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Adelphi University applied to sponsor a foreign worker for an assistant professor of physical education role paying $76,000 per year, one of five positions the school slated for the H-1B visa program for the 2026–27 school year.
The other positions the school sought certification to fill include an assistant professor of computer science at $75,000 per year, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at $78,000, an assistant professor of environmental studies and sciences at $81,000, and a second physical education role focused on adapted education for students with disabilities at $75,000.
The media relations department at Adelphi University, a private university in New York, did not respond to The College Fix’s requests for comments asking why foreign workers are needed to fill these positions.
The H-1B filings at the Long Island-based university come amid its budget shortfalls.
The university faces a $7 million deficit and it recently closed its satellite campus in Poughkeepsie, which housed its master’s and doctoral degree programs in social work, Newsday reported.
“Can the school really not find qualified Americans to teach phy ed?!” one campus source who asked to remain anonymous said to The College Fix via email.
What’s more, a previous foreign hire at the university drew negative publicity for the institution.
As The College Fix previously reported, Adelphi University hired Nitasha Dhillon as a communications professor around 2020. She was co-founder of Decolonize this Place, which focused on protesting colonization and organized a mass vandalization event in New York City that included the motto of “fuck this shit up.”
Those who support H-1B visas argue that they are needed to attract international talent to teach and foster innovation, but critics contend the program allows universities to hire cheaper foreign workers as substitutes for American ones.
An effort by President Donald Trump to curb potential abuse of the H-1B system by imposing a $100,000 regulatory fee on employers, including universities, was stopped by a U.S. district court judge in June, who ruled the fee was an unauthorized tax the president did not have the authority to impose.
“Under President Trump, the United States is unapologetic in enhancing opportunities for our citizens and implementing America First visa policies,” a State Department spokesperson told The Fix, noting the administration is working to “address the abuse of the program, stop the undercutting of American wages, and protect our national security.”
Public data show Adelphi is no stranger to using the H-1B visa to hire instructors. Between 2023 and 2026, it filed 22 such requests.
For example, in 2024 it sought eight visas, including an adjunct lecturer in history at $83,000 per year, an assistant professor of business analytics at $129,000 per year, and an assistant professor of public health at $98,000.
Since 2014, Adelphi University has filed 51 H-1B visa requests in total. The median salary for H-1B visa sponsored faculty at the university is $65,000.
