“The system allows us to create records but not to correct even the simplest of errors,” Bell says. “Data fixes plague our ability to make Sevis a usable system.” He adds that while government officials do their best to be helpful, the lack of communication between the Homeland Security Department and the State Department causes trouble for the schools.
The problem is intensified when a data fix is needed and must go through Homeland Security. If the correction isn’t made in time, a student then could be thrown “out of status,” thus requiring a reapplication to State, Bell says.
Cerda said in his testimony that Homeland Security is working with schools to develop ways for them to make data fixes on their own, but that maintaining data integrity was a lingering concern.
An offshoot of post-9/11 changes that particularly affects community colleges was the rule that visitors with tourist visas could no longer pursue education while in this country. That has led to significantly decreased enrollment in English language classes, Mote said.
When asked by the committee if overall Sevis was working, Bell said, “I wouldn’t call it working,” he said of Sevis. “There’s a lot of erroneous data in the system. It has a chance for success, but at this moment I wouldn’t say it’s successful.”
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