Eleven Missing Egyptian Students Located August 14, 2006
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , trackbackThe Associated Press reported last night that all of the 11 Egyptian exchange students who did not show up for class at Montana State University have been located. There has been an ongoing manhunt since July 29, when the 17 students arrived in New York. The students were arrested in various locations around the country: Minneapolis, MN, Manville, NJ, Dundalk, MD, Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, and Richmond, VA.
MSU contacted Homeland Security when some of the students failed to arrive for a month-long class. All of the students were late for the program; 6 were two days late, which according to MSU is not unusual.
The school has posted a FAQ review here. It is interesting to note that:
The 32-day program includes English as a Second Language classes plus lectures on various cultural topics, including U.S. and Montana history. In addition to academic work, the program includes a number of recreational activities, including a trip to Yellowstone National Park and white-water rafting.
The students clearly took advantage of loose security and the good graces of MSU. In the past, exchange programs have been good for higher ed and valuable for the students involved. These students went through orientation and signed their visas; surely they knew that the policies for temporary international visitors. It is unclear if the students intended to remain in the USA illegally.
But it is clear that these students deliberately chose to break the rules.
The University has decided to terminate the program with Mansoura University in Egypt.
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