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Even as Classes Begin, Some Foreign Students Are Still in Visa Limbo

Foreign students are still holding out hope of salvaging the semester

Author

Steve Ulrich
September 08, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

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SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3

😀  Monday, Monday. That feeling when your team wins on SNF.

🗞️ In Today’s Edition. Some Foreign Students Are Still in Visa Limbo. Why Strategic Recognition Matters in Sports. DIII Strategic Plan. Plays of the Weekend.

🗓️ What’s Happening Today. The DIII Championships Committee begins a two day meeting in Indianapolis, while the Convention Planning Subcommittee holds a virtual meeting.

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TOP STORY

1. Even as Classes Begin, Some Foreign Students Are Still in Visa Limbo

by Karin Fischer, Chronicle of Higher Education

“A global backlog of student visas has led to a decline in international enrollments this fall. The question is, by how much?

Days, and even weeks, after classes have begun, many foreign students are still struggling to get visa appointments, holding out hope of salvaging the semester as colleges try to find ways to accommodate late arrivals. At the same time, institutions are working to reassure those stuck in their home countries that their American educational dream isn’t ended, only deferred. They are offering online courses and activities to keep students engaged and on track to enroll when bottlenecks ease.”

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» Driving the News. “The primary cause of the logjam is a three-week suspension in student-visa interviews in May and June, imposed so that the U.S. Department of State could put in place a plan to vet international students’ social-media accounts. It couldn’t have come at a more disruptive time, as students worldwide geared up to come to the United States.”

» Quotable. “It’s akin to pausing retail sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Tom Dretler, chief executive of Shorelight, a company that supports colleges in overseas recruitment.

2. See the Small Stuff: Why Strategic Recognition Matters in Sports

by John Cairney and Rick Burton, Sportico

“In sport (and sport business), we live and breathe performance. We crave medals, split-second improvements, big wins, signed contracts and renewed sponsors. We want ticket sales, revenue growth and engagement metrics.

So, whether you’re an athlete, coach, marketing director or general manager, the pressure to deliver is relentless. High-performance culture is the backbone of modern sport … and for good reason.

But in the rush to reward performance, we often forget a critical part of the equation: recognizing the effort and unseen work ethic needed to generate performance. We see outcomes and visible hustle.

What’s not always felt by employees is the warmth (or nod-of-the-head recognition) of feeling valued.”

» Why It Matters. “Enter the concept of strategic recognition, a deceptively simple leadership tool, a secret weapon rarely deployed with the precision and intent it deserves. This is particularly true in the sport vertical, where burnout, departmental turnover and disengagement loom large.”

» Reality Check. “A Gallup study found 41% lower absenteeism in workplaces with strong recognition cultures. Deloitte surveyed workers about what they wanted most to support day-to-day performance: 84% just wanted a “thank you.” Not a bonus. Not a promotion. Just acknowledgment.”

» The Final Word. “So, if you’re a boss, sweat the small stuff. Build a praise culture. Train your managers in recognition. Why? Because people don’t leave jobs. They leave environments where effort goes unappreciated. And in sport, where the thinnest of margins always matter, recognizing the invisible might be one of your most visible acts of leadership.”

3. DIII Strategic Plan

Each year, the Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee updates and approves the division’s strategic plan and budget and forwards it to the Management and Presidents Councils for final approval.

The strategic plan begins with the Division III philosophy statement to establish the framework from which the division’s programs, resource allocations and regulatory decisions are made. It summarizes the division’s strategic priorities by outlining what must be accomplished in the current year of the budget triennium for the division to be successful. The plan also highlights all the programs and services offered for the division.

4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Golf (W). Emory, Carnegie Mellon, WashU, Claremont-M-S, and Pomona-Pitzer are the top five teams in DIII according to the latest WGCA ranking.

» Football. John Carroll QB Nick Semptimhelter set a DIII single-game record for completion percentage, connecting on 25-of-26 passes for 301 yards as the Blue Streaks defeated Waynesburg, 48-14.

» Score One For DIII. Adrian defeated Division I FCS Valparaiso, 10-7, as Ethan Abberger scored on a 26-yard pass from Noah Beaudrie with :26 left.

» Soccer (W). Congratulations to Messiah coach Scott Frey who won the 500th game of his career when the Falcons defeated Ursinus on Saturday. He currently ranks second amongst active coaches in career wins and ranks sixth in all-time DIII coaching wins (500-33-37).

» Legal. A group of NESCAC parents are considering legal action against the conference over its football roster limitation policy.

5. Comings and Goings 

6. Plays of the Weekend

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