We’re pleased to announce the next meeting of the Cuba Academic Alliance CAA) and our continuing effort to lift the restrictions on educational programming for U.S. students and academics in Cuba. 

The CAA has been asked to present at the annual NAFSA (study abroad organization) meeting in Seattle later this month. (The conference will be held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, 800 Convention Place, May 29 - June 3). 

To that end, a group of CAA and NAFSA members will meet as the “Cuba Task Force” on Wednesday, June 1 at the task force designated room. A broader meeting open to all NAFSA attendees will take place on THURS., JUNE 2, FROM 3:00 P.M. to 4:15 P.M. at the “INSTANT ISSUES IN EDUCATION ABROAD” session.

The Cuba Task Force is comprised of CAA participants who are also NAFSA members and is meant to represent a broad range of current and former program providers and schools: David Ayers - U of Akron; Jerry Guidera - CC-CS; Kris Lou - Willamette University; Josh McKeown - SUNY Oswego; Bob Miles - UNC-Chapel Hill; Harlan Smith - U of VT; Joan Solaun - Butler/IFSA; Skye Stephenson – SIT; and a representative of Hampshire College. 

We encourage all NAFSA attendees interested in Cuba matters to come to the session on Thursday.

Jerry Guidera
Operations Director
The Center for Cross-Cultural Study
446 Main Street
Amherst, MA 01002
www.cccs.com

November 19, 2004

Inter-Organizational Focus Group On U.S. / Cuba Academic Restrictions

Room HC-G Capitol Building Washington, D.C.

Sponsor: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Organizers: Mavis Anderson - Latin America Working Group Rachel Farley - Washington Office on Latin America Jerry Guidera - Cuba Academic Alliance Les McCabe - Institute for Shipboard Education Wayne Smith - Center For International Policy Geoff Thale - Washington Office on Latin America Lisa Valanti - U.S. / Cuba Sister Cities Project

AGENDA

9:00 - 9:30 Welcome, Introductions, Overview and Impact of Current OFAC Regulations

Congresswoman Lee - House of Represtatives (CA) Mavis Anderson - Latin American Working Group Jerry Guidera - CC-CS / Cuba Academic Alliance

9:30 - 10:15 Legal Issues: Constitutional and Regulatory Perspectives

Jules Lobell - University of Pittsburgh Law School Bill Martinez - Immigration Attorney Bob Muse - Muse & Associates

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30 - 12:00 Legislative Action Steps

Cindy Buhl - Congressman McGovern's Office Steven Schwadron - Congressman Delahunt's Office Lance Walker - Congressman Flake's Office

Moderator: Jerry Guidera

Noon Adjournment

TBA Cuban Interest Section Evening Reception

Cuban Interest Section (Swiss Embassy) 2630 16th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009

September 22, 2004

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, recent U.S. government policies have effectively put an end to most academic and cultural exchanges in Cuba. Those of you interested in keeping up to date on the new restrictions imposed on such programming and following the efforts of the Cuba Academic Alliance to reverse those restrictions can now check our new Web Site: www.CubaAcademicAlliance.org.

Regards,

Dr. Judith M. Ortiz

July 29, 2004

Dear Colleagues,

Below is a link to the comment letter NAFSA filed with OFAC in “strong opposition” to the new rules limiting academic programming in Cuba. It is an excellent letter that underscores many of the points brought up by members of the Cuba Academic Alliance.

NAFSA’s letter serves to support our case that these rules should be reversed. If your institution has sent a letter and you would like to share it with the group, please feel free to send it and I’ll pass it along to the group. If your institution is still planning to write a comment letter, the NAFSA letter - like the LASA and Forum letters I sent to the group a few weeks ago - are excellent guides.

Thanks to NAFSA.

Cheers,

Jerry Guidera

Click here for NAFSA Comment

July 15, 2004

Dear Colleagues,

New State Department pollicies effective June 30 forced the cancellation of
nearly all study abroad programs in Cuba. As many of you already know, under the new rules all short-term studies are barred, shuttering the vast majority of the academic programming in Cuba.

But you may not be aware that the new rules also affect most semester programs, because the new restrictions require students join study abroad programs only with their home U.S.-licensed institution, a rule that makes most college programs impractical or uneconomical to operate.

Citing the new restrictions, the following institutions have been forced to cancel Fall Semester programs in Cuba, affecting over 100 students from U.S. colleges across the country:
IFSA-Butler University
School for International Training
Center for Cross-Cultural Study
Lexia International

Our students - and their faculty advisors and families - are the most deeply affected by the cancellations. These affected students have been forced to scramble and recast their academic planning in mid-Summer, because of a change in federal regulations.

To the best of our knowledge, we know of only one program still planning to operate this Fall - Sarah Lawrence College. The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) plans to run a program next Spring, as are several others. Are there any other Semester programs still running this Fall or planning programs for next Spring?
SSPRING2004 For those still considering writing to the Administration on the new rules (the “comment period” ends Aug. 16), I’ve attached an excellent letter from IFSA-Butler that explains how universities work with providers to design programs. Please feel free to share your institution’s letter with our group e-mail list.

Regards,

Jerry Guidera

MEMORANDUM – June 8, 2004

FROM: Jerry Guidera, CC-CS (SECUSSA Cuba Working Group)
TO: CUBA ACADEMIC ALLIANCE
RE: Challenging Planned Cuba Academic Study Rule Changes

The U.S. Department of State and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, of the U.S. Treasury Department, in an assault on the academic freedoms of U.S. students and academic institutions, have drafted draconian new rules that will severely restrict academic programming in Cuba. The Cuba Academic Alliance, a coalition of U.S.-licensed universities and academic program providers, plans to challenge these new rules – set to take effect July 1 – through a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to block their implementation.

If adopted, the unprecedented new rules will block virtually all the academic programming by U.S. institutions in Cuba. There are 292 licensed U.S. academic institutions, according to the State Department. Even before their implementation, the mere “threat” of these new rules has had a dramatic impact on academic programming – institutions have been forced to scuttle planned study abroad programs for this Summer and Fall.

The new rules, we will argue, are an arbitrary and capricious interpretation of the Cuba Asset Control Regulations. Moreover, they are contrary to U.S. law as define in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, a law that codified the types of allowable licensed travel to Cuba. These rules were established by Congress and only amendable by the Congress.

The Cuba Academic Alliance plans to muster the support of academic associations, study-abroad organizations, as many licensed academic institutions as are willing to challenge the Administration’s usurpation of the will of the Congress, and lawmakers who drafted the 2000 legislation. The aim is to seek a favorably ruling from a federal judge on our request for an injunction.