The following open letter was written by the nextGEN community and distributed on October 15, 2019:

Dear Scholars in Rhetoric, Composition, Literacy, and Technical and Professional Communication:

The members of nextGEN—an advocacy community for graduate students and those who actively support graduate students—would like to draw attention to discriminatory hiring processes against international graduate scholars on the job market.

U.S. higher education institutions state their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion. At the same time, some of these universities are bound or seem to be bound by hiring restrictions that hamper their ability to align job market practices with these commitments. Because the fields of rhetoric, composition, literacy, and technical and professional communication express commitment to social justice, we hope to raise the attention of hiring committees to the constraining nature of posting jobs with requirements such as “US citizens only” or “legal residents only.” Since citizenship requirements restrict international scholars from being potential candidates for job openings, such requirements cause economic difficulty and harm for international applicants, while also contributing to a cultural climate that is hostile to immigrants.

Some institutions also exclude international scholars through the online application requirement to indicate whether applicants would need work visa sponsorship. We understand that institutions often collect such data for statistical purposes, some of which are to ensure principled job market practices that extend from a university’s and search committee’s commitment to inclusive hiring (practices as expressed in CCCC Best Practices for Hiring International Candidates). However, the experiences of some international graduate scholars—experiences in which universities have an inflexible, unstated policy to not sponsor work visas and have consequently withdrawn job offers—gives us reason to question claimed inclusive hiring practices.

Of course, there are HR rules and regulations that may be beyond the understanding and/or control of search committees. We recognize these frustrating constraints—constraints that can seriously hamper the ability to align job market practices with our commitments to equity and justice. At the same time, we must do whatever we can to uphold our principles against injustice.

In a field that prides itself on its commitments to social and racial justice, we find these institutionalized barriers to international scholar employment alarming, and we hope members of hiring/search committees will feel the same. It is for this reason that we seek support from all concerned scholars to understand that such barriers not only exist in hiring, but also present us with the challenge to live up to our expressed commitments and principles by identifying, resisting, and dismantling these structures of injustice. After all, with these hiring barriers against international scholars, institutions systematically sustain intersectional oppression against already marginalized scholars.

We, the members of nextGEN, therefore call for all scholars (who serve as search committee chairs, members, and beyond) to advocate for international scholars and against discriminatory policies impacting them.

We understand that many faculty and search committees might not be fully aware of the extent to which international graduate scholars already experience emotional, psychological, and intellectual burdens. Neither do they aim to take part in a discriminatory hiring process based on nationality and citizenship status. We also hold firm to the belief and hope that a coalitional network of scholars at various stages in their careers can and will rise to the challenge of injustice and raise awareness of this serious problem to members in their local institutions, departments, programs, and search committees. To help build this coalition and its power, we offer some resources for understanding the financial context in employing international scholars as well as other resources for inclusive hiring. We hope the following resources could be useful as guidelines, reminders, and advocacy documents for faculty, administrators, and hiring committees to take up, circulate, and implement within their home institutions:

CCCC Policy: https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/resources/positions/faculty-hiring
USCIS Page: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-first-preference-eb-1
Kristen Moore’s Inclusive Interview: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hD0LJMB1EwlBAtsAK4rNzbSmYTFueMKuIUPxfZzeuZA/edit
Example of a University Policy: https://isso.columbia.edu/content/visa-sponsorship-policy-scholars-professors-researchers

With all this in mind, we call for coalitional action initiated by the rhetoric and composition, writing studies, and technical/professional communication community. We call for faculty, scholars, organizations, and other various collectives to find and implement mechanisms of pressure on and advocate at departmental and institutional levels. We call for advocacy in pursuit of the rightful diversity and inclusion that is necessary in academia.

In the end, we believe that individuals, organizations, and institutions committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion will reject border walls in all forms.

In Hope & Solidarity,

nextGEN

Endorsements of Coalitional Action

Sweta Baniya, Purdue University
Kyle Larson, Miami University
Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq, Utah State University
Katelyn Lusher, University of Cincinnati
Nupoor Ranade, North Carolina State University
Kayla A. Sparks, Texas Christian University
Estee Beck, The University of Texas at Arlington
Asao B. Inoue, Arizona State University
Steve Parks, University of Virginia
Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition, Advisory Board
Women in Technical Communication, steering committee
Digital Black Lit and Composition (DBLAC)
The WPA-L Reimagining Working Group
Eileen E. Schell, Syracuse University
Linh Dich, Miami University
Salma Kalim, Miami University
Gavin P. Johnson, The Ohio State University
Bibhushana Poudyal, The University of Texas at El Paso
Katherine Randall, Virginia Tech
Daniel Hocutt, University of Richmond
Veronica House, University of Colorado Boulder
Virginia Schwarz, University of Wisconsin Madison
Krystin Gollihue, Georgia Institute of Technology
Pritisha Shrestha, Syracuse University
Iswari Pandey, California State University, Northridge
Bo Wang, California State University, Fresno
Shyam B. Pandey, Purdue University
Rachelle A.C. Joplin, University of Houston
Kailyn Shartel Hall, Purdue University
Abbie Levesque, Northeastern University
Cara Marta Messina, Northeastern University
Jason Tham, Texas Tech University
Whitney Lew James, Texas Christian University
Bailey Poland, Bowling Green State University
Jason Collins, The Ohio State University
Chen Chen, Winthrop University
Gabrielle Kelenyi, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Savannah Paige Murray, Virginia Tech
Lauren Brentnell, University of Northern Colorado
Les Hutchinson, Boise State University
Kelli Gill, Texas Christian University
Ashanka Kumari, Texas A&M University - Commerce
Will Chesher, Ball State University
Charles Woods, Illinois State University
Megan Schoettler, Miami University of Ohio
Ryan McCarty, University of Michigan
Suban Nur Cooley, Michigan State University
Matthew Homer, Virginia Tech
Kefaya Diab, Indiana University
James Eubanks, University of Alabama
Vyshali Manivannan, Rutgers University
Amanda Presswood, Florida State University
Kyle Stedman, Rockford University
Halcyon Lawrence, Towson University
Daniel Floyd, University of Cincinnati
Sara Doan, Kennesaw State University
Lauren Cagle, University of Kentucky
Kristen Wheaton, Idaho State University
Saveena Veeramoothoo, University of Minnesota
Liz Miller, The Ohio State University
Chad Iwertz Duffy, Bowling Green State University
Wilfredo Flores, Michigan State University
Cassandra Goff, University of Utah
Allison Dziuba, University of California, Irvine
Hillary Weiss, Wayne State University
Ryan M. Murphy, Purdue University
Kate Highfill, University of Houston
Jason Markins, Syracuse University
Ruth Osorio, Old Dominion University
Sarah Snyder, Arizona Western College
Jacqueline Schiappa, University of Minnesota
Santosh Khadka, California State University Northridge
Victoria L. Braegger, Purdue University
Jennifer Nish, Texas Tech University
Kevin Brock, University of South Carolina Columbia
Shyam Sharma, Stony Brook University, New York
Alison Cardinal, University of Washington Tacoma
Clancy Ratliff, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Bernice Olivas, Salt Lake Community College
Maria Conti Maravillas, The University of Southern Mississippi
Patricia Fancher, University of California Santa Barbara, CFSHRC Director of Outreach
Joshua Barsczewski, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amy J. Wan, Queens College and the Graduate Center, CUNY
Bridget Gelms, San Francisco State University
Lindsey Macdonald, Purdue University
Jenn Fishman, Marquette University
Lisa Mastrangelo, Centen
Angela M. Haas, Illinois State University
Alexis Priestley, Virginia Tech
Geoffrey Clegg, Midwestern State University
Stephanie L. Kerschbaum, University of Delaware
Jay McClintick, University of Arizona
Phil Bratta, Oklahoma State University
Manako Yabe, Building Healthcare Collectives
Sara Kelm, Texas Christian University
Cody Jackson, Texas Christian University
Christina Rowell, Kent State University
Brooke Hotez, The University of Arizona
Dana Comi, University of Kansas
Emma J. Rose, University of Washington Tacoma
Jacqueline Rhodes, Michigan State University
Alexandria Hanson, Syracuse University
Audrey Hollis, Purdue University
Caitlin Ray, University of Louisville
Lauren Obermark, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Melanie Yergeau, University of Michigan
Megan Faver Hartline, Trinity College
Lee W. Hibbard, Purdue University
Kristin Arola, Michigan State University
Charlotte Asmuth, University of Louisville
Kristen R. Moore, University at Buffalo
Marisa Pesa, University of Arizona
Allegra W. Smith, Purdue University
Eda Ozyesilpinar, The University of Texas at El Paso
Amy Vidali, University of California, Santa Cruz
J. Michael Rifenburg, University of North Georgia
Melanie Kill, University of Maryland
Keith Grant-Davie, Utah State University
Jacob Richter, Clemson University
Patricia Dunn, Stony Brook University
Allison Hitt, Ball State University
Marohang Limbu, Michigan State University
Yeqing Kong, North Carolina State University
Alonzo Smith, Texas Christian University.
Dana Aicha Shaaban, Texas Christian University
Emily N. Smith, Penn State University
Jason Helms, Texas Christian University
Nathanael O’Reilly, Texas Christian University
Brad Lucas, Texas Christian University
Sean McCullough, Texas Christian University
Jongkeyong Kim, Texas Christian University
Patti Poblete, Henderson State University
Verena Theile, North Dakota State University
Staci M. Perryman-Clark, Western Michigan University
Nancy Bou Ayash, University of Washington
Florianne Jimenez, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Kate Vieira, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Brice Nordquist, Syracuse University
Dora Ramirez, Boise State University
Jim Ridolfo, University of Kentucky
Renee Ann Drouin, Bowling Green State University
Beck Wise, University of Queensland
Hem Paudel, University of Iowa
Eunjeong Lee, Queens College, City University of New York
Tony Silva, Purdue University
Jessie Male, The Ohio State University
Bruce Kovanen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Kathleen Kryger, University of Arizona
Jane Greer, University of Missouri, Kansas City
Sharon Mitchler, Centralia College
Caroline Gottschalk Druschke, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Rebecca Lorimer Leonard, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Seth Kahn, West Chester University of PA
Tony Cimasko, Miami University
Tika Lamsal, University of San Francisco
Jennifer Grouling, Ball State University
Lisa Melonçon, University of South Florida
Amelia Chesley, Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Jason Palmeri, Miami University
Ashok Bhusal, The University of Texas at El Paso
Melissa Hannah, North Carolina State University
Dustin Edwards, University of Central Florida
Cristina Sanchez-Martin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Heather Listhartke, Miami University of Ohio
Francis Macarthy, Jamestown Community College
Patricia Sullivan, Purdue University
Bruce Horner, University of Louisville
Laura Gonzales, University of Florida
Michele Simmons, Miami University
Anita Long, Miami University
Charlotte Hogg, Texas Christian University
Josie Walwema, Oakland University
Timothy R. Dougherty, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Laurie McMillan, Pace University
Elizabeth Saur, University of California, Santa Barbara
Samantha Clem, Utah State University
Hillary Coenen, Midwestern State University
Ana Roncero-Bellido, Gonzaga University
Laura Micciche, University of Cincinnati
Natasha N. Jones, Michigan State University
Kristina Lucenko, Stony Brook University
Heidi McKee, Miami University
James E. Porter, Miami University
Joy Santee, University of Southern Indiana
Lisa King, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Leigh Elion, Oxford College of Emory University
Matthew Vetter, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Caleb L. González, The Ohio State University
Daniel Libertz, University of Pittsburgh
Michelle McMullin, North Carolina State University
José Luis Cano, Texas Christian University
Christa J. Olson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Christina V. Cedillo, University of Houston-Clear Lake
Jordan Hayes, University of Pittsburgh
Ana María Cortés Lagos, Syracuse University
Amanda Sladek, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Hua Zhu, Miami University
Michael Trice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Joshua Rea, University of South Florida
Ehren Helmut Pflugfelder, Oregon State University
Jeremy David Johnson, University of the Pacific
Vanessa Kraemer Sohan, Florida International University
James Chase Sanchez, Middlebury College
Sreemoyee Dasgupta, University of Pittsburgh
Sarah E. Austin, Texas Tech University
Candice Rai, University of Washington-Seattle
Cruz Medina, Santa Clara University
Sara Webb-Sunderhaus, Miami University
Mara Lee Grayson, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Jianfen Chen, Purdue University
Sarah Mazun Stetson, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Avery Edenfield, Utah State University
Jordan Loveridge, Mount St. Mary’s University
Rebecca Walton, Utah State University
Megan McIntyre, Sonoma State University
Nathan R. Johnson, University of South Florida
Brian Hendrickson, Roger Williams University
Chris Lindgren, Virginia Tech
Mike Palmquist, Colorado State University
Karin Evans, College of DuPage
Adam Hubrig, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Liza Potts, Michigan State University
Margaret Price, Ohio State University
Eric Lehman, University of Nevada, Reno
Ryan Cheek, Utah State University
Kylie Jacobsen, Grand Valley State University
Jo Hsu, University of Arkansas
Sarah Singer, University of Central Florida
Amber Buck, University of Alabama
Michael Martone, University of Alabama
Stephanie Janania, Florida International University
Jody Shipka, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Rebekah Sims, Purdue University
Michelle F. Eble, East Carolina University
Parva Panahi, Purdue University
Dev Bose, University of Arizona
Tiffany Rousculp, Salt Lake Community College
Sara Movahedazarhouligh, University of Northern Colorado
Silvia Correa-Torres, University of Northern Colorado
Phuong Minh Tran, Purdue University
Kenny Tanemura, Purdue University
Amy E. Dayton, The University of Alabama
Donna LeCourt, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Drew Holladay, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Sungae Kim, Purdue University
Jared S. Colton, Utah State University
Jason Swarts, North Carolina State University
Regina McManigell Grijalva, Oklahoma City University
Tina M. Iemma, St. John’s University
Felicita Arzu Carmichael, Oakland University
Aly Higgins, University of Arizona
Kaydra Bui, Miami University
Bethany Davila, University of New Mexico
Lisa Arnold, North Dakota State University
April Conway, University of Michigan
Chris Manion, The Ohio State University
Sritama Chatterjee, University of Pittsburgh
Keli Tucker, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Annette Vee, University of Pittsburgh
Lauren Rosenberg, University of Texas El Paso
Amanda Fields, Central Connecticut State University
Joyce Meier, Michigan State University
Dan Melzer, University of California, Davis
Karrieann Soto Vega, University of Kentucky
Bethany Monea, University of Pennsylvania
Melissa Stone, North Carolina State University
Carrie Leverenz, TCU
Shakil Rabbi, Bowie State University
Don Unger, University of Mississippi
Tessa Brown, Stanford University
Kristin Prins, Cal Poly Pomona
Kelin Loe, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Shui-yin Sharon Yam, University of Kentucky
Logan Middleton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Catherine Prendergast, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Aparajita De, University of the District of Columbia
Kaitlyn Millen, University of Northern Colorado
Cherie Ann Turpin, University of the District of Columbia
Analeigh Horton, University of Arizona
Lesley Owens, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Neisha-Anne Green, American University
Erica M. Stone, Texas Tech University
Daniel P. Richards, Old Dominion University
Celena Todora, University of Pittsburgh
Annie Mendenhall, Georgia Southern University
Laura Tetreault, University at Albany, SUNY
Evelyn Dsouza, University of Minnesota
Adrienne Jones Daly, University of Rhode Island
Anna Zeemont, CUNY Graduate Center
Michelle Grue, University of California, Santa Barbara
monét cooper, University of Michigan
Alexander Champoux-Crowley, University of Minnesota
Chowaing Chagra Belekeh, University of Texas, El Paso.
Katie Silvester, Indiana University
Xiaobo Wang, Sam Houston State University
Jessica Jorgenson Borchert, Pittsburg State University
Cheryl Price-McKell, Arizona State University
Evin Groundwater, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Krista Speicher Sarraf, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Lacy Hope, Washington State University
Eduardo J. Mabilog, Nevada State College
Richard Johnson-Sheehan, Purdue University
Rachel Dortin, Wayne State University
Rachel Bloom-Pojar, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Charlotte Kupsh, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sherita V. Roundtree, Towson University
Keith Lloyd, Kent State University Stark
Steven Alvarez, St. John’s University
Ashley Rea, Penn State University
Suresh Lohani, The University of Texas at El Paso
Jonathan L. Bradshaw, Western Carolina University
Hui Wu, University of Texas at Tyler
Xiaoye You, Pennsylvania State University
Damián Baca, University of Arizona
James Hammond, University of Michigan
Jonathan Nehls, University of Texas at El Paso
Anna Floch Arcello, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Rachael Shah, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Zachary Dwyer, Ball State Universities
Nancy Small, University of Wyoming
Glenn Hutchinson, Florida International University
Naomi Silver, University of Michigan
Joseph Bartolotta, Hofstra University
Laxmi Prasad Ojha, Minnesota State University
Sarah Warren-Riley, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Tarez Graban, Florida State University (Non-Western/Global Rhetorics SIG)
Elena Kalodner-Martin, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Matthew V. Jacobson, University of Oklahoma
Sara DiCaglio, Texas A&M University
Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, Florida State University
Jax Kinniburgh, Miami University
Misty D. Fuller, Louisiana State University
Ashley Bradley, University of Michigan
Joanna Chromik, Indiana University
Beau Pihlaja, Texas Tech University
Emily Ramser, Texas Woman’s University
Shannon Baughman, Texas Woman’s University
Shannon Simmons, Texas Woman’s University
Salena Parker, Texas Woman’s University
Andrea Olinger, University of Louisville
Zaynab Wazeer, Texas Woman’s University
Philip Choong, Indiana University
Thir B. Budhathoki, University of Arizona
Caitlyn McKay, Ball State University
Tina Puntasecca, Michigan State University
Paul Feigenbaum, Florida International University
Iris D. Ruiz, UC Merced
Ashley Canter, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sarah Ruffing Robbins, TCU
Ruby Pappoe, University of Texas at El Paso
Lee Nickoson, Bowling Green State University
Elizabeth L. Angeli, Marquette University
Sweetland Digital Rhetoric Collaborative
Simone Sessolo, University of Michigan
Brian Urias, Bowling Green State University
Mya Poe, Northeastern University
Jesse Rice-Evans, CUNY Graduate Center
Xuan Jiang, Florida International University
Katlynne Davis, University of Minnesota
Maryana Boatenreiter, University of Colorado Boulder
Heather Falconer, Curry College
Vani Kannan, Lehman College, CUNY
Jason Custer, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Luke Shackelford, University of Minnesota
Emily Gresbrink, University of Minnesota
Madeleine Yount, Boise State University
Qianqian Zhang-Wu, Northeastern University
Mark McBeth, John Jay College of Criminal Justice & The Graduate Center/CUNY
Carlos Hernandez, The University of Texas at El Paso
Bethany Meadows, Ball State University
Sean Kamperman, Valparaiso University
Yebing Zhao, Miami University
Rich Shivener, York University
Bri Lafond, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Terese Guinsatao Monberg, Michigan State University
Aleashia Walton Valentin, University of Cincinnati
Laura Rosche, Indiana University
Asian / Asian American Caucus
LuMing Mao, University of Utah
Haivan Hoang, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sarah Gunning, Towson University
Isabel Baca, The University of Texas at El Paso
Maria Prikhodko, DePaul University (Non-Western Rhetoric SIG)
Paula Mathieu, Boston College
Madhav Kafle, Rutgers University
Ann Shivers-McNair, University of Arizona
Eliza Gellis, Purdue University