Planning for and Implementing
Background
Boston University enrolls approximately
4,400 international students, almost all of whom are in F-1 student
or J-1 exchange visitor status with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service (USCIS). The institution sponsors the activities of approximately
840 international scholars, many of whom are in J-1 professor or researcher
status with the USCIS. The institution and these individuals will be
affected by a statutory mandate and a federal agency initiative known
as the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The
Current Process - Where We Are Now
Processing
The current process is a paper process, both from federal and campus
perspectives. All work required to admit, enroll, and retain F-1
and J-1 students, and all work required to sponsor the activities
of J-1 scholars, involves the use of federal forms produced using
specialized computer software. The data required for this process
resides in over 50 different offices throughout both the Charles
River and Medical Campuses, with no centralized source of comprehensive
data and no electronic data links with the offices which need such
links. Paper is passed from office to office for all required processing.
Reporting
There has been no federal reporting required on foreign nationals
in F-1 or J-1 status in almost two decades. Incidental to the process
of form creation and use, the federal government eventually receives
a copy of the form.
The Future Process - Where We Need to Be
Processing
All future F-1 and J-1 processing will be accomplished through the
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which requires
the transmission of data via the Internet. The future process will
gradually move from a form-centric, paper process to one which is
largely paperless. To facilitate University compliance with SEVIS
requirements, the current internal paper process should be replaced
by the electronic transfer of data.
Reporting
The SEVP will require continuous, event-based, electronic reporting
on approximately 120-150 data elements per student or exchange visitor,
with regulatory time deadlines imposed on schools to ensure that
timely information is reported. In order to properly comply with
federal reporting requirements, the University must move from the
logistical transfer of information to a system which fully utilizes
available technology.
Moving from Current to Future Processes - What We Need to Do to
Comply with the SEVP
Perform a flexible Business Process Review (BPR)
of relevant university processes affecting data elements to be reported
to the government
Each of the data elements which must be reported to the federal
government should be examined and a flexible BPR performed on all
elements which, if reported erroneously or in an untimely manner
to the government, could have negative repercussions for individual
students or exchange visitors.
Modify business processes, as needed, to ensure federal
compliance and professional management of electronic reporting
When University policies and/or business processes can reasonably
be modified to insure institutional compliance and minimize potential
liability - and provide proactive, professional services to international
students and scholars - such changes should be considered for implementation.
Evaluate the architecture and topology of relevant University
computer systems and databases
All computer systems and databases which contain information needed
for compliance with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
should be studied and mapped, including current and possible future
data transfers between systems and databases.
Develop the policies, procedures, and systems, as needed,
to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and appropriate internal transfer
of relevant data, and to facilitate the timely reporting of this
information to the federal government
SEVIS-compliant client-management software designed around relevant
business processes will need to be in place and fully operational
by the federal compliance deadline if Boston University wishes to
continue its F-1 and J-1 programs. This software may be purchased
from a vendor or developed in house. Since reporting will be continuous
and time deadlines established by federal statute and regulation,
reports on data changes should be produced and evaluated on a daily
basis.
|
