U.S. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS DELIVER MESSAGE TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006812

SIPDIS

ECA/A/S/A; NEA/PPD; NEA/ARN, IIP/G/NEA, R

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: JO KPAO SCUL OEXC OIIP
SUBJECT: U.S. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS DELIVER MESSAGE TO
RECEPTIVE BUT HESITANT AUDIENCE



1. SUMMARY: THE ECA FUNDED U.S. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS
TOUR VISITED JORDAN OCTOBER 20-22 TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE TO
JORDANIAN STUDENTS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE WELCOME IN U.S.
UNIVERSITIES. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED DIALOGUE AND INFORMATION
SESSIONS FOR HIGH-LEVEL EDUCATION CONTACTS, UNIVERSITY AND
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, INCLUDING A BREAKFAST DISCUSSION WITH SENIOR
UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS HOSTED BY AMBASSADOR GNEHM. ALL
AUDIENCES, INCLUDING PROSPECTIVE JORDANIAN STUDENTS AND
THEIR FAMILIES, WERE GENERALLY RECEPTIVE AND EAGER TO HEAR
THE MESSAGE, BUT DID NOT HIDE THEIR CONTINUED HESITANCY
ABOUT THE PERCEIVED SITUATION, REGARDING TOLERANCE, COMFORT-
LEVEL, AND NEW VISA, ENTRY, AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS,
IN THE U.S. FOR ARAB AND MUSLIM STUDENTS. THE
ADMINISTRATORS' PROGRAM ATTRACTED SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE MEDIA
COVERAGE, WITH MOST REPORTS FOCUSING ON THE ADMINISTRATORS'
MESSAGE OF WELCOME AND ON PACIFYING VISA RELATED
MISCONCEPTIONS. POST ARRANGED CONSULAR REPRESENTATION AT
ALL PUBLIC FUNCTIONS AND FOUND THEIR PARTICIPATION TO BE
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO ADDRESS NEVER-ENDING VISA-RELATED
QUESTIONS. END SUMMARY.


2. PAS AND AMIDEAST TEAMED UP TO COORDINATE THE U.S.
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS TOUR OCTOBER 20-22 IN JORDAN. THE
THREE U.S. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS SELECTED FOR JORDAN,
CHARLES GREENLEAF, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, RANDALL
RICHARDSON, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, AND MARY GRAY, AMERICAN
UNIVERSITY, WERE EFFECTIVE IN DELIVERING A CLEAR AND
CONSISTENT MESSAGE OF WELCOME TO JORDANIAN STUDENTS, AND
AUDIENCES SEEMED TO RECEIVE THE REPRESENTATIVES AS
AUTHORITATIVE, GENUINE, AND SYMPATHETIC. PROGRAM EVENTS
INCLUDED A BREAKFAST PANEL DISCUSSION HOSTED BY THE
AMBASSADOR WITH UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM SPONSORS, A PRESS ROUNDTABLE WITH
REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL MAJOR LOCAL PRINT AND RADIO MEDIA,
A PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION THAT DREW A CROWD OF AROUND 300
PEOPLE, AND MEETINGS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS AT A LOCAL
UNIVERSITY AND A HIGH SCHOOL.


3. TWO MAIN CONCERNS BECAME CLEAR FROM ALL SESSIONS, WITH
ONE OR THE OTHER WEIGHING MORE HEAVILY DEPENDING ON THE
SPECIFIC AUDIENCE. THE FIRST ISSUE CONCERNED THE TREATMENT
OF ARAB AND MUSLIM STUDENTS IN THE U.S., BOTH SOCIALLY
WITHIN UNIVERSITY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND
ADMINISTRATIVELY BY GOVERNMENT OR UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS. THE
SECOND ISSUE CENTERED ON NEW VISA, ENTRY AND REGISTRATION
PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS. WHILE ALL GROUPS EXPRESSED AT
LEAST SOME AMOUNT OF APPREHENSION REGARDING BOTH ISSUES,
GENERALLY ATTENDEES WITH LITTLE PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO THE
U.S. EXPRESSED MORE ANXIETY OVER TREATMENT CONCERNS, WHILE
THOSE WITH EXTENSIVE PERSONAL OR FAMILY EXPERIENCE IN THE
U.S. CITED NEW PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS AS THEIR LARGEST
WORRY. AT AN INFORMATION SESSION HELD FOR THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, THE ADMINISTRATORS AND PANEL MEMBERS RESPONDED TO
MANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE LINE OF "WILL I BE REJECTED
ADMISSION OR EVALUATED DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE I AM ARAB?"
COMPARATIVELY, AT A PANEL DISCUSSION HELD FOR APPROXIMATELY
50 STUDENTS AND PARENTS AT THE PRESTIGIOUS AMMAN
BACCALAUREATE SCHOOL, A HIGH SCHOOL THAT REGULARLY SENDS ITS
STUDENTS TO U.S. UNIVERSITIES SUCH AS HARVARD AND BROWN, THE
MAJORITY OF QUESTIONS WERE POSED BY PARENTS AND DIRECTED AT
THE EMBASSY'S CONSULAR OFFICER. THIS AUDIENCE, WHILE
MAINTAINING A VERY FAVORABLE VIEW OF U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION
AND A PREFERENCE FOR SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE U.S. TO
STUDY, MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER
OTHER OPTIONS IF THEY FELT THAT THEIR CHILDREN WOULD FACE
DIFFICULT LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES RELATED TO
THEIR ENTRY AND RESIDENCE IN THE U.S.


4. THE ADMINISTRATORS' TOUR RECEIVED EXTENSIVE LOCAL MEDIA
COVERAGE, WITH THE MAJORITY OF HEADLINES REFLECTING THE
MESSAGES OF WELCOME AND/OR THE CONTINUED ISSUANCE OF STUDENT
VISAS. AL-RA'I ARABIC DAILY CARRIED TWO INSIDE-PAGE
REPORTS, ONE WITH THE HEADLINE: "U.S. AMBASSADOR: WE WELCOME
JORDANIAN AND ARAB STUDENTS IN OUR UNIVERSITIES," AND THE
SECOND HEADLINE: "AMERICAN ACADEMICS: NUMBER OF JORDANIAN
STUDENTS IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES DID NOT GO DOWN AFTER
SEPTEMBER 11." IN ADDITION, AL-DUSTOUR ARABIC DAILY FILED
AN ARTICLE WITH POSITIVE REMARKS BY THE ADMINISTRATORS
REGARDING THE SITUATION OF ARAB STUDENTS IN AMERICAN
UNIVERSITIES, AND THE JORDAN TIMES ENGLISH DAILY CARRIED A
REPORT FOCUSING ON ATTEMPTS TO "ALLAY CONCERNS OVER THE
TREATMENT OF ARAB STUDENTS IN THE U.S. AND DISPEL ANY VISA
DELAY RUMORS." WHILE NO REPORTS WERE ENTIRELY NEGATIVE, AN
ARTICLE FILED BY THE LOCAL AP REPORTER INCLUDED THE
HEADLINE: "U.S. UNIVERSITY ENVOYS REASSURE ARAB STUDENTS
THEY ARE WELCOME, BUT JORDANIANS REMAIN SUSPICIOUS." THIS
SAME REPORT QUOTED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH JORDANIAN STUDENTS
ATTENDING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION, INCLUDING ONE 18-
YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO STATED, "DESPITE THE ASSURANCES WE'RE
HEARING, I'M STILL AFRAID BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE HARASSMENT
I MAY FACE AS AN ARAB. MY PARENTS ARE OPPOSED TO SENDING ME
TO THE UNITED STATES AND PREFER THAT I GO TO ENGLAND."


5. COMMENT: THE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS' EXPLICIT
WELCOME TO ARAB AND MUSLIM STUDENTS IS, FINALLY, ONE MESSAGE
THAT JORDANIANS WANT TO HEAR. THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE PROGRAM
SESSIONS REFLECTED A SENSE THAT JORDANIANS TRULY WANT TO
BELIEVE THAT THEY OR THEIR CHILDREN ARE WELCOME AND SAFE IN
U.S. UNIVERSITIES, DESPITE THEIR REMAINING HESITATION. THE
TWO TYPES OF AUDIENCES ENCOUNTERED DURING THIS TOUR POINTS
TO TWO NEEDED STRATEGIES: FIRST, SINCE IT IS A MESSAGE THAT
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ALREADY DESIRE TO BE TRUE, IT IS
HELPFUL TO REPEATEDLY STATE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS THE SIMPLE
MESSAGE THAT ARAB AND MUSLIMS ARE WELCOME AND DESIRED AT
U.S. UNIVERSITIES. IN ADDITION, FOR OUR MORE EXPOSED
AUDIENCE, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE INCREASED ACCESS
TO CLEAR, DEFINITIVE INFORMATION ON VISA, ENTRY, AND
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES.

GNEHM