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from the issue of March 2, 2006
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Administration issues letter in support of Bolivian professor
UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
In an effort to open a door closed to a Bolivian historian, UNL administration issued a letter Feb. 24 requesting that the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. immigration officials move on the matter or provide an explanation on why newly hired Waskar Ari's visa has been stalled for eight months.
"I am disappointed that the students and faculty of the university have been deprived of the talents of professor Ari," said Harvey Perlman, chancellor. "Of course, we must be vigilant to protect our internal security but, as yet, I have seen no evidence that Professor Ari represents a security risk."
The plight of professor Ari came to national attention two-weeks ago when the American Historical Association expressed public concern that Ari's request for a visa has been pending for unexplained reasons.
In a Feb. 24 letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Cherthoff and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the UNL Department of History and its Institute for Ethnic Studies today expressed dismay over the incident and asked for an explanation and resolution to the matter.
"We offered Dr. Ari an appointment at the University of Nebraska one year ago on the strength of his unquestioned potential as an outstanding scholar and teacher in the field of Latin American history," the letter by history department chair Kenneth Winkle and Ethnic Studies director Marcela Raffaelli said, citing Ari's academic credentials, including his doctorate from Georgetown University, his scholarly publication record and his years of meritorious teaching experience in the U.S. at Western Michigan University and as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Texas.
"Dr. Ari received several job offers at other American universities, and we are both appreciative and proud that he decided to accept an appointment at the University of Nebraska," Winkle and Raffaelli said in the letter. "At the time of his appointment, we were - and we remain - deeply impressed with Dr. Ari's superlative academic record, his rigorous and ambitious research agenda, his palpable dedication to teaching and scholarship, and his sterling reputation as both a student and colleague among some of our most respected peers within our profession. In particular, we value the unique perspective on Latin American history and culture that Dr. Ari is able to articulate as a member of the Aymara indigenous people of Bolivia."
"We were and remain to this day mystified at the U.S. government's refusal to grant a visa to a promising scholar of Dr. Ari's caliber, as well as to provide any explanation whatsoever for that decision. In the absence of any evidence that Dr. Ari poses a threat to American national security, the U.S. government's continuing refusal to grant him a visa seems unjustified and indeed inexplicable. We urge that the petition be granted without further delay, and if such appeal is not forthcoming, to provide us with a clear and compelling explanation."
Perlman said: "This country has benefited enormously from the free exchange of scholars with countries from around the world. Unnecessary disruption of this process also jeopardizes our national security."
Peter Levitov, associate dean of international affairs at UNL, said the university has submitted more than 500 H-1B visa petitions in recent years and has never encountered such a problem. Recently, an similar issue garnered international attention when an international scholar at the University of Notre Dame had his visa revoked, presumably under provision of the federal Patriot Act.
Unprecedented Inaction
In 34 years of submitting H-1B visa petitions, Peter Levitov, associate dean of international affairs at UNL, has never known a visa request to undergo this type of delay.
Levitov said the university has submitted more than 500 H-1B visa applications in recent years.
This year alone, 12 visa applications were submitted for faculty on tenure track.
GO TO: ISSUE OF MARCH 2
NEWS HEADLINES FOR MARCH 2
Big Easy Redesign
Administration issues letter in support of Bolivian professor
Ari optimistic despite 8-month visa delay
Franco accepts VC spot
Researchers join global computer test
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Weisz helps shape court
Women's Week events observed on campus
732372S35561X
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