April Archive - International Student Newsletter

 

 

04/04/2013 ISS Newsletter

International Centre
Spring Culture Series
Events
Volunteer Opportunities
Dining Survey - chance to win a gift card!
Free Test Practice
Summer Course

International Centre News

Staff in the Office of International Programs

International Student Advisors will be OUT OF OFFICE Monday, April 8th until Thursday, April 11th. Please make any urgent matters known to the front desk at the International Centre. 701-777-4231

We are undergoing the search for our third International Student Advisor. For now, Rachel Walker will be handling the I-20 requests and Culture Nights and Shannon Jolly will be advising all F-1 students and working with health insurance.

We appreciate your patience during the current staffing transition. While we will do our best to respond to emails and phone calls as quickly as possible, response time may be a bit slower than usual. Similarly, at high traffic times, it may take a bit longer to get in for an advising appointment. We encourage you to take advantage of Advisor on Call times Monday - Thursday 11am - 1pm when you can and, when possible, to plan ahead to allow for a little extra time for processes to take place.

International Student Drop Hold

The International Student Drop hold is being placed on the Campus Connection records for all enrolled students holding F-1 and J-1 statuses. This hold only prevents dropping classes until you consult with your International Student Advisor. You can still add classes, request transcripts and so forth without any impact from this hold. If you have questions, or if you need to drop a class, please contact your International Student Advisor or come in to see an advisor during Advisor on Call hours (Monday - Thursday from 11am - 1pm).

Kitchen Certification at the International Centre

The International Centre is in the process of getting the kitchen certified to prepare food for groups. We will not be able to host any events with students cooking here until we have been inspected and approved. It might take up to two months with all the planning, cleaning & upgrading of our kitchen. The updated process for International Centre reservation is described at http://und.edu/academics/international-programs/ic-reservation.cfm

Spring 2013 Culture Series

The Thursday Night Cultural Series features a taste of culture and food of the countries featured. The Spring 2013 schedule is as follows:

• April 4 - Sri Lanka
• April 11 - Nepali Speaking Bhutanese
• April 18 - Liberia

Location:
The Office of International Programs has teamed up with the Memorial Union to hold the cultural nights in the Loading Dock. The program is free and food will be available for $1.00. We look forward to seeing you in the Loading Dock.

Upcoming Events:

International Cafe Study Night

"The Apartment Community Center staff invites you to be part of an International Cafe Study Night! Our staff is looking for students to help us theme each night around a particular country or culture by presenting coffees, teas and desserts with information about that country or culture. These events take place on Sunday evenings from 6-10 PM on April 14 and May 5. If you are interested in helping our staff plan these events with suggestions of coffees, teas and desserts from your country, please contact Whitney Maine, Residence Apartment Director, at whitney.maine@email.und.edu

Filing For Tax Returns!

All students MUST file tax returns and/or Forms 8843 on or before APRIL 15th.

Need assistance?

The Public Interest Law Students Association (PILSA) is pleased to announce the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for 2013 (2012 tax year). The VITA program offers free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their individual income tax return. IRS-certified volunteers provide basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing at no cost. Volunteers are IRS certified to prepare U.S. citizen, resident, and non-resident returns (international students).

No appointment is necessary, first come, first served. There is no cost to have a VITA volunteer prepare your return.

LOCATION: Memorial Union Room 1B (lower level computer lab)

Tuesdays - 5:00 – 7:00 pm (April 9)

Saturdays - 9:00 – 11:00 am (April 6)

Any questions can be directed to co-chairs:

Adrian Escalona - adrianescalonajr@hotmail.com
Kevin Kuntz - kevin.kuntz@und.edu

Professional Dress Event:

• Monday, April 8 @ 5:30pm: Lecture Bowl, Memorial Union
o What's the difference between professional and business casual dress? How does one tie a tie? What is proper attire for an interview? These are all questions we answer regularly, so we host this event to show you the ropes! Join us for a fun event that highlights the important aspects of professional dress!

Manners Matter - Etiquette Dinner:

• Monday, April 22 @ 5:30pm: Ballroom, Memorial Union
o Need to brush up on your dining etiquette? Do you know which proper fork to use, and in what order? Do you know how to carry on a professional conversation with colleagues and potential employers? Learn all these things, and more, at the Etiquette Dinner! Enjoy a delicious four-course meal in a professional setting.
o Alumni and local employers will be in attendance, making for a great opportunity to expand your professional network!
o Register at Career Services (280 McCannel Hall) by Friday, April 12 or at the Professional Dress Event on Monday, April 8.
o Price: $10 per ticket
A mystery guest of honor will be there -- guess who??

Volunteer Opportunities

The Big Event 2013

The Big Event 2013 is Saturday, April 27. The Big Event is a one-day community service project where UND students, faculty, and staff say "thank you" to the Greater Grand Forks Community for their support of UND by volunteering their time. In 2012, 1,200 participants completed 175 service projects.
Here is what April 27 will look like:
9:00am – Arrive to the Wellness Center with your group to check-in, eat breakfast, pick up supplies and job info, and pick up your free "Do Work" t-shirt
10:00am-2:00pm – Volunteer at your job site
2:00pm – Deliver your supplies back to the Wellness Center and you are free to go

Sign up to "Do Work" by completing the Participation Form .

If you have any questions or would like The Big Event to come to your organization's meeting, please contact us at und.thebigevent@email.und.edu. We hope to see you on April 27!

Tunnel of Oppression, Spring 2013

The University of North Dakota Tunnel of Oppression Planning Committee would like to invite you and your organization to help us in creating an impactful and special event. The Tunnel of Oppression is an interactive informational tour that highlights contemporary issues of injustice. We are asking for volunteers to help with the facilitation of the tunnel. If you are able and interested please respond with the number and names of volunteers, including contact information and availability. We are requesting that volunteers commit to a minimum of 1 hour of time.
Eric Souvannasacd
2013 Tunnel of Oppression Volunteer Coordinator
701-741-7256

Volunteers for Cultural Presentations at Holy Family-St. Mary School

Study of Thailand in Fourth Grade class

I am looking for people in the UND community to help my students get a closer look at the Thai culture, its people, foods, holidays, religion, landforms, tourist attractions, animal and plant life, history, education, etc.
I want to help my students prepare for our International Event which is on April 11th. This is an excellent educational opportunity for children!

If there is anyone who has ever traveled to Thailand, related to someone from Thailand, or connected to Thailand in any way, I would welcome your input as well. I want my students to get a real taste of Thailand and I would appreciate feedback. Please call me 701-740-3319 if you are able to provide any resources for my Fourth Graders.

Thanks so much!

******************

THE STUDENTS AT HOLY FAMILY-ST. MARY'S WOULD LOVE TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ANY COUNTRY VISIT OUR SCHOOL DURING THE SCHOOL WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. PLEASE CALL TRISH MOHR @ 701-740-3319 IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO A PRESENTATION ON YOUR HOMELAND. THANKS!

Summer Orientation Leader

The Student Success Center is seeking applicants for orientation leader (student assistant) positions for this summer's orientation program
Apply now!

Tri-College University NEW Leadership Development Institute...empowering a new generation of women leaders

• June 5 - 9, 2013 hosted at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MN)
• Intensive 5-day residential program
• Limited to 50 participants
• No costs for participation and possible scholarships for childcare and travel
• Applicants who are interested in politics, leadership, public service, or community service, and have a desire to develop their own leadership skills are encouraged to apply.
For more information: http://www.tri-college.org/new_leadership_institute/

Dining Survey

Hi,
You are invited to participate in a study exploring food beliefs and choices among international students at UND. The feedback that you provide is anonymous, and the questionnaire is estimated to take you about 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback is important to inform UND Dining Services about needs and preferences of UND's community of international students and other high education institutions serving international students. This study is being carried out by a team of UND students in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics under the direction of their course instructor, Dr. Desiree Tande. Upon completion of the survey , you will be invited to enter a drawing for dining certificates – five $10 certificates will be given away.

You may contact Desiree Tande at 701.777.3751 or desiree.tande@und.edu if you have any questions or concerns about study participation or the IRB office at 701.777.4279.

Thank you for your participation!

Senior Research Team, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

FREE Test Practice

[GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT, and PCAT]

Live From Anywhere! Find the perfect date and time at www.kaptest.com/practice OR register through this link- http://bit.ly/UNDPRACTICE2013
Kaplan is holding a FREE Practice Test for the [GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT, or PCAT]. This semester we're making the event more convenient than ever.
How about taking your exam from home, the library, a coffee shop, or even an open computer lab on campus? Then take your practice test live and online in our Classroom Anywhere environment, available from anywhere you have internet access.

Each test will last up to 4 hours and will be proctored like an actual exam. Immediately following the exam, you will be able to receive your score report, with full comprehensive feedback on your individual performance.
This is a great opportunity for you to see how you might score on the real thing, and also to become familiar with the kinds of questions that will be on the real test. For most Alumni/students, this exam will be a more realistic test-taking experience as you can practice in the format that mirrors most graduate school exams.
Next Class Starts:

Next Anywhere GMAT class -
03/03-05/12 Sun/Wed/Sat 1pmET

Summer Class Offering

CJ399: Special topics in Criminal Justice: Comparative Criminal Justice Systems

Students who are interested in Sociology, cultural and historical comparison, International Business, Political Science and legal systems should consider this course! International students taking the class will be encouraged to share and offer feedback of their thoughts regarding the legal system based on their experiences.