| This dissertation examines the effects of implementing the Student Exchange and Visa Information System (SEVIS) at three community colleges in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress mandated that all academic institutions which accept non-resident foreign students must provide information to SEVIS, a U.S.-managed information system, on the foreign student's enrollment status. The deadline for implementation was August 2003.;The author conducted a literature search and reviewed public-accessible student enrollment data reports from Prince George's Community College MD, Northern Virginia Community College VA, Montgomery College MD, the Virginia Community College System-hosted Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the Institute of International Education (IIE), an independent nonprofit organization. The research included reviewing the history and development of SEVIS, studying government reports (e.g., U.S. Government Accounting Office, Code of Federal Regulations), analyzing past student enrollments, and applying the Holt Forecasting Model for predicting future foreign student enrollments.;Implementing SEVIS resulted in more control of the student visa process even though foreign student enrollments declined. Although the implementation may have caused difficulty in obtaining a student visa quickly, SEVIS, on the other hand, lessened the probability of someone abusing the process for political motives (e.g., terrorist actions). Recent actions taken by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have led to a more efficient process of obtaining a student visa in a minimum amount of time. Furthermore, community colleges are now offering detailed explanations of the process and information about appropriate methods to apply and enroll at academic institutions within the U.S. |
