The University of Oregon has selected an administrator to be a resource for students who are, and would potentially be, affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent immigration executive orders.
According to a press release, UO administration has appointed Jane Irungu, assistant vice president of student engagement, to work with students targeted by Trump’s immigration policies: undocumented students covered by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and international students from the seven countries listed on Trump’s travel ban.
Irungu was previously the director of the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence, which operates under the Division of Equity and Inclusion. Her new position will be a part of the Division of Student Life.
Irungu’s position will be the first dedicated to managing resources for international and undocumented students. She will also hold regular office hours for students with questions related to their immigration status.
Irungu received her B.A. in education from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, where she later worked as a high school teacher and principal. In 1997, Irungu immigrated to the United States, where she earned a Ph.D. in policy studies and higher education administration from the University of Kansas.
While heading the CMAE, she formed the UO Dreamers Working Group, which guides UO undocumented students in issues regarding their immigration status.
Irungu’s appointment comes after UO President Michael Schill announced on Monday that he was creating the administrative position. During a meeting on the same day, UO Provost Scott Coltrane said that the administration plans to provide attorneys for any student, staff, or faculty approached by immigration enforcement as a result of Trump’s policies.