International Engagement Newsletter
Weekly Update
Weekly updates for Monday August 31st - Sunday, September 6th
IMPORTANT REMINDER!
Staying Connected while we are Social Distancing
The Office of International Engagement is pleased to announce a series of Zoom meetings, "Zoom with IE", to help us stay connected with you as we continue to practice social distancing. In these meetings, we will discuss a topic, invite campus partners to participate and answer your questions. Students can submit questions before the meeting by emailing Sarah at shabtemariam@uca.edu. These meetings will be held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of September, October and November at 4:00 PM CST. Be looking for your invitation to participate in the first meeting on September 8th where we will discuss the beginning of the semester and the COVID preparations that have been made on campus!
TAKING CLASSES IN THE U.S. THIS SEMESTER? THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CLASS ENROLLMENT
Normally to remain in active immigration status, undergraduate students must enroll a total of 12 credit hours with 9 hours being traditional/hybrid and graduate students must enroll in a total of 9 credit hours with 6 hours being traditional/hybrid credit hours. During the COVID pandemic, students who are unable to take the minimum number of traditional or hybrid credits due to the unavailability of appropriate classes in Fall 2020 may seek an exemption from the Office of International Engagement.
A general principle to follow is that international students should enroll in the fewest number of online credits possible to make appropriate academic progress toward their degree. Any undergraduate student enrolled in fewer than 6 traditional/hybrid face-to-face credits, must receive written approval from the Office of International Engagement. Graduates students enrolled in only 3 traditional/hybrid face-to-face credits, must receive written approval from the Office of International Engagement. You may not enroll in 100% on-line credits.
Possible scenarios that can be approved:
- A prerequisite for required course is only offered online
- Scheduling conflicts
- Upperclassmen with limited classes remaining
INSURANCE MATTERS
Thursday, September 3rd
Wednesday September 9th
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Are you Graduating in December? Plan Ahead!
Will you be graduating in December? It is always good to plan ahead. Here are some things to take action on as soon as you begin the semester:
1. Apply for Graduation - although plans for the December graduation ceremony are not finalized, you still must apply for graduation to have your degree requirements reviewed and to set up delivery of your diploma. Undergraduates: On myUCA, go to Essentials - Current students, select the Graduation Application icon. Graduate students: https://uca.edu/graduateschool/graduation/
2. Optional Practical Training - if you are going to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), informational sessions will be held September 15 and 17th. The first date for application processing appointments is September 18th. It is very important to apply early. On October 2, 2020, USCIS is raising the application fee from $410 to $550. To submit your application with the lower fee we must process it no later than September 30th. The OPT Reference Guide is available under the "Employment" tab on the International Engagement webpage.
3. Continuing Your Studies - if you plan to apply for Graduate School or another academic program, apply early. All admission offices are operating more slowly due to COVID-19 restrictions and limited staff.
4. Sash Ceremony - we will be giving all international graduates a home country sash. Stay tuned for how and when the sash ceremony will take place.