Introductions• InternationalServices

-- JoyWerka --MonaForoughi-- AnitaDeer -- SabrinaWilliamsGradStudies-LindaClugstone &MidoriMaloney

• Dr.DavidBerkowitz,DeanofGraduateStudiesandDirectorofOfficeofInternationalEngagement

• Dr.Yeqing Bao,AssistantDeanofGraduateStudiesandAssociateDirectorofOfficeofInternationalEngagement

• StafffromEnglishLanguageProgram• BethBarnett,UniversityHealthServices• Volunteers

Agendaforthemorning

• WELCOME• Meetyourfellowstudents• PresentationsfromcampuspartnersandOIE• Orientationschedule• Answeringyourquestions• LUNCH• Connect/network

RollCallofNations

Huntsville

• https://vimeo.com/97377704

StudentLifeatUAH

• StudentSuccess• StudentEngagement• Athletics

Transportation

• UAHShuttleBus

• CityShuttleBus:http://www.hsvcity.com/PublicTran/public_trans.php

HealthandWellBeing

• StudentHealthCenter• HealthInsurance

https://youtu.be/h8iD5WCn45w

• CounsellingCenter• FitnessCenter

Gettoknowyourclassmates

Whatyouneedtoknow

• Immigration• Safety• CampusBusiness– BursarOffice,Registrationinclasses,ChargerCentral(changeofaddress)

• TECH– Banner,Canvas,UAHemail,UAlert

F1/J1Essentials

• Registerfulltime– Fall/springsemesters– Undergraduate12hours,graduate9hours– Creditsatdegreeleveltowardsyourmajor– Donotdropaclasswithoutourpermission• Whatdoesitmeantobe‘outofstatus’

KeepImmigrationDocumentsValid

• Passportshouldhaveatleast6monthsvalidity

• I-20cannotexpirebeforeyoufinish–extensionneedstobedonebeforeenddate

• Seeanadvisorwithquestions

I-20ORDS-2019

F1orJ1visa

• Stampaffixedinpassport• DoesnotdeterminelengthofstayinU.S.• IfitexpireswhenoutsideoftheU.S.,youmustrenewvisainordertoreturntotheU.S.

• AvisacannotbeissuedinsidetheUnitedStates

I-94arrival/departurerecord

• Printoffandturninwithin2weeksofarrivaltoISSS

• Youcanuseourprinter/computer• YouneedthisforBankAccount,SocialSecurityAdministration– Driver’sLicenseorStateIDcard

Passport

• Atleast6monthsvalidity• Keepinsafeplace• SuggestastateID

Reportingchangesandemployment

• Changeinaddress– chargercentralorBANNER– anytimeyoumovesubmitthenewaddress

• Advisorsneedtoknowanychangesinmajor,financialsponsor,visastatus

• TRAVELSIGNATUREPROCESS

Oncampusemployment

• 20hourperweeklimit• GTA/GRAisoncampusemployment• Oncampusjobapplicationoncehavepositionofferneedsasignaturefromanadvisortoproceed– andhelpwithSSN

OffCampusEmployment

• Offcampusworkisverylimited– seeanadvisorfordetails– CurricularPracticalTraining(CPT)– OptionalPracticalTraining(OPT)– SevereEconomicHardship(SEH)

• Norestaurantjobsorotherunauthorizedoffcampusemployment!

Whototrust?

• SEEANADVISOR• Don’taskfriends,professors,ortheinternet• DSOroleoncampusandwithimmigration• StudyintheStatesorothergovernmentwebsites(USCIS,DHS)

Contactus

• Ifyoufeellikeyouareoutofstatus– seeusASAP- Ifyoufalloutofstatus– youmustdeparttheU.S.

• Walk-inadvising,calloremail• 256-824-6055,isss@uah.edu,MondayandFriday10-12,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday1:30- 4

Stayinformed

• ReadyourUAHemailregularly• Weeklyannouncements• RemindertofiletaxreturninSpring• Importantdeadlines• Jobopportunities• TripsandSocialEvents

Whatyouneedtoknow

• Immigration• Safety• CampusBusiness– BursarOffice,Registrationinclasses,ChargerCentral(changeofaddress)

• TECH– Banner,Canvas,UAHemail,Ualert• ParkingandBicyclehttps://parking.uah.edu/

CultureShock

• CultureShock:thefeelingofdisorientationexperiencedbysomeonewhoissuddenlysubjectedtoanunfamiliarculture,wayoflife,orsetofattitudes.

• CounselingCenterWilsonHall329.256.824.6203

• ISSSStudentServicesBuilding218256.824.6055

BREAK

StayingSafeonCampusandintheU.S.

Whatyouneedtoknow

FirstthingsFirst

• UAHisasafecampusandHuntsvilleisasafecommunity

• Youwillfindpeopletobefriendly,helpfulandcourteous

Campussafety- RiskReductionTips

• Beawareofyoursurroundings

PersonalSafetyTips• Ifyouarebeingfollowed,gotothenearestareaofsafetyandifpossible,

useyourcellphonetocall911.• Ifconfrontedbyasituation,trytoremaincalm.• Ifitissafetodoso,trytogetadetaileddescriptionofsuspectsor

suspiciouspersonsand/ortheirvehicle(s).• DonotuseATMS(automatedbanktellermachines)alone,atnight,or

whensomeonesuspiciousisnearby.• Avoidstrangers;youdonothavetostopandtalktothem.• Stayalert,andplanaheadfor“Whatif…?”

ImportantPhoneNumbers

• EmergencyandNon-EmergencyPhoneNumbers

• EMERGENCY: 911 from any phone• EMERGENCY: 6911 fromCampusphones• EMERGENCY: 256.824.6911 from any phone• Non-EmergencyUAHPoliceNumber: 256.824.6596

• Voicemessagestocell,homeandofficephones

• Textmessagestocellphones• Emailmessages• UAHFacebookpage and UAHPoliceFacebookpage

• UAHTwitterFeeds(@UAH_UAlert and@UAHuntsville)

ResidentialSafety• Donotpropopenexteriordoors.• Whenenteringabuildingwithaccesscontrolinplace,donot

allowstrangerstoenterbehindyou.• Alwayslockyourdoorwhenyouleave,sleeporworklate.• Participateinallsafetydrills.• Makesureyourapartmenthaslights,locks,andalarmsas

needed.• Beonthelookoutforpeoplewhodon’tbelong.• Ifyouseesomeoneyouconsidersuspiciousoroutof

place, callUAHPoliceor911ifyouareoffcampusimmediately.

ProtectingyourIdentityandProperty• RegisteryourbicyclewiththeUAHPoliceDepartment.• Recordtheserialnumbersofyourbelongings.Engraveorpermanently

markitemswithauniqueidentifyingnumber.• Keepyourcarlocked.Storeitemsoutofsightorinyourroom/office.• Coats,backpacks,andpursesshouldremainwithyouorbelockedup.• Becarefulwith“namebrand”itemsandleavingthingsincommonareas.• Donotshareyourpersonalinformationwithpeoplewhodonotneedit.• Protectyourpasswords,computercredentialsandcreditcardinformation.

CulturalSafetyTip#1

• TheU.S.hasstrictlawsconcerningtheuseofalcohol,especiallyregardingdrinkingalcoholwhiledrivingandunderagedrinking.

AlcoholLawstobeawareof• Possessionofalcoholicbeveragesbyapersonwhoisunderage21is

illegal.• UsingafakeIDormisrepresentingyourageisalsoillegalandpunishable

bylaw.• Purchasingalcoholicbeveragesforapersonundertheageof21isillegal.• Drivingwhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholisillegalandcanresultinjail

timeandlossoflegalstatusintheUnitedStates.

CulturalSafetyTip#2• DRUGSARENOTLEGALATBOTHSTATEANDFEDERALLEVEL.• MarijuanaisnotlegalinthestateofAlabama.• PossessionofANYillegaldrugorcontrolledsubstanceisnot

legal.• Federallawprohibitstheuseofmarijuana.Usingmarijuana

instateswhereitislegalisSTILLillegalforinternationalstudents.

CulturalSafetyTip#3

UnderstandingtheroleofPoliceintheUnitedStates.• Policeareresponsibleforsafeguardingthepublicand

upholdinglocalandfederallaws.• Policeareconsideredtobeacommunityresource.• Policearecalledfordomesticissuesandthingsthatmaybe

consideredpersonalorfamilymattersinyourhomecountry.

CulturalSafetyTip#4

• Phonescamstargetinginternationalstudentshavebeenontherise.

• TheIRS,ICE,andUSCISdonotcallanddemandpaymentoverthephone.

• Becautiouswithgivingoutanypersonalinformationoverthephonetounfamiliarcallers.

• Whenindoubt,contactaUAHDSOortheUniversityPoliceDepartmentaboutthesituation.

CulturalSafetyTip#5

• Beawarethatnormsregardinggender,behavior,datingandrelationshipsmaybevieweddifferentlythanyouareaccustomed.

• TheUniversityiscommittedtoprovidinganenvironmentfreefromdiscriminationonthebasisofsex.TheUniversityofAlabamainHuntsvilleprovidesmanyresourcestostudents,facultyandstafftoaddressconcernsrelatingtodiscriminationonthebasisofsex,whichincludessexualmisconduct.

• FamiliarizeyourselfwithUAHTitleIXinformationathttp://www.uah.edu/title-ix.

Tipsforinteractionswiththepoliceifyouarestoppedorpulledover

• Thinkcarefully aboutyourwords,movement,bodylanguage,andemotions.

• Keepyourhands wherethepolicecanseethemanddonotexityourvehicleunlessyouareinstructedtodoso.

• Don’ttouch anypoliceofficer.• BriberyisillegalintheU.S.• InternationalStudentshavethesamerightsasAmerican

citizensforpolicematters.• ContactaUAHDSOifyouhavebeenarrested.

GeneralSafetyTipsforInternationalStudents

• Becarefulwhenbikingorwalkingoutsideofcampus.

• DonothitchhikeintheU.S.• Donotexcessivelyrelyonotherinternationalstudents.

• Donotdrivewithoutalicense.• Nosmokinginbuildingsorindormrooms• DonotgototheEmergencyRoomfornon-emergencies.

• Exercisecautionwhenusingalcohol.

Schedulefortheweek

• EnglishLanguagePlacementTest(selectstudents– youshouldhavebeennotifiedbyemail)

• IDcard(afterthissessionwithyourvolunteerleaders)

• HealthCenter– TBandimmunizations(tomorrow)

• RegistrationinClasses(holdsremovedthisafternoon)

• Firstdayofclass– tuitiondueby5pm

• https://www.uah.edu/images/administrative/student-life/2018_wow_spring_events.pdf

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIXMttxF48I

• http://www.uah.edu/student-life/student-events/wow

DownloadUAHcampuslifeapp

BEFOREYOULEAVE

• AcompletedSEVIScheckinform– withlocalHuntsvilleaddress(temporaryaddressisokay)

• GTA/GRAsletterforSocialSecurityNumber• HowtoretrieveCBPI-94(Arrival/Departure)record• Ensureyouhaveyouroriginalimmigrationdocuments(andthoseofanydependents)

StudentOrganizations

• ISO• CSSA• Andmore

Registrar’sCalendar