Sarah Crosley, senior English and Classics major, woke up March 29 to Campus Safety knocking at her door demanding she leave campus immediately or she would be deported back to Kansas.
She had recently been informed via snail mail that she would be deported lest she responded to numerous incident reports and change her actions. Crosley never received the letter because she hadn’t checked her mailbox since second semester sophomore year.
“The letter said I had been given illegal status as a student at Jewell and had to withdraw from my classes and be off campus by March 29,” said Crosley.
Crosley was being deported for numerous rule violations, many of which she said were not made clear to her when she became enrolled as a student.
Her biggest offense was repeatedly being seen walking on the quad grass.
“Everyone was doing it, so I assumed it was okay. I know the grass is important to the school, but I didn’t know stepping on it would lead to deportation,” said Crosley.
She also failed to RSVP to Jewell events immediately following the first email.
“Yes, I did receive multiple reminders about RSVPing, but I always RSVPed by the deadline. The protocol was never made clear- there’s no transparency,” she said.
Crosley was given the day to pack and had to hit the road by 5 p.m. or else she would be fined a $50 “failure to checkout” fee.
“Thankfully my friends were very supportive and helped me pack everything into my tiny suitcase,” said Crosley.
Crosley was set to graduate in May but will now have to have to reapply to Jewell, take Responsible Self again and spend another semester before graduating in December. Crosley hopes her story will enlighten other students of Jewell’s policies, so something similar does not happen to them.
Those involved in Crosley’s early return to Kansas declined to comment on the situation.
