As part of its Homeland Security directive, the Bush administration is considering blocking international students from studying certain subjects that could be valuable to terrorists.
An Interagency Working Group currently is evaluating the issue of prohibiting certain students from learning sensitive information about weapons development, said Kathryn Harrington, spokeswoman for the White House office of science and technology policy.
It is one of several issues brought up in an Oct. 29 presidential directive entitled "Combating Terrorism Through Immigration Policies."
The Bush directive says the group is responsible for determining courses of study in which sensitive information is taught, as well as identifying potential terrorists and preventing them from obtaining student visas.
It also calls on the group to "develop guidelines that may include control mechanisms, such as limited duration student immigration status, and may implement strict criteria for renewing such student immigration status."
OSTP staff members are one of several agencies working on the group, along with those in the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, State and Education, all part of a policy coordination committee for the Bush administration, Harrington said.
"Once they have the recommendation in place, it will simply move up the chain of command," she added.
University Chemical Engineering Prof. John O'Connell said he did not think the information taught at the University in fields such as biology, computer science, mechanical or chemical engineering posed a direct threat to national security.
"It's like any other kind of knowledge," O'Connell said. "It could be used for good or bad."
The issue did draw concerns from some University professors and administrators that limiting international students studies might exercise too much government control.
"I'm concerned that it's a reactionary measure," International Studies Office Director Rebecca Brown said. "It's something that should be very carefully considered."
The IWG likely would recommend the White House consult universities before making any resolutions, Harrington said.
"The government definitely respects academic freedom," O'Connell said.
Despite the potential risks to this freedom, O'Connell said it was too early to begin worrying.
"We ought to just wait until the report comes out," he added.
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