Experience, ISSS, University Staff

DSOs and AROs: Advising Through Uncertainty

September 30, 2026 Comments Off on DSOs and AROs: Advising Through Uncertainty

Government actions, including proposed regulations, policy memos, and executive proclamations, have created a challenging environment in and around academic immigration work. Regulations and politics that seem antithetical to our work are being implemented, challenged (or not), and overturned (or not), over months and even years.

No one likes feeling uncertain.  Being unsure engenders anxiety, doubt, and even fear.  As professionals, we are used to being the reliable source for information relating to immigration regulations. In the last year or two, however, many are having to respond to a student or scholar’s questions with “…well, I’m not sure…”, or “…we just don’t know at this point…”. Uncomfortable, and awkward for us, confusing and frustrating for our students and scholars.

So. How to find a positive way to advise in these conditions? I would like to offer three points.

  1. Be secure in your knowledge of the actual current regulations, and your internal school policies. Offer students and scholars definitive advice on the areas we *know*. Give ranges of possibilities in areas where we don’t have a black and white answer.
  2. Acknowledge your students’ and scholars’ anxieties and worries. What they don’t know, and can’t predict, will affect their academic progress, connections to their family and home country, and ultimately their career.  Even if you can’t offer *the* answer, offer empathy and understanding.
  3. Put the current uncertainties in a larger context. Administrations and politics change, and with those changes come pendulum swings in regulations and policies.  What may be difficult know, could well improve in a few years.  Offer advice on perseverance and a longer view.

I don’t think anyone is feeling “confident” right now, so realize you are in good company.  Be sure to support yourself and use your connections to colleagues. If you want another perspective on your questions, feel free to use the International Student Resource Center’s free Help Desk: https://www.internationalstudent.us/help-desk

Keep moving forward!

Robin

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Robin Catmur-Smith
Robin Catmur-Smith is a passionate leader in international education. Robin has had a 30+ year career in academic international student and scholar services, including 10 years at Dartmouth College and, most recently, 15 years directing immigration services at the University of Georgia. She has lived global mobility, having been raised in India and Canada and spending a few years in Indonesia, Ireland, and Australia after graduating from the University of California - Davis in 1982. She has thought deeply about the facilitation of the global mobility of talent since earning a Master’s in Globalization Studies from Dartmouth College. Robin has served as a regular presenter for workshops of NAFSA: Association of International Educators and was the 2012 recipient of NAFSA’s Award of Excellence for International Student and Scholar Services.
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Robin Catmur-Smith is a passionate leader in international education. Robin has had a 30+ year career in academic international student and scholar services, including 10 years at Dartmouth College and, most recently, 15 years directing immigration services at the University of Georgia. She has lived global mobility, having been raised in India and Canada and spending a few years in Indonesia, Ireland, and Australia after graduating from the University of California - Davis in 1982. She has thought deeply about the facilitation of the global mobility of talent since earning a Master’s in Globalization Studies from Dartmouth College. Robin has served as a regular presenter for workshops of NAFSA: Association of International Educators and was the 2012 recipient of NAFSA’s Award of Excellence for International Student and Scholar Services.