When word spread that the UW System would pass the cost of the federally mandated Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a service designed to track international students in the interest of national security, onto the international students themselves, students immediately began to protest and make their disapproval known.
The overwhelming consensus of most students on campus held that the idea of charging international students a fee to be spied on was downright distasteful. Despite the university's assertions that international students are important in making this university run, particularly at the graduate school level where they play a large role in research, this fee sent them an uninviting and hostile message.
Thankfully, our voices were heard. Chancellor John Wiley has officially announced that the SEVIS fee no longer exists, and that the system will now primarily be funded from the university's base budget, despite initial claims that it was too late to make this change.
It is clear that the overwhelming student outcry was a huge factor in Wiley's decision. This episode underscores the fact that the student voice, especially when mobilized, can indeed make a difference in eliminating any injustices on campus. Wiley's decision was not only a victory for all students, but also reminder of just how powerful and effective student protest can be.
