Newsletter

Happy May Fellow NAFSAns!

As we continue to plan for our Bi-Regional Conference with Region IV at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois from October 29th to November 1st, we are excited to announce that we are now accepting conference session proposals! We have many, many session slots available so we need you to propose a session today. We are also adding a new incentive this year for those who propose a session by Friday, June 8th which is ultimately accepted, namely a $25 discount to the conference! Also, if you have a great idea for a session but need some assistance finding co-presenters, please still propose the session and then complete the form below. We will then assist you in finding another Region V and/or Region IV NAFSAn to co-present with you. So there is no reason why you should not propose a session today!

For those attending the NAFSA Annual Conference in New Orleans (AC24), we are going to be having a special Lunch and Learn for you later this month. The AC24 Conference Chair, the AC24 Content Chair, the Region V Chair Elect and the Region V Chair will be providing tips during this Lunch and Learn about how to maximize your AC24 experience. We will also be discussing the Region V events that we have planned for you during the AC24. More information is contained below.

If you will be attending AC24, we look forward to seeing you in person at the Region V events!

Bob White, Chair

Laure Bordas-Isner, Chair Elect

Ashton Troxel, Past Chair

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NAFSA Regions IV & V invite you to submit a conference proposal for the Spooktacular Biregional October 29th through November 1st! Proposals on topics covering ALL NAFSA Knowledge Communities are welcome, so propose your session idea today! Propose a session for the Bi-Regional IV & V Conference by Friday, June 8th and receive a $25 discount on your conference registration if your proposal is accepted.

Don’t miss this opportunity to share your ideas at the Biregional Conference and connect with an expanded network of NAFSAns from across the Midwest regions!

Have a Session Idea But Need a Co-Presenter - We Can Help!

If you have a great session idea but need to find a co-presenter, we can assist! In addition to submitting your session proposal today, please complete the form below to let the Bi-Regional Planning Committee know that you need assistance finding a co-presenter. We will then connect you to another Region V and/or Region IV NAFSAn who may be able to co-present with you.

UW-Madison's Global Higher Education MS Program Is Still Accepting Applications!

The Global Higher Education (GHE) Master’s Degree Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison (https://ghe.education.wisc.edu/) is welcoming applications (Deadline: July 1st, 2024) from domestic students who are interested in professional careers in international education. Founded in 2012, the Global Higher Education (GHE) Program is a leading graduate program specialized in training future professionals in international higher education, such as study abroad advisors, international student advisor, international admission counselors, international education program coordinators, etc.



For questions, please contact program director Dr. Weijia Li (wli255@wisc.edu).

NEWS YOU CAN USE

International Student & Scholar Services

EVP Final Rule on DS-2019 Digital Signatures and Electronic Transmission

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-23/pdf/2024-08602.pdf

SUMMARY: On March 28, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (Department of State) published in the Federal Register an interim final rule with request for comment (2023 Interim Final Rule) for the Exchange Visitor Program regulations that apply to sponsors the Department of State designates to conduct international educational and cultural exchange programs. In this final rule, the Department of State responds to public comments submitted in response to the 2023 Interim Final Rule and makes minor revisions to the regulations.

DATES: This rule is effective on May 23, 2024.

USCIS Announces Temporary Automatic Extension of Some EAD Renewals

The USCIS recently announced a temporary final rule that increases the automatic extension period for employment authorization documents (EADs) available to certain EAD renewal applicants from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. Information about the categories that are eligible for the increased automatic extension and when the temporary increased extension will expire is available at https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-increases-automatic-extension-of-certain-employment-authorization-documents-to-improve-access

DHS Extends SSR Employment Benefits to Ethiopian and Certain Palestinian Students

DHS recently extended Special Student Relief (SSR) to Ethiopian and certain Palestinian F-1 students. Additional information about F-1 students currently eligible for SSR is available on the SEVP What's New website: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/whats-new

NAFSA Joins Letter in Support of U.S. Department of State Domestic Visa Renewal Pilot Program

On April 15, the Compete America Coalition, of which NAFSA is a member, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State in support of the pilot program that allowed certain H-1B visa applicants to renew their visas in the United States. Based on positive participant feedback, the coalition urges the department to expand the program to other visa applicants, including international students, and to make this program permanent before the end of the calendar year. Read the letter here: https://www.nafsa.org/sites/default/files/media/document/Compete-America-Stateside-Renewal-Comment.pdf

USCIS Adopts DOL Definition of “Science or Art” in Green Card Process 

The USCIS released official guidance confirming that it will follow the DOL's definition of "Science or Art" when adjudicating I-140 Schedule A Group II petitions. This official guidance should result in more consistent adjudications in this under-utilized category. Additional information is available at https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-adopts-department-of-labor-definition-of-science-or-art

Education Abroad

Attending NAFSA Annual Conference? Here Are Two Suggestions to Build Your EA Schedule:



Education abroad experiences should be inclusive spaces where every student feels welcomed and valued. Prioritize these sessions focused on supporting students’ identities abroad as you’re building your NAFSA 2024 schedule! For a downloadable PDF with hyperlinks for each session, click here!

Student health & safety is core to education abroad, which is why this topic will be at the forefront of the NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo in New Orleans. Be sure to add these risk assessment & crisis management sessions to your online planner. Join conversations about NSPM-33, managing student safety within a small education abroad office, and more. For a downloadable PDF with hyperlinks for each session, click here!

Integrating NACE Career Competencies into Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs

Check out this new resource created by EAKC Regional liaisons! It offers a starting place to generate ideas for short-term program leaders searching for better ways to engage study abroad students for career readiness.

Connect with Region V EAKC Reps at WAIE!

Come meet EAKC reps Alli Reed and Carmen Pitz at WAIE in June! We will be presenting a pre conference workshop and more and look forward to meeting you.

Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship

TLS April Lunch & Learn

A great shoutout to Tianshu Li, PhD candidate of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who presented her dissertation research on ISSS's role in campus DEI work at the TLS Lunch & Learn on 4/23/2024. Tianshu will be defending her dissertation in early May.

Research on Social Justice and Decolonization Issues in Education Abroad

Check out the latest issue of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, a open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal by The Forum on Education Abroad. The April's issue features studies such as "Steps Towards Decolonizing Study Abroad: Host Communities’ Perceptions of Change, Benefits, and Harms from Study Abroad." by Heather Haeger, John E. Banks, Roman Christiaens, and Lily Amador, and "Is Study Abroad Still a Privilege? Exploring the Inequality Gap between Intentions and Study Abroad at a Public Midwestern University in the U.S." by Hermann Kurthen and Anna Hammersmith.

Dissertation Research on ISSS and International Students

In the recent years, research on internationalization of higher education and especially on international student mobility has entered a new era with emerging scholars adopting more organizational perspectives and more humanizing approaches. For example, UW-Madison's School of Education PhD candidate Tianshu Li (tli324@wisc.edu) will be defending her dissertation entitled "Campus DEI Discourse and Its Impact on International Student and Scholar Services: A Critical Qualitative Multi-method Study" in May. Her peer, PhD candidate Peiwen Zheng (pzheng26@wisc.edu) will be defending her dissertation "Choosing Light over Shadow: A Mixed Methods Study of Community College International Student Well-Being and Educational Momentum" in the same week.

Want to know how to make the most of your NAFSA Annual Conference (AC24) experience in New Orleans? Join AC24 Conference Chair Jenny Bowen from Indiana University, AC24 C K Kwai from Cleveland State University, Region V Chair Bob White and Region V Chair Elect Laure Bordas-Isner during our May Lunch and Learn for tips about the AC24 venue, sessions, networking events, meetings and plenaries, to name a few!

The leaders of the Region V Knowledge Communities (KC) are hosting virtual "Office Hours" each month in order to answer any questions or discuss issues that any Region V NAFSAn may have. Please bring all of your questions/issues which will be discussed with the KC reps and your other Region V colleagues! The following are the April 2024 Office Hours for each of our KCs with the Zoom links:

K-12 KC

Thursday, May 9^th at 1pm CST/2pm EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82850778195?pwd=RLbbAbKonnF1kZlWicz68C1ZUXQTbh.1

ISSS KC

Thursday, May 9th^th at 2pm CST/3pm EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86961705836?pwd=VabyU0OWH3IgZ7QaLDczHPEVLGCkJo.1

TLS KC

Monday, May 13^th at 2pm CST/3pm EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83031410971?pwd=ULT9S2hxqpTeYEi1vEBH8kHENBKS5H.1

IEM KC

Wednesday, May 15^th at 2pm CST/3pm EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82281731470?pwd=q0cOUJL5N7aa3dsJe6N9GgCsW0aE49.1

IEL KC

Thursday, May 23rd at 2pm CST/3pm EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83963644925?pwd=OVusR7vuntFZhLkThGZomZqrgLRAFN.1

NAFSA Town Hall: The State of Play in Washington: What’s New and What's Next

NAFSA members are invited to a special NAFSA Town Hall on the latest legislative and regulatory policy updates affecting international education: where we’ve had success, where we’re facing obstacles, and what’s next.

WAIE

Pre-Seminar Workshops:

Date: June 12^th

Time: 1-4 pm

Cost: $25

Summer Seminar:

Date: June 13^th

Time 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Cost: $100

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