Friday, December 14, 2018

Transcription

1 Friday, December 14, 2018 Table of Contents 1. Greeting 2. Important Announcements - Winter Office Closures - Final Travel Signature Day Tuesday, December 18th 3. Other ISSS Updates and Events - Sign Up to be an International Buddy! - Reminders about Phone Frauds

2 - SEVIS Fee Increase - University No Smoking/Tobacco Free Policy Effective January University at Albany Events Click Here for a full list of upcoming UAlbany events! - Men's Basketball vs. Dartmouth - Food for Finals: Late Night Coffee & Cookies 5. Capital District Events - Annual Schenectady Festival of Trees - A Taste of Lark: Chili & Chowder Edition - Palace Theatre Movie Series: Bad Santa 1. Greetings! This is the Weekly ISSS Newsletter that we send out every Friday. It includes very important immigration updates that you must be aware of, as well as information about events happening on campus and in the area. Are you a part of a student organization and want to see your event advertised to your fellow students? Please send the details and/or flyer to ISSS@albany.edu. 2. Important Announcements

3 Winter Office Closures ISSS will be closed on Christmas Day (12/25) and New Years Day (1/1). Between December 19th-January 2nd, the Science Library building will be closed to students, and therefore in-person walk-in advising will be unavailable. Staff will still be available over phone ( ) and during our normal hours over that time period (excluding federal holidays and weekends). Students who need travel signatures for winter break should plan to attend one of our travel signature days because the office will not be accessible while the building is closed. Final Travel Signature Day Tuesday, December 18th Every F-1 and J-1 student must have a valid travel signature on their I-20 or DS-2019 in order to re-enter the United States after travelling outside. These travel signatures are usually valid for 1 year while you are a full-time student, though we recommend getting your I-20 or DS signed every 6 months. Usually, travel signature requests take 5-7 business days. On our special travel signature days, however, we will sign the I-20 or DS-2019 on the spot. Come on Tuesday, December 18th from 2-4pm to have your I-20 or DS-2019 signed! We will also have a travel signature day on December 11th and December 18th from 2-4pm. View the schedule here: 3. Other ISSS Updates and Events Sign Up to be an International Buddy! Do you want to be a buddy for new international students? We are recruiting buddies for Spring 2019 now. Please find more information and sign up through this link:

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6 Reminders about Phone Frauds Fraudsters and Scammers may try to use the phone to steal money from you. These individuals may impersonate law enforcement (such as DHS, USCIS, or the IRS) and may demand money and threaten you if you don't provide it. They may even know information about you. To stay safe, remember the following: 1.) Stay calm. They may say things to try to scare you, but take a moment to breathe and think about what you will do next. 2.) Do not provide any personal information (such as SSN or credit card information) over the phone to someone who calls you. 3.) If a caller demands money do not provide them your banking information, even if they threaten you. Law enforcement, DHS, and the IRS will never demand money from you over the phone. 4.) If you think the call may be legitimate, tell the caller you feel more comfortable calling back at their official number. Check for the correct number (do not trust the number on the caller ID). A legitimate caller will not mind you asking to do this. 5.) If you aren't sure, hang up and call ISSS or another trusted advisor for help. SEVIS Fee Increase Effective Spring 2019, the University SEVIS fee will be $135 per semester. F-1 and J-1 international students are charged the SEVIS fee each term they are a registered student (fall, spring, and summer terms included). University No Smoking/Tobacco Free Policy Effective January 2019

7 The University will become tobacco free in January 2019, which means smoking and other tobacco use will be prohibited on campus. For additional information on this new policy, please click here: Cessation Resources (i.e. programs to help students quit smoking) are available through the University and community. A list of resources is available here: Counseling and Psychological Services will also have a Cessation Group to help students quite smoking/other tobacco usage. For more information, please contact Dr. Brain Freidenberg at

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10 4. University at Albany Events Click Here for a full list of upcoming UAlbany events! Men's Basketball vs. Dartmouth Saturday, December SEFCU Arena Come out and support the UAlbany Men's Basketball team as they face off against Dartmouth! Food for Finals: Late Night Coffee & Cookies Sunday, December 16 8:30pm - 10:30pm Campus Center Come join us at the CC for late night coffee and cookies! All you need for this free event is your student ID. 5. Capital District Events Annual Schenectady Festival of Trees Today until Sunday December 16; 10am-5pm Schenectady County Historical Society - 32 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, NY Cost: $6 Celebrate the season as we fill our galleries with lighted fir trees! Decorated from classic to kooky Christmas styles, the trees glow with the enchantment of the holidays. Join us throughout December for a shimmering, festive season. Happening at the Schenectady County Historical Society and the YMCA Northeastern NY. A Taste of Lark: Chili & Chowder Edition Saturday, December 12-4pm Lark Street, Albany NY $1/sample of chili and chowder A Taste of Lark: Chili and Chowder Edition will be held on Lark Street in Albany in conjunction with the 13th Annual Santa Speedo Sprint on December 15, from noon to 4 PM. Enjoy $1 samples of chili and chowder from area restaurants as you stroll through Albany s classic Lark Street neighborhood, fully decked out for the holidays! A Taste Of Lark: Chili and Chowder Edition is free and open to the public. Palace Theatre Movie Series: Bad Santa Monday, December

11 Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave. Albany, NY Buy tickets Here $5/person Bad Santa 2003, 90 minutes, R A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid. TICKETS: By phone at or in person at the Palace Theatre Box Office (19 Clinton Ave. Albany, NY)