ISSS WEEKLY UPDATE FOR
April 29, 2008 to May 6, 2008
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- END-OF-THE-YEAR AND GRADUATION PARTY - MAY 9
- ISSS WILL CLOSE MAY 9 AT 3 PM
- SMALL WORLD COFFEE HOUR, WINS AN OUTSTANDING PROGRAM AWARD!
- INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GROUP (IFGP) INTERNS NEEDED!
- CPT/OPT WORKSHOP - MAY 7
- CULTURE CORPS EVENT: "PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY" - APRIL 29
- CULTURE CORPS EVENT: INTERNATIONAL MOVIE SERIES "SEPET" - MAY 2
- GRADUATING STUDENTS: NOTICE OF INTERNET/E-MAIL ACCOUNT STATUS
- ATTENTION STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS PREPARING TO GO HOME!
- NEW OPT REGULATIONS!
REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS:
These are announcements from previous ISSS Weekly Updates. They
are current and relevant to this week. To read the full text of
each repeated announcement, please refer to the dates indicated
below on the ISSS Weekly Update web page.
- IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR CINTAX USERS! KEEP YOUR RECORDS! (Update
04/01/2008)
- GLBTA INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES WEBSITE (Update 3/18/2008)
- GLBTA INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE MEETINGS (Update 3/18/2008)
- FRAUD ALERT! IRS NEVER SENDS YOU EMAIL MESSAGES! (Update 4/15/2008)
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. END-OF-THE-YEAR AND GRADUATION PARTY
Students, scholars, families and friends! Mark your calendars for this
get-together to celebrate graduates in 2007 and 2008 as well as everyone who
has completed a program and returning home. Great food! Music! Take a
self-guided tour of the galleries and have your picture taken with Goldy
Gopher!
DATE: May 9, 2008
TIME: 4:00 to 6:00 pm
PLACE: Weisman Art Museum
CURRENT EXHIBITS
"Paul Shambroom: Picturing Power"
"The Exquisite Book"
"Who is a Citizen? What is Citizenship?"
2. ISSS WILL CLOSE MAY 9 AT 3 PM
Because we are hosting the End of the Year and Graduation Celebration on May
9, ISSS will close at 3 p.m. Please plan your visit ISSS accordingly. Thank
you!
3. SMALL WORLD COFFEE HOUR WINS AN OUTSTANDING PROGRAM AWARD!
ISSS longstanding Small World Coffee Hour won the Outstanding Program award
last week from the Student Activities Office. In total 44 student groups
were nominated for eight different award categories. The Small World Coffee
Hour team members this year are Avigya Karki, Julia Rauchfuss, Seongdok Kim,
Apeckchya Karki, Jersin Nguetio, Hee Sung Lee, and Taeko Harada. ISSS is
very thankful for their dedication and hard work. This was the second Tony
Diggs Excellence Awards where the Student Activities Office recognizes
student groups for their contributions to the campus and community
throughout the past academic year. The award is in memory of Tony Diggs SAO
late Director.
4. INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GROUP (IFGP) INTERNS NEEDED!
ISSS is looking for undergraduate international student interns to work with
our Undergraduate International Friendship Group Program. This program was
created to ease the transition, with current undergraduate students helping
new international undergraduate students. The IFGP Internship is non-paid
but it will give you valuable training and experience you can use in your
resume and future professional work! Apply by May 17th! For details and
the application, please see
More Info.
5. CPT/OPT WORKSHOP - MAY 7
Find out everything you need to know about Curricular and Optional Practical
Training. Obtain the forms you need, ask questions, and learn from your
fellow students' questions as well. See more information ....
6. CULTURE CORPS EVENT: ‘PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY’
: CULTURE CORPS EVENT
Private philanthropy is a broader concept than foreign aid and has a deeper
philosophical foundation than the simple transfer of money, material and
expertise. Can you really change the world? What's an effective way to
identify a margin and make long-lasting differences? This charitable action
is of interest to individuals, corporate, government as well as
multi-national NGOs alike.
DATE: April 29, 2008
TIME: 12 noon to 1.15 pm
PLACE: 110 Heller Hall, Minneapolis, West Bank
SPEAKER: Susan Wilkes, founder and president of Adventures in Giving, LLC
and director of Oswald family foundation
Free and open to all! Pizza lunch will be provided to participants. ***
RSVP highly recommended for food purchase! Questions and comments please
address to: Yongling Zhang or Yuki Watabe.
7. INTERNATIONAL MOVIE SERIES ‘SEPET’
: CULTURE CORPS EVENT
"Sepet" is a 2004 Malaysian romantic comedy drama film set in Ipoh,
Malaysia. It tells a tale of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a
Malay girl. Nineteen-year old Ah Loong is in charge of a stall selling
pirated VCDs. His life takes a sudden turn one day when Orked, a Malay
schoolgirl, arrives at his stall. Love blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong
although social and racial pressures stand in their way. Afterwards we will
have a discussion on the film.
DATE: Friday, May 2, 2008
TIME: 2 pm - 5 pm
PLACE: 430 Blegen Hall, Minneapolis West Bank
COST: Free and open to the public with free Malaysian refreshments
See more information
8. GRADUATING STUDENTS NOTICE
OF INTERNET/E-MAIL ACCOUNT STATUS EMAIL
Please note that your e-mail inbox will remain active a minimum of
three semesters after the last term you register. To keep it active longer,
you must access it once every 6 months. The University and ISSS will
continue to use your e-mail address for official communications, so check
your e-mail regularly or have it forwarded to an address you actively
monitor.
INTERNET ID (for example, "user1234") and password will remain active for
five years. This gives you access to:
1. Your e-mail inbox -- as long as it remains active (see above).
2. Directory Tools -- for e-mail forwarding and other account options.
3. OneStop -- for updating address information, transcripts, etc.
9. ATTENTION STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS PREPARING TO GO HOME!
Check out the helpful hints on the ISSS website
http://www.isss.umn.edu/reentry/ to prepare you for re-entering your home
country, and be sure to inform ISSS of your departure plans.
10. NEW OPT REGULATIONS!
**** Highlights of the New Rule****
- a. The current 12-month limit on OPT will be extended by 17 months, for a
total of 29 months for certain STEM degree holders ONLY.
- b. The H-1B "Cap Gap" (the gap between the end of OPT and the beginning of
H1B) is eliminated by extending OPT employment and status for those who are
beneficiaries of a timely filed H-1B petition, by their employer, with an
October 1 start date (available to ALL OPT participants).
- c. The filing deadline for initial OPT applications is changed (applies to
all OPT participants). You may now file up to 60 days after the completion
of the requirements for your program.
- d. There are new reporting requirements for students and employers (applies
to all OPT participants).
- e. Post-Completion OPT will now be dependent on employment. Only limited
periods of unemployment will be permitted (applies to all OPT participants).
You may not accrue an aggregate of 90 days of unemployment during 12 months
of OPT.
What is STEM?
S = Science
T = Technology
E = Engineering
M = Mathematics
_____________________
University and ISSS Events Calendars
Visit the ISSS Event Calendar and University Events
Calendar regularly for programs, films, concerts, and celebrations
of special interest to you! Many events are free or affordable to
University Community members and the public.
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