EA:  Education Abroad
IEM:  Int'l Enrollment Mgmt.
TLS: Teaching, Learning, Scholarship
REGBUD: Regulatory Ombudsperson
KC: Knowledge Community
MIG: Member Interest Group
SIG: Special Interest Group  
 
Next Newsletter:
Friday, March 23, 2018
Contents:  
  • Update! Almost 2000 Subscribers!
  • New! Our 2018 Conference Logo 
  • New! 2018 Regional Conference Updates
  • Updated! SEVP and USCIS Updates
  • Writing Opportunity - The Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education (JCIHE)
  • NAFSA Rainbow SIG Newsletter Call for Submissions
  • NAFSA Philadelphia: Student Health and Safety Abroad Preconference Workshop 
  • Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community 
  • NAFSA Opportunities
  • Future Region VII Chairperson Needed 
  • Updated!  Region VII State Updates *See: Puerto Rico Volunteer Opportunities
  • Updated! Position Openings
  • Connect / Subscribe  
Update!
 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS NEARING 2000!
 
March is "bring a friend to NAFSA Region VII" month as we march to 2000 newsletter subscribers!
 
Anyone connected with or interested in international education is invited to receive our free newsletter, and NAFSA membership is not required. Editions are bi-weekly until conference details finalize later this summer. Please reach out to new staff, colleagues, liaisons, recent graduates or students who may be interested in careers in IE. To subscribe, just click here.
 
New! OUR 2018 CONFERENCE LOGO!
All 2018 conference information will be updated in the months ahead on our
 
Please bookmark it for easy reference.
New! 2018 
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS &
PRICING ANNOUNCED

The following pre-conference workshops, including an HBCU Forum, are slated to be offered. This information is subject to change based on registration and capacity. Registration information will be available soon.
  • F1 advising for beginners
  • F1 advising, intermediate
  • J1 advising for beginners
  • Filing academic H1B's
  • Strategies for ISSS Advising
  • Student Health and Safety Abroad
  • Recruiting International Students
  • HBCU Forum (open to everyone)

CEP Workshops
Member
Non-Member
Academy / Student
Workshops
$350
$450
$250

Half Day
$275
Half Day
$375
Half Day
$150

* Full time students only and not yet working in the field.
Updated!
 SEVP & USCIS UPDATES

On March 23, SEVP will launch a new portal allowing OPT and OPT STEM students to update some types of information directly into SEVIS themselves. You may want to inform your students about it so they are not confused by direct email contact from SEVP about it.
 
On March 20th, at 2pm (EST), SEVP will host a free webinar to provide information about their launch, 3 days later.

Credit card payments are now an option for 41 fee-based USCIS forms. Individuals must use a form G-1450 with their petition. Institutions should consider what changes may be necessary with internal processes and how to guide and communicate this information to their students or scholars.
 
Writing Opportunity! 
THE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE & INTERNATIONAL
HIGHER EDUCATION

The  Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education (JCIHE)  is accepting submissions for its future issues.  The journal  publishes academic articles related to comparative, international, and development education. If you would like to learn more about JCIHE and its submission requirements or view past issues, please click  here .
 
Submission Deadlines
  • Fall Issue - July 15th 
  • Winter Issue - November 1st 
Submissions are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis, so please submit at anytime.  
Please submit your articles or queries via email to  Morgan Keller, the JCIHE Southeast Region Editor .
NAFSA RAINBOW SIG NEWSLETTER CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Deadline Approaching
It's that time of the year again!

The NAFSA Rainbow SIG team is putting together the spring issue of the newsletter, and we are looking for interesting articles from International Education professionals like you. Article topics might include best practices, recent events, policies, festivities, etc. that you think would be good for others to be aware of and that support the Rainbow SIG mission. The newsletter will be published before the NAFSA conference in late May, and we hope you'll share any NAFSA-related articles or events so we can connect with each other in Philadelphia!
 
As a special note, the Rainbow SIG turns 25 this year! The editors especially welcome reflections from longtime members who have seen the group grow and evolve into what it is today. Photos are welcome and encouraged.
 
Final submissions should be no more than 750 words. If you are interested in writing an article, please complete this form with your ideas by March 19, 2018.
 
Timeline of commitment:
 
March 19 - Deadline to submit proposal for article
April 9 - Deadline to submit first drafts of articles and relevant photos
April 30 - Deadline for final drafts to be submitted
May 14 - Newsletter published online.
 
Thank you for your submission and for being aware of these deadlines. 
NAFSA PHILADELPHIA: STUDENT HEALTH AND SAFETY ABROAD PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP
 
If you work with outbound students, and will be attending NAFSA's Annual Conference in Philadelphia this year, I'd like to encourage you to consider registering for the Student Health & Safety Abroad pre-conference workshop.

This 4-hour workshop addresses how we as education abroad professionals can prepare for and respond to health and safety situations while empowering students to take charge of their own health and safety abroad. It's a very practical and applied session that would benefit anyone working in education abroad, new or experienced!

The workshop is on Monday, May 28 from 8 am to 12 pm. More details can be found at here.
NAFSA 2018 SYMPOSIUM ON LEADERSHIP

Value vs. Values: Defending International Education in a Complex World

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 ▪ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Save the date for this NAFSA Signature Program where keynote and panel speakers from the United States and abroad will explore the way volatility impacts international education. Participants will also engage in roundtable breakout discussions and networking opportunities. Through thoughtful analysis, rich discussion, and powerful examples, SIOs and university leaders will be empowered to defend and advance international education on their campuses and in their communities.

Registrations are open!

Participants who register for the event by March 21, 2018 will gain exclusive access  to hotel reservations at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

Don't miss Early-bird savings! Member $319; Nonmember $429.
New! NAFSA E-learning Seminar
  
National Chair-Elect position for EA KC will open for applications on Feb 12th until March 16th! If you know of someone who would be a good leader for the national EA Knowledge Community, please encourage their application.

Three free resources you can use TODAY!
  • Creating an Academic Framework for International Internships: According to the 2015 Institute for International Education Open Doors report, 19,000 students participated in for-credit international internships, while another 22,181 students reported participating in "non-credit work, internships, and volunteering abroad". As the number of students taking part in experiential education abroad continues to rise, it has become imperative that we establish best practices for the administration and assessment of these types of programs.
New EA Publication:
  • Promoting Inclusion in Education Abroad: This new book offers a combination of research-based chapters and case studies from leading experts on the barriers that disproportionately impact specific groups of students, including: students with disabilities; first-generation college students; undocumented students; racial and ethnic minorities; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors; and males. $24.37 member price/$32.50 non-member
Events and Deadlines
  • NAFSA Regulatory Summit: One of the biggest issues facing students and administrators is understanding the applicability of federal regulations to the education abroad experience. Amid all the details and challenges of sending students abroad, it can be easy to overlook the impact of federal regulations on the everyday work of managing programs overseas. Regulations related to the accessibility of financial aid and compliance with Title IX and the Clery Act were crafted with an international context in mind - they were written for U.S. campuses. This has led to uncertainty about how the regulations should be interpreted for the education abroad context.
The Summit will be hosted on March 21 from 9:00 am - to 5:00 pm at NAFSA's office in  Washington, DC immediately following Advocacy Day. Registration is $85.

Apply Now! FUTURE REGION VII CHAIRPERSON
 
The following team member positions are currently open. Click to view the job description:
Applying for a position is simple. Connect with the current team member* for the position that you are interested in. Their contact information is here. Then:
  1. Complete this form which includes a statement of interest
  2. Send your curriculum vitae/resume to the current team member*
  3. Send a letter of support from your supervisor to the current team member*
*If applying for one of the LAC Co-Chair positions in Memphis 2018, please contact NAFSA Region VII Chair, Erin Hillis ( hillise@rhodes.edu) who is current Chair and a Memphis resident!

REGION VII STATE UPDATES
Please note: The following updates are from the seven state associations located within region VII, unrelated to NAFSA, that provide valuable information, resources, and support for international education.
ALABAMA
 
 
AAIE 2018 CONFERENCE
The AAIE Conference will be held April 12th, 2018 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on The University of Alabama Campus. For all the details (hotel, session proposals, leadership nominations) please visit the AAIE resources below: 
 

International Perspectives on University Teaching and Learning Symposium -
Call for Proposals and Registration Open

Hosted by Auburn University, International Perspectives on University Teaching and Learning brings together a diverse community of teaching and learning professionals, international educators, policy makers, administrators and researchers dedicated to internationalizing teaching in higher education. The symposium is scheduled for May 30 - June 1, 2018 at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida.  A wide range of relevant ideas will be addressed during the symposium.

To register, please click here.

For questions, please contact Jenn Mason, director of international initiatives at Auburn University.
GEORGIA
Georgia 2018 International Leadership Conference

The Georgia International Leadership Conference (GILC) will be April 13-15, 2018.  This annual student leadership conference brings together 200 international and study abroad students from across the state. The intense weekend is full of leadership development and intercultural simulations and fun!

More information about GILC is on their website.
 
If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please contact directly Chase Harvey.

Lot of positions available!
 


MISSISSIPPI
2018 Mississippi State Meetings  

The MAIE and Study Mississippi executive board is pleased to invite you to the second of three State Meetings this year. It will be held at the University of Southern Mississippi on Friday, June 15. We will have lunch followed by round table discussions within the Knowledge Committees.
The MAIE and Study Mississippi State Meetings are an opportunity for colleagues from across the state to connect and build a network of resources on the state level, as well as to take advantage of professional development from experts in their knowledge community.

Please see below for the schedule and registration information.


PUERTO RICO
Coordinating Volunteer Relief Trips to Puerto Rico

 

Dear colleagues,
 
I am the Director of International Affairs at a US-accredited institution in the San Juan area of Puerto Rico called Universidad del Este (UNE, for short). We are beginning to work with volunteer, Alternative Break, service-learning, and faculty-led groups interested in visiting Puerto Rico in 2018 or 2019 to learn about and support recovery efforts on the island after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
 
If you, your colleagues, or your students are planning trips of this nature to Puerto Rico, I invite you to contact us to identify universities, community organizations/organizers, local programs, etc., with which you can partner during your trip. We are interested in supporting visiting groups so that their visits can be more productive and connected to local resources as they partner with the Puerto Rican community. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,

Directora
Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales/International Affairs Office
SOUTH CAROLINA
Conference Announcement and Call for Proposals 

The 2018 SCAIE Annual Conference will be held on Friday, March 16 th , 2018 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.

If you are interested in presenting or would like to connect with a co-presenter, please reach out to your representative on the SCAIE Board.  We look forward to seeing you there!

 
POSITION OPENINGS
Additional vacancies are posted in  Region VII on the NAFSA Career Center.
Your state level associations may also post openings that are not advertised with NAFSA.

Office of Global Engagement
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

International Student & Scholar Services
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Department of Global Initiatives
Auburn University (AUM)
Montgomery, Alabama

Department of International Programs
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina

Office of Immigration
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama

Office of International Programs
UNC Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
CONNECT WITH REGION VII / SUBSCRIBE
Region VII Chairperson:  Erin Hillis 
 Region VII on  Facebook # likes:  1039 (+2)
Region VII Leadership Team
 Region VII on Instagram  #followers: 136 (+6)
Region VII  Website 
 Region VII on Twitter  #followers: 349
NAFSA membership not required.     # recipients:  1946 (+8)

Region VII Communications Coordinator: Brett Reichert.  Please submit newsletter updates to Brett by 5pm each Thursday.