ISSS News 20 April 2009

An electronic news service for international students and scholars, owned by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Binghamton University, State University of New York

Editor’s Note: The trees and plants are starting to bud and it is finally Spring. We hope you enjoy the warmer weather!

Many students and scholars continue to have concerns about the recent tragedy at the American Civic Association. There are a number of ways the ISSS can provide support. Send an email message to isss@binghamton.edu or come to the ISSS to request an appointment with one of the advisors.

This week, the ISSS will begin to distribute its four-part series of travel articles electronically on the ISSS-BU listserv. Each article contains up to date information on what you need to know if you are an international student who will travel this summer. As they are updated, these articles can also be viewed on the ISSS website by going to the following link:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/travel/index.html

As we get closer to May, the ISSS is in the midst of its busiest work period. New student visa documents are being mailed on a daily basis and current students come to the office with questions regarding travel, practical training employment, and extensions to name a few! The ISSS is always happy to be of assistance to you, but as will naturally occur during a busy period, it takes staff longer to accomplish office tasks. This includes forms processing, appointments and responses to e-mail messages. So, if it is necessary for you to meet with Karen Keefe-Guzikowski, Amelia Shafer or Ellen Badger, or if you are sending an e-mail message to either the isss@binghamton.edu account or to the personal account of someone in the office, or need to have paperwork processed by ISSS staff, please allow extra time for an appointment, e-mail reply, or paperwork. They are doing the best they can, and they appreciate your understanding. Thank you!

Environmentalist Jerome Ringo will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, in the Susquehanna Room of the University Union. The talk, titled “The Color of Green: A Collective Voice Toward Change,” is free and open to the public.

Ringo is president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of diverse leaders fighting to free America from foreign energy and who are strong proponents of green business. The alliance lobbies for investments in alternative clean-energy sources, energy-efficient technology and jobs.

Ringo’s efforts have caught the attention of economists, conservationists, labor and even President Barack Obama. Apollo’s ten year, five million green jobs plan was often echoed by Obama during his campaign and is positioned to act as the catalyst for economic stimulus in the new administration.

In 1996, Ringo was elected to serve on the National Wildlife Federation board of directors, and in 2005 he became the chair of the board, and the first African-American to head a major conservation organization.

This event is sponsored by the Multicultural Resource Center. For more information, visit www.jeromeringo.com http://www.jeromeringo.com

BUJA will be having it's BIGGEST event of the year...JAPAN NIGHT on April 25th (Saturday)!!!

Location: Mountainview Dining Hall
Time: 6:00pm-10:00pm

Tickets will be sold in ADVANCE for $9 and $11 at the door
If you want to buy tickets in advance, we will be tabling at the New Union Food Court on April 22nd (Wed) and 23rd (Thurs) from 11am to 4pm
If you cannot make this time, please contact us at: buja.binghamton@gmail.com, as we would be happy to arrange a time to get you a ticket.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS HUGE EVENT!
We will be having the greatest bento box dinner of the year, along with performances and other tabling events!

Bring your friends and come enjoy a part of Japan on Binghamton campus! See you all there!

For more information, visit: sa.binghamton.edu/Japan/buja.html or contact us at buja.binghamton@gmail.com

CINTAX continues to be available to Binghamton University students and scholars for those who are filing late, and will stay available until June 15, 2009. CINTAX users should remember to print a copy of their CINTAX -prepared tax forms for their files before June 15, 2009. CINTAX will purge its system of data on June 16, 2009.

To date, 872 current and former BU international students and scholars have accessed CINTAX.
641 users were eligible for refunds, and nearly eight million dollars in total gross income was reported by BU CINTAX users.

The 23rd annual International Student Graduation Reception is Friday, May 15 at 7:00 pm in the University Union Susquehanna Room. Invitations will be sent by e-mail in about one week. All students completing their programs who plan to attend need to respond by completing the on-line reply card no later than Monday, May 11! Be sure to include any guests who may accompany you by indicating the appropriate number on the response form.

A large number of international students are graduating Binghamton this year, and we look forward to seeing many of you there. Please note that the date is the Friday of commencement weekend. Food and beverages will be served, there will be many photo opportunities, and a commemorative gift will be given to each student being honored.

Students frequently ask about appropriate dress for the reception. While business suits are not required, consider it a Friday evening out, so feel free to dress up in Western or traditional clothing! The reception should end before 9:00pm, so there will be plenty of time for you to enjoy other evening plans following the reception. Cameras are encouraged, as there will be lots of opportunities for picture taking. This is your evening to celebrate your achievement!

In this economy, more than ever, it is important to use the summer to build experience, explore careers, develop professional competencies and build connections. Click here for the full article.

Tips For A Successful Job Search: Collective Wisdom/Advice From The Career Center Directors National Benchmarking Group 2009

Learn what the career experts have to say about keeping a positive attitude, marketing yourself, networking, looking at all your options, and following up on leads, and how all of these things can impact your job search. Click here for the Tips for a Successful Job Search Quick Reference Guide.

The CDC seeks an undergraduate intern to provide marketing support. Positions available for summer, fall, and/or spring semesters for academic credit. Complete description is available in the “News & Events” section of the CDC website.

New Weekly eRecruiting Announcement – Over 300 Positions With Low Applications

Employers Are Still Hiring!! Apply Today! The Career Development Center has hundreds of positions listed on eRecruiting, and new opportunities are posted daily! As we work together to combat this competitive job market, we have some very valuable resources to share with students. Each week, from April 13th until May 22nd, we will be using eRecruiting to send out a list of opportunities including:

1. Jobs and internships from the CDC that have zero to low number of applicants and
2. Jobs and internships from Experience (eRecruiting) that are targeted to Binghamton University.

All positions are currently accepting applications; you will be surprised by both the quantity (this week’s count is over 300!) and the variety of the opportunities within the list. Students must have an updated eRecruiting profile and resume to apply!

Students in J-1 status who have been offered on-campus employment opportunities for either Summer 2009 or Fall 2009 are reminded that even on-campus employment must be authorized in advance. The ISSS has developed a simple on-line form for J-1 students to complete so that the appropriate authorization letter can be prepared. Visit: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/jempframe.htm

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that the cost of mailing a first class letter within the United States will increase to 44 cents effective May 11, 2009. Other types of mail will also see price changes. For complete information, visit:
http://www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm?from=prices&page=NewMay09Prices

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established a page on its website to track the number of H-1B petitions filed for fiscal year 2010 (begins October 1, 2009) that are subject to the annual “cap.” This information was updated on April 17, 2009.
USCIS reports that as of April 13, 2009, approximately 43,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions and approximately 20,000 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption had been filed. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.
The H-1B page may be viewed at:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=138b6138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=e7d696cfcd6ff110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

The Office of Commencement invites all faculty, staff and students to support the Spring 2009 graduates by volunteering at one or more commencement ceremonies, Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. Your participation will ensure the events run smoothly and the atmosphere is enjoyable to our graduates and their guests.

Volunteers may choose from the following opportunities: Ticket taking at the door; assisting families with photos; distributing programs; assisting guests with seating; assembling students for the processional; or assisting where most needed.

You may choose one or more ceremonies: Harpur College morning ceremony, Sunday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m.; professional schools (School of Management, Decker School of Nursing, College of Community and Public Affairs and Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering) ceremony, Sunday, May 17, at noon; Harpur College afternoon ceremony, Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m.; or The Graduate School ceremony, Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m.

Upon successful registration, you will receive an email with complete volunteer details: parking locations, training, arrival times, event dress, behind-the-scenes info, activity responsibilities and more.

The 2009 Homecoming Exemplary Student Award Application Packets are now available. Students who fit the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

ISSS-BU is a listserv owned and managed by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, Division of Student Affairs, at the State University of New York at Binghamton. It is the publisher of ISSS-BU News . Permission is granted to freely distribute the information posted to this list as long as its contents remain unchanged.

To sign on to ISSS-BU from an e-mail account on the Binghamton.edu server, send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.binghamton.edu
Leave the subject line blank. In the message text, type:
subscribe ISSS-BU first name last name
Replace “first name last name” with your name.

If your e-mail account is on a server other than Binghamton.edu,
send an e-mail message to isss@binghamton.edu
In the message text, type: Please subscribe isss-bu, your e-mail address, your first and last name.

If you are a registered student and don't have an e-mail account, you may claim an e-mail address and password from https://buonline.binghamton.edu/banner Be sure to read and follow the instructions carefully. If you encounter difficulty, visit the Help Desk in the lobby of the Computer Services building.