges have hosted over 2,740 participants from 21 countries.

Evolving Immigration Environment

Top 10 Places of Origin of I/S in US

Bottom Line Up Front Visa/transcript fraud

• Costly • Injurious to College’s

brand • Multi-dimensional • Uncoordinated

• Based to an extent on faith

• Conducive to fraud • Potentially dangerous

Visa Fraud and Transcripts• Fraud in international higher

ed is a $1.5-$2.5b business (Redden, 2012)

• I/S applications are increasing

• Illegitimate international applications and transcripts are not new, but appear to be increasing (Redden, 2012)

– Most schools lack procedures to identify/deal with the problem

• “College advisors” promise university acceptance for I/S (Swan, 2012)

• Fake universities (e.g., Tri Valley, Univ. of North Virginia) result in visa fraud (Mishra, 2012)

• There are loopholes and gaps in our system (Mishra, 2012)

Do we have a Problem?Student letter, dated, February 17, 2014, to Dean“Hello, I’m letting you know about a company called Integrated Academics which I have used to do my homework. They have taken all my classes for me and I did not do any of the work. I am writing to let you know how big the problem is. All of the Arab students that I know use a service like Integrated Academics where the company does homework for them. We give the company all the sign in information and we don’t have to do anything but go to classes sometimes. IT is a very bad thing and I thing (sic) we should stop this (sic) actions. Please contact me so that we can talk about this. Cheating is big problem with Saudi, Qatari and other Arabic students.”

/s/ Saif al XXXXXXX

Case Background• In July 2013, NOVA’s International Student Affairs

Office Coordinator reported a problem with a student on an F-1 student visa– Student’s record had a hold (unfulfilled requirement)

which prevented him from getting an I-20 • Discovered possible fraudulent English proficiency

transcript and visa fraud involving I-20 (student visa)

I-20 Student Visa

Get accepted by a school

Pay SEVIS fee & receiveI‐20

Complete F‐1 visa application

Attend visa interview at embassy

F‐1 visa approval

I-20 Process (cont.)

• If education requirements not completed in time, Designated School Official (DSO) can terminate students in SEVIS Student must be actively enrolled in school must maintain passing grades must demonstrate English proficiency to be accepted to NOVA degree-

granting program• Documentary proof: transcript from another College/University

equivalent to NOVA’s ENGL111• Failure to meet standards may result in:

F-1 status termination Requirement to leave U.S.

Investigation Process– Interviewed the

student– Student had a

payment receipt – Investigation

identified Integrated Academics as company charging students for an I-20

• NOVA PD & DHS task force established– 5,000+ hours dedicated

to case

• NOVA PD audited ~200 I/S records/transcripts

Investigative Findings • NOVA PD found official

and unofficial transcripts in question

• Transcripts were secured and submitted by Integrated Academics (IA)

• Majority of NOVA students with fake transcripts came from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE

• Undercover agent went to IA and secured services (transcript and completed homework/tests)

• Multiple search warrants served

Investigative Findings • Provided fraudulent transcripts

to students who failed English proficiency standards

• Had student ID #s, accounts, & email addresses & corresponded with NOVA

• Paid professors/others to complete NOVA tests

• Students used the company’s address

• Templates of official transcripts• Documents broken down by

class/ students in class/ NOVA student’s ID & passwords

• Tests w/ answers & emails explaining how IA would handle full course loads & costs

• Approx. 150 students involved and forwarded by police for College adjudication – Feds/State declined student

prosecution

Evidence ?

In police work we call this a clue…

Federal Charges• Owners of IA Federally

charged:– During 1 year, IA showed

$2.3 million in gross receipts

– Over $300,000 in asset forfeiture

• All 3 pled guilty of immigration fraud conspiracy and other charges– Jail time

Federal Charges• Strayer staff

member getting kickbacks

• (~$37K) for creating fake transcripts on official Strayer correspondence was charged in Federal court

NOVA Internal Task Force Findings1. Issues with document delivery/receipt (I‐20s, transcripts,

and verifying documentation)2. Issues with changes and updates to I‐20s3. Campus D.S.O. roles4. Multiple databases used (SEVIS, SIS, Access)5. Lack of procedures for staff and adequate staffing 6. Lack of training/development for staff 7. Poor coordination between 3 different English learning

programs (workforce, college ESL program, & academic)

Lessons Learned• Pervasive throughout U.S.

according to suspects • State/federal laws and student

conduct codes did not adequately address IA’s (and other companies’) fraudulent actions State Code for transcript fraud may be a

better criminal avenue Consider requiring English placement

testing for all international students Accept only sealed official transcripts

and/or official documents from TOEFL, IELTS

• Transcript audits may identify: Over representation of

same transfer colleges “Fake” colleges Same U.S. home

addresses Same classes Lack of English

proficiency comments by instructors and other students

Lessons Learned (cont.)• Coordination essential

– College officials (financial aid, student discipline, student life, admissions, etc.)

– Local police – ICE– Embassies– Attorneys– Commonwealth Attorney/Grand

Jury– Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission

(SACM)– Victim universities (Strayer &

Adams State)

• DHS not watching I-20 Students

• FBI was interested, but info was one-way

• Must also remember to protect the College brand.

Terrorists Enrolled Now What?

• Foreign -and native-born• No prior recognition or tracking by NOVA or

College Police• Former/current students charged with

terrorist-related incidents

2010 Waqar Khan, Ramy Zamzam, Umar Chaudhry, Ahmed Minni, Aman Hassan

All traveled to Pakistan to join the fight against American forces in Afghanistan.

2011 Yonathan Melaku Fired at the Pentagon, Marine Corps and Coast Guard recruiting centers

2012 Liban Haji Mohamed

Charged with providing material support and resources to al‐Shabaab

2015 Reza Niknejad Went to Syria to fight for ISIS

2016 Joseph Hassan Farrokh Attempted travel from U.S. to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS

2016 Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan

Attempted travel from U.S. to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS

2016 Mohamed Jamal Khweis ISIS defector indicted on charges of helping a terrorist organization (fighting for ISIS) after being captured by Kurds in Iraq.

2016 Mohamed Jalloh Plotting a domestic terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State

2016 Haris Qamar Attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS

2017 Michael Queen Soufian Amri

Conspiracy to obstruct justice & false statements involving international terrorism, obstruction of justice in Qamar case.

2010 Paul & Nadia Rockwood

Violent jihad‐promoting & began researching possible targets for execution.Moved to AK. In 2010, he formalized his list (15 specific targets)Wife, Nadia, helped disseminate the list.

A Stranger in a Strange Land• First time abroad, to study at a Colombian university• Living with a Colombian family; minimum contact with

Americans• Stuck out like a sore thumb• Didn’t know culture• Spanish not very good: astounding language mistakes• Passport and money stolen on Day 2• Police not very responsive (US Embassy less so!)

Dealing with International Students • Trust• Constitutional Safeguards• Legal Safeguards• Title IX • It’s in our best interest to keep them safe and

feeling accepted

Challenges(like dealing with Millennials, but amplified)

• Fear/Negative image of the police– Instruments of oppression in own countries

• Potential radicalization on campus– No support structure; stay with own kind– New culture, some aspects of which may be offensive

• Cultural issues may be associated with criminality/Clery/T9 issues– Different concepts of male/female relations, entitlement vs.

merit, etc.• Politics of immigration

Bottom line: students are “under the influence”

Fear of the Police• Constitutional safeguards

– 1st Amendment (freedom of speech and association)– 4th Amendment (freedom against unreasonable search; concept of

consensual encounters)– 5th Amendment (no self incrimination)– 14th Amendment (Due process/equal protection under the law)

• Complaint/internal affairs processes (no retaliation/unbiased)• Concept of “protect and serve”

– Role of police in securing campus as key to ensuring successful academic environment

Sources of Misunderstanding and Behaviors(Problems for I/S and Police)

• Personal space

• Eye contact

• Gestures/non-verbal communications

• Punctuality

• Attitudes toward authority

• Attitudes toward diversity

• Attitudes toward gender and unwanted touching

The Politics of Immigration(combat through education)

• Probable cause• Balance/separation of

powers• Discretion• Equal protection/due process• Campus police are

independent from ICE operations

• No profiling: – do not know immigration status

before making a stop• Campus police actions do not

determine deportation decisions• Detentions/arrests are not for

punishment or motivated by hate– for keeping campuses safe

Strategies for Success• Minimize criminality due to cultural differences

– Outreach (provide info helpful to I/S, such as sexual assault, scams, larcenies, etc. via newsletter, presentations at clubs)

– Department diversity (national origin, race, gender, language) and officer training (diversity)

• Monitor the precursors to terrorism to– Promote situational awareness on campus– Pay attention to social media– Identify priority targets and exercise basic security– Integrated situational awareness (parking/facilities; student discipline)– Liaison with JTTF

Strategies for Success (cont.)

• Avoid/recognize/respond to visa/transcript fraud– Adequate staffing, policies/procedures, and training on indicators

• Full integration of I/S into college experience– Outreach (e.g., training, newsletter, attending student club meetings)– Mentorship/support student activities and clubs– Describe police role in enhancing education via safe campuses– Protections (constitutional, complaint process)– Friendly, accessible patrol on foot and bicycles– Culture of service to campus community (campus police are not feds)

Conclusion• Emphasis on:

– Serve as well as protect– Educate about safeguards

• Outreach is key– Newsletters/Mentorship/

involvement in clubs– Sensitivity/awareness of

officers• Diversity of department• Avoid isolation of international

students

• Integration/coordination with all college, local and federal stakeholders

• Pay attention to social media and news accounts

• Participation/relationship with JTTF

• Visa/transcript fraud is wide-spread; know signs and what to do (handout)

This is our Goal!

Texas

OPEN DOORS FACT SHEET: Texas

Educational Exchange Data from Open Doors 2016 INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Rank in U.S. Total

FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE

#3 82,184 (+8.7%)

ESTIMATED FOREIGN STUDENTS EXPENDITURE IN THE STATE**

$1,922,928,083

* Rankings include all 50 U.S. states in addition to Washington, D.C. ** Economic analysis produced by NAFSA: Association of International Educators based on enrollment data from Open Doors 2016. www.nafsa.org/eis

INSTITUTIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FOREIGN STUDENTS

Institution City Total

University of Texas - Dallas Dallas 8,145 Texas A&M University College Station 6,940

University of Texas - Arlington Arlington 6,169 University of Texas - Austin Austin 6,069

Houston Community College System Houston 5,649

LEADING PLACES OF ORIGIN FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE Rank Place of Origin % Total

1 India 24.1 2 China 17.6 3 Mexico 8.9 4 Vietnam 5.2 5 Saudi Arabia 5.0

AMERICAN STUDENTS ABROAD

TOTAL NUMBER OF U.S. STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS ENROLLED THROUGH INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE

2013/14 2014/15 14,946 16,605

STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE FUNDED PROGRAMS

Exchange Program Fulbright Program Gilman Program 2015/16 2016/17 2014/15 2015/16

U.S. Students from colleges and universities in the state

51

51

187

239

Foreign Students at colleges and universities in the state

131

152

N/A

Virginia

OPEN DOORS FACT SHEET: Virginia


Rank in U.S. Total


#16 19,549 (+7.3%)


$587,648,103

* Rankings include all 50 U.S. states in addition to Washington, D.C. ** Economic analysis produced by NAFSA: Association of International Educators based on enrollment data from Open Doors 201 www.nafsa.org/eis



Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg 4,020 George Mason University Fairfax 3,123

University of Virginia - Charlottesville Charlottesville 2,573 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale 1,855

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond 1,703


1 China 26.3 2 India 12.6 3 Saudi Arabia 9.1 4 South Korea 6.4 5 Vietnam 3.2



2013/14 2014/15 10,023 10,400




53

49

48

44


66

70

N/A

Pennsylvania

OPEN DOORS FACT SHEET: Pennsylvania


Rank in U.S. Total


#6 48,453 (+6.0%)


$1,699,470,627




Penn State University - University Park University Park 8,084 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh 7,051 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia 6,221

Drexel University Philadelphia 3,984 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Pittsburgh 3,946

LEADING PLACES OF ORIGIN FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE STATE

Rank Place of Origin % Total

1 China 38.8 2 India 15.0 3 Saudi Arabia 7.0 4 South Korea 5.8 5 Canada 2.5



2013/14 2014/15 19,039 18,927




112

110

108

99


192

198

N/A

California

OPEN DOORS FACT SHEET: California


Rank in U.S. Total


#1 149,328 (+10.5 %)


$5,215,216,463




University of Southern California Los Angeles 13,340 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles 11,513 University of California - San Diego La Jolla 7,556 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley 7,313

University of California - Irvine Irvine 5,647


1 China 35.3 2 India 12.4 3 South Korea 7.2 4 Saudi Arabia 3.9 5 Taiwan 3.4



2013/14

2014/15

29,177 30,142




181

193 489

480


369

369

N/A