Global Education Director's Office
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Director's Office Supports GE Units and UC San Diego
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While COVID-19 presents obstacles for practitioners of international education around the world, the
Director’s Office
continues to further internationalization on campus by cultivating global partnerships, amplifying programming and developing new program modalities. The staff at the Director’s Office are actively exploring ways to create high-impact international opportunities for the UC San Diego community, even in a virtual space. We continue to communicate with partner universities on the status of COVID-19 at UC San Diego and how the university is utilizing its resources to combat the virus. The Director’s Office is also working closely with our colleagues in Student Affairs and other units and departments through the following initiatives, organizations, activities and projects:
The Director’s Office is working diligently with the Global Education Units, VCSA and departments across campus to continue to support our international students and scholars and to provide access to high-impact practices across the globe.
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Global Education Launches Virtual Global Hub
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With the Virtual Global Hub, campus will be able to see the multitude of international online programming in one place. Additionally, it will be a valuable resource for international first year students who are starting in Fall 2020 and international scholars arriving throughout the year to connect with the global community at UC San Diego.
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International Students & Programs Office (ISPO)
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iPortal Shines in
Light of Pandemic
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In 2012, ISPO developed an online document request system, the
iPortal
, aiming to transition all paper-based student requests online and improve response times. Little did ISPO know how the iPortal would later support our students, staff, and campus partners during the pandemic. The development of the iPortal presented a new set of opportunities for improving processing times, collecting signatures, and the student experience within ISPO.
The iPortal Workgroup worked with Information Technology Services and Enrollment Management Technology Services to create and customize new requests, filter by requests types, set templated communication with updates to requests, offer various methods of document delivery, and route requests to other units for approval. In Fall 2019, ISPO announced a successful migration of ALL paper requests into the iPortal.
ISPO continues to use the iPortal to intake student requests online. Additionally, ISPO successfully transitioned walk-in advising and appointments to the virtual environment. ISPO also offers morning and late afternoon advising via Zoom to accommodate international students who are in their home countries. ISPO continues to be flexible in their advising models and strives to accommodate the changing needs of our students and campus partners during this time.
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ISPO's COVID-19
FAQ Page
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way all students live their daily lives. Particularly for the international student population at UC San Diego, new questions and concerns arise as they balance shifting to online methods of instruction while also understanding how recent changes have impacted their ability to maintain their legal immigration status in the U.S.
ISPO has compiled a comprehensive
COVID-19 FAQ page
to address any uncertainties that exist
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among international students who seek comfort and solutions as they adjust to this new pace of life. The pages are categorized to highlight questions for newly admitted students, students inside and outside the U.S., and federal and state regulations that may affect them. As new guidance is released, ISPO evaluates the impact it may have on the international student community at UC San Diego and communicates these changes through ad-hoc announcements.
ISPO continues to update the
COVID-19 FAQ page
and
Policy Updates
pages daily as new questions, concerns, or updates arise. Staff and faculty are encouraged to direct their international students to the
COVID-19 FAQ page
for current guidance on how this pandemic may impact students.
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Study Abroad UC San Diego
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Study Abroad Responds to Bring Students Home Safely
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Study Abroad UC San Diego leveraged the health and safety expertise of staff to respond immediately to the emerging COVID-19 epidemic in January. The leadership and staff in Study Abroad first coordinated the suspension and safe return of students abroad first for Spring 2020 programs in China, then worldwide. Study Abroad coordinated the safe return of
120 students
through successful collaboration with the
University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)
, the Registrar, Financial Aid, the Colleges and academic departments, and program providers. COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the field of study abroad, and Study Abroad continues to work diligently to move forward balancing health and safety considerations and with future program planning.
Study Abroad made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel UC San Diego's faculty-led
Global Seminars
for Summer 2020. A leader in facilitating faculty-led programs in the U.S., the Global Seminars team canceled 17 programs, impacting a total of 350 students. To date, more than 700 UC San Diego students have had their Global Seminars, UCEAP, or other programs canceled. Study Abroad remains committed to providing UC San Diego students opportunities to participate in global programs, and continues to offer advising and pre-departure services virtually and will pivot to provide online virtual opportunities.
Study Abroad's value in shaping students' global connections and outlook is more important than ever as the situation develops. COVID-19 has shown us all the value of global citizens working together to solve a common threat, and the continued importance of providing our students with the opportunity to help strengthen our global connections through opportunties abroad.
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The Near and Far Future of Study Abroad
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How do students study abroad when they can’t travel? Good question! Study Abroad UC San Diego is immersed in helping students plan for future programs. The Study Abroad team is working to identify innovative and creative short-term and long-term options for students. We are excited about new partnerships and program development emerging with UC San Diego faculty, departments and international partners.
Summer 2020 Opportunities
While students will unfortunately be unable to travel abroad this summer, some faculty who were scheduled to teach Global Seminars abroad have pivoted to offer their courses (that may have been requirements for graduation for some students) remotely, adding in virtual international dimensions and flavor when possible.
Virtual Internships
Study Abroad is working closely with program partners around the country to provide virtual global internships for students this summer and beyond. Highlights of these virtual internships include:
- the opportunity for students to gain international experience working on remote teams
- up to 250 contact hours of work experience
- internships in multiple languages
- pre-departure and post-program orientations and seminars
- mentored, hands-on learning
- virtual field trips in international locations
- mentoring from global thought leaders from Tel Aviv to Singapore and beyond!
Integrated Virtual and IRL Learning Experiences
Looking longer term, Global Education is excited to develop and promote more integrated learning opportunities that might include:
- Collaborative team projects across partner universities in virtual lab settings
- Hybrid learning where students participate in a short travel-learning experience embedded within a quarter or semester program combined with remote teaching
- Collaborative capstone projects with international partner institutions
- “Study Away” Domestic program opportunities
Study Abroad is committed to providing UC San Diego students with transformative experiences in a globally-connected world. Check the Study Abroad website for more information soon!
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International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO)
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Immigration Challenges in the Light of COVID-19
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COVID-19 has dramatically affected the research programs of international scholars and faculty, preventing new scholars from arriving and others from leaving the U.S. Remote working conditions have impacted researchers and administrators alike, necessitating the development of new processes to maintain the status and employment authorization of faculty and researchers.
IFSO must react quickly to actions taken by the U.S. government such as the announcement to suspend Premium Processing Services. However, government agencies are also providing concessions in the form of official guidance to help ameliorate many challenges that our scholars face. Most recently, the U.S. Department of State automatically extended by two months the duration of Exchange Visitors' programs in the U.S. for visas that were to expire between April 1 and May 31, and provided provisions for reinstatement for all Exchange Visitors who could not leave the U.S. due to canceled flights. The Department of Homeland Security announced relaxed requirements on immigration documentation signatures and original records, accepting scanned copies and electronic signatures in some circumstances.
IFSO continues to respond to these challenges by updating office records, issuing new documents, communicating with our faculty and scholars on the significance of these changes to their individual circumstance, and of course updating processes to meet the changing landscape. Through this very fluid period, the primary goal remains working towards keeping campus’s faculty and scholars in legal status and with the necessary employment authorization when possible.
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IFSO Staff Continue to Serve Campus Remotely
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IFSO, like others on campus, had to quickly modify its processes to meet the remote work environment. Despite the challenge, the transition fostered new thinking and change. IFSO’s recently deployed paperless system, the
International Scholar Dossier (ISD)
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is one example. Departments are encouraged to use this system instead of printing paper applications and then scanning and submitting them electronically. IFSO is very excited about moving to an electronic posting of the Department of Labor’s required "posting notices" for H-1B petitions. This process will be more efficient for both IFSO and departmental administrators across campus. Additionally, IFSO partnered with eShipGlobal to create a way for visitors to pay for and provide IFSO with Fedex labels to ship their immigration documents directly to them.
IFSO's programs
and service offerings are scheduled as normal only on virtual platforms. Staff continue to provide weekly J-1 and monthly H-1B orientations for incoming scholars through Zoom and remote registration links are available on IFSO’s website for arriving scholars to comply with the federal government’s reporting requirements.
The Lunch and Learn Series
, now hosted via Zoom, focuses on topics of interest to scholars, such as changing to H-1B status, the 12 and 24-month bars for J scholars, pathways to permanent residency, as well as standard departmental administrator trainings, including using ISD.
Remote work also offers more flexibility— IFSO’s scholar advisors can schedule Zoom or telephone advising sessions directly with scholars at times convenient for them, even outside of workday hours.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances the campus faces, IFSO’s responses continue to provide improved and more efficient services for scholars and departmental clients.
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The Director's Office Global Education
supports UC San Diego's vast global network by providing leadership on campus global education initiatives, serving as a resource for faculty and academic departments developing global partnerships and creating new modalities to support academic mobility.
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The International Students & Programs Office (ISPO)
enhances the academic and intercultural experiences of international students, provides the highest levels of knowledge and expertise in advising and immigration services, and facilitates global education through programs and services to the campus community.
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Study Abroad UC San Diego
is committed to making international academic and co-curricular experiences accessible to our diverse student population. Study Abroad UC San Diego program offerings include faculty-led Global Seminar summer programs, University of California Education Abroad Programs, Global Exchange programs, Opportunities Abroad Program, embedded study abroad programs and a variety of volunteer and field research opportunities.
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The International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO)
is dedicated to serving UC San Diego academic departments and over 2,700 international faculty and researchers they invite annually to campus. We provide comprehensive informational resources, advising services, and educational, social, and cultural programs that support international scholars and their families in achieving their academic, professional, and personal goals. We also work diligently to help the institution meet its regulatory requirements relative to the U.S. Departments of Labor, State, and Homeland Security.
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Copyright *2020* *Global Education at UC San Diego* All rights reserved.
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