| March 2020 |
International Students & Scholars Newsletter
Spring is in the Air!
Welcome to our monthly newsletter! Each month, you'll find information about upcoming events, office reminders, tips to help you succeed at SIUE, and opportunities to get involved on campus. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for any last minute updates.
Upcoming Events
Tue., March 3 – Womxn's Tea and Talk
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm, MUC 2nd floor, Conference Center. Hosted by CSDI. Registration here .

Tue., March 3 – Masculinity, Sexual Violence and Culture Panel
6 pm to 8 pm, MUC 2nd floor, International Room

Tue., March 3 – International Women's Organization Meeting, 7 pm. Presentation by SIUE student Ayesha Akram (Pakistan)
Eden Village in Glen Carbon, Community Room.

Wed., March 4 – Career Fair - Arts & Science, Business and Non-Teaching majors. 10 am - 2 pm, Goshen Lounge

Thu., March 5 – Engineering and IT Career Fair. 10 am - 2 pm, Goshen Lounge

March 9 - March 15 – SPRING BREAK
No classes in session.

Sat., March 14 – St. Patrick's Day events in the area include:

12 pm, Downtown St. Louis.

11 am - 7 pm, Downtown Alton

Mon., March 16 – Career Fair - Nursing
11 am - 1 pm, MUC 2nd floor Conference Center

Tue., March 17 – Career Fair - Education
3 pm - 5:30 pm, MUC 2nd floor Conference Center
Fri., March 20 – International Pool Party. Free food and music. 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Vadalabene Center Indoor Pool.

Fri., March 20 – Late Night at the MUC: March Madness. 8 pm - 11 pm. Free food.
Goshen Lounge in the MUC.

Tue., March 24 – Harriet (film).
5 pm, SSC 0200, Lower Level Smart Seminar. Women Studies Program series.

Thurs., March 26 – Womxn’s Empowerment Open Mic! 
12 pm - 2 pm, Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, MUC 2nd floor. Free snacks and coffee.

Thurs., March 26 – On the Basis of Sex (film). 4 pm, Maple/Dogwood Room, MUC 2nd floor, Women Studies Program series.

Sat., March 28 – The Women and their Sewing Machines . Celebration of International Women's Day - 2 pm - Blum House in Collinsville. For more information email jcondellone@gmail.com

Monday, March 30 – Are you Career Ready? 2 pm – 3 pm
MUC Mississippi/Illinois Room, MUC 2nd floor. Prepare to be “career ready” by talking to experts in the field. RSVP for this event at 618-650-3708 -Career Dev. Center. Click  here  for more information.
Reminders
UNIV500 Enrollment & Health Insurance
As a reminder, in order to maintain your immigration status, you cannot be enrolled only in UNIV 500 to meet full course of study, as this enrollment is only used for administrative purposes and is not given for credit. 

If you have applied for OPT, and choose to enroll in UNIV 500 you will incur a Health Service charge as well as the administrative fee for each semester you are only enrolled in UNIV 500.

There are limited circumstances in which a reduced course load is okay. Visit  Reducing Your Course Load   for information.
Deadline approaching to file your taxes with Sprintax
International students and scholars who resided in the U.S. last year are required to file taxes before April 15 .
International students are not allowed to file taxes with TurboTax.
To file your taxes:
  • Buy a Sprintax code ($3) at the welcome desk in the MUC. The cost covers Federal 1040NR and Form 8843.
  • Visit the SIUE Sprintax website and follow the instructions.You must use this page to use your code.
  • Sprintax will guide you through the tax preparation process and let you know if you are due for a refund.
  • State tax return is available through the same company at an additional cost paid by the student.

Additional details about taxes are also found on   our website .
Account holds - take action before class registration!
Holds  are placed on student accounts when paperwork required by the university needs to be completed or you have not paid a bill. You can see if you have a hold on your account through   CougarNet.

Make sure you take the action required to remove the hold so that you are able to register for classes.Review the most common holds below for next steps:
  • Immunization Requirements: This means you need to submit your immunizations record. More details are available here.

  • Prior Term Balance/Bursar Office Hold: You owe money. Visit the Bursar’s website to learn about your options. 

  • Sexual Assault Prevention Training 2019-2020 - This means you did not complete the “Not-Anymore” training yet. If you are not sure if you took the training, visit the Not Anymore webpage and click on the “BEGIN TRAINING” button (bottom of the screen). A message will alert you if you already completed the training. If you already completed the training but still have a hold, send an email to not-anymore@siue.edu including your full name and #800.

  • Bursar Financial Agreement – This hold goes away when you “Accept” the financial terms as you register into classes (first screen that appears.)
Daylight Savings Time Change
Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 8, 2020! 

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the spring months, and changing them back in the fall. The general idea is that this allows us all to make better use of natural daylight.

Since the time changes at 2 am on Sunday, most people change their alarm clocks before going to bed. On Saturday night, set your clocks forward one hour. For example, if the time is 10 pm, you will need to change it to 11 pm. However, most devices like computers and phones change automatically.
Spring Break - Limited Dining Hours
Do you live on campus? Remember that hours of operation in all dining areas will be limited starting on Friday, March 6 and through Sunday, March 15.
Dining areas will be closed on Sat 3/7 and Sun 3/08 .

For a full schedule, visit the Dining Services website .
This Month's Tip for Success
Tips to Study for Midterms:
  • Ask the professor for guidance on how to study
  • Will the professor provide a review package or a review session?
  • What is the format of the exam?
  • What are the study suggestions from your professor?
  • Make a study schedule - Make a list of the topics or questions you need to study, and set up a time every day to study until the test.
  • Form a study group - Group study can help you be more efficient, while exchanging important information.
For more tips for academic success visit our website.
Get involved!
International Night - Call for Participants
The International Student Council is looking for participants and volunteers to help with their annual International Night this Spring!

This year the International Student Council is hosting International Night on Saturday, April 11 from 6 pm - 10 pm.

The council is welcoming students interested in performing, and/or helping with logistics or decorations. If you would like to get involved in this event, please contact the president Rony Reyes at rreyes@siue.edu .
Register for International Graduation Celebration

You are invited to a special International Student Graduation Celebration! 
This is a pre-commencement celebration for international students who have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree and who are graduating in spring 2020 or summer 2020

Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Check-in will start at 3:15 pm. Conference Center, 2nd floor in the MUC. Light refreshments will be provided. The event will conclude at 4:30 pm.

Register today by clicking below .  The last day to register is  April 8, 2020.

Apply to be a Cougar Guide

The Office of Student Affairs is seeking well-rounded students to participate in the SIUE Experience as Cougar Guides. Individuals selected will serve as role models and mentors to incoming SIUE students and will be responsible for making the SIUE Experience informative and fun for student participants. Applications are due March 15 , by 11:59 pm.

For more information and to apply click here .

Office of International Affairs
International Student and Scholar Services
Student Success Center 0300 (lower level)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL 62026-1616
(618) 650-3785