ISSS News 05 October 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: Health Insurance ID Cards
Graduate international students eligible for the international student health insurance program should watch their Binghamton.edu email accounts early this week for a message about downloading and printing their health insurance/prescription discount ID card for the Fall 2009 semester. The subject of the email message will be “SUNY/Health Insurance ID Card.” The message will come from the health insurance provider, HTHWorldwide.com Undergraduate students were sent their email for downloading and printing their health insurance card to their Binghamton.edu addresses during the week of September 21. Questions? Please contact intl.insure@binghamton.edu

1. International Student Grant-In-Aid Applications Due Today, Monday October 5

Each semester, awards of up to $500 are made to a small number of international students who have a severe financial need. To be eligible, students must be in F-1 or J-1 status, have been in attendance at Binghamton University at least one year (began their studies at Binghamton University in Fall 2008 or earlier), document need, have no outstanding obligations to the university, and be full-time students in good standing.

Some students may find themselves in financial difficulty through no fault of their own. Examples can include reduced support from a sponsor, or unanticipated expenses. Applicants are strongly advised to carefully document their financial situation when submitting the application form, as there are always more students seeking assistance than there are funds.

Applications are available now in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services and must be submitted no later than Monday, October 5, 2009.

Due to staff unavailability, there will be no employment walk-in hours on Tuesday, October 6. Walk-in hours resume on Tuesday, October 13, from 1:30pm to 3:15pm.

3. Registrar’s Office Announces Important Deadlines For Fall 2009

Students who wish to withdraw from a course, change their grade option or apply for Fall 2009 graduation to complete the following steps by Friday, Oct. 30:

• Withdrawals: You may drop a class, but since the add/drop deadline has already passed, a “w” will appear on your transcript for the course grade when you withdraw. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. For step-by-step instructions, visit the Registrar’s website at http://www.registrar.binghamton.edu/.

• Grade Option Changes: To have your grading option for a course changed (either from a letter grade to pass/fail or vice versa) you must print and complete the Grade Option Change form available at http://www.registrar.binghamton.edu and drop it off at the Registrar’s Office in SW-119, between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. by 4:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

• Application for Undergraduate Degree for Fall 2009: Undergraduate candidates planning to graduate this semester must submit this online form available at https://binghamton.edu.185r.net/survey/index.php?time=2009-12-19%2000:00:00&id=130&timeID=2825 by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

4. Graduating in December? Planning to Apply for Practical Training? Now is the Time!

Students in F-1 status who will be graduating in December and plan to apply for optional practical training (OPT) post graduation are reminded that it can take as long as three months to obtain their Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Service Center. If you plan to begin employment as of January 2010, you should be submitting your paperwork as soon as possible. Application forms for optional practical training are available in the ISSS, or can be downloaded on line from:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/index.html#six

Employment cannot begin until you receive your EAD card.
Questions about your OPT application? Do you want your application materials reviewed? Come to Employment Walk-In Appointments every Tuesday from 1:30pm to 3:15pm (except this Tuesday, October 6, when walk-in hours are cancelled).

Resource Of The Week: Recommendations From The Intern’s Desk – An Introduction

Erin F, (Human Development ’10) CDCI Marketing Intern, Career Development Center
The Career Development Center is stocked with several resources made available to students to help prepare them for the world outside of academics. We all attend college with hopes of obtaining a fulfilling career in the future, but if you’ve ever looked for a job/internship, you know that there’s much more to it than a solid education; it’s about being prepared for the professional world, composing an optimal resume, having established interview skills, networking, gaining experience and most importantly being proactive throughout your search.

While you may be unaware of all that the CDC has to offer you, and how you can best utilize its helpful services, here we will feature a new resource weekly, allowing you to familiarize yourself with resources that will better prepare for life beyond Binghamton University. The Career Development Center is only as helpful if you utilize it, and this will help show you how.

For your first bit of advice, the CDC is located in the Bartle Library ground floor South. (Take the stairs beneath the Greek Life flags, and use the door in the front left corner). They’re open Monday-Friday and hold Counselor-on-Call hours each of those days. For more information visit http://cdc.binghamton.edu.

Upcoming Programs – UUW= University Union West, LSG = Library South Ground Floor

Submissions Now Being Accepted For A One-Of-A-Kind $10,000 Undergraduate Journalism Award And Paid Internship - Eric Breindel Memorial Foundation

The Eric Breindel Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the “2010 Eric Breindel Collegiate Journalism Award,” the nationwide undergraduate competition whose winning prize is unmatched by any institution in the country, are now being accepted.

The Eric Breindel Memorial Foundation will present the award to the undergraduate columnist, editorialist or reporter whose work best reflects the spirit of the writings by Eric Breindel: Love of country and its democratic institutions as well as the act of bearing witness to the evils of totalitarianism.

Those who wish to be considered should submit no more than two editorials, columns or news stories, per person, written in the 2009-2010 academic year. Articles specifically produced for and published by an established newspaper or magazine web site will be accepted as well as internet exclusive material. All rules governing submissions appear on the attached page. A confidential panel of judges appointed by the Foundation will judge the entries. The winner will be announced in June 2010.

Recruiting Updates – New Positions Posted Daily!
CDC posts new internships and full-time positions on a daily basis! Visit eRecruiting today! Students may view and apply for positions through their eRecruiting account. All matriculated students have an account. Exciting new positions: museum interns with the Discovery Center, production intern with The Late Late Show, corporate trainee with Quad Graphics, foreign service English language officer with the U.S. Department of State, international health insurance coordinator at BU, and dental assistant intern with Progressive Dental.

Students are encouraged to also attend employer information sessions to learn about internship and full-time employment opportunities as well as gather general information about the organization.

6. Eighth Annual China Career Fair for Graduate Students and Faculty Interested in Working in China

The Eighth Annual North America Chinese Scholars Exchange Center (NAEC) China Career Fair will be held from October 16-18, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency at Reston Town Center Ballroom, Second Floor, (1800 Presidents Street, Reston, VA 20190, Tel: 703-709-1234). Reston, VA is a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Over 100 employers from more than a dozen Chinese provinces and municipalities will be attending this year’s China Career Fair. There are thousands of job openings in fields such as civil service, finance, industry, education, R&D, health care, etc.

Focus Areas of Recruitment and Exchange Include:
Bioengineering, Pharmaceuticals, Finance and insurance, Software development, Telecommunications, Machinery integration, Environmental protection, Renewable energy, IT, Industrial processes, Law and education, Automobile manufacturing,
City planning and construction.

There is a $10 per person application fee, which must be paid in advance. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.nacenter.us or http://www.nacenter.us/english.htm If you have any questions, please feel free to contact NAEC at 703-618-1301.

Several organizations have announced scholarship grant competitions for students from developing countries for the 2010-11 academic year.

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund awards 6 to 10 non-renewable grants of $12,000 each year to women from specific developing countries (More than 130 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean appear on their approved list). The Fund is administered by The World Bank Family Network. Applicants must have a record of service to women and/or children in her country, demonstrate financial need, plan to return to their home countries in about two years after receiving the grant, be currently residing in the United States, be in a valid non- immigrant status, be studying at a US accredited institution for the 2009-10 academic year and during the period of time covered by the grant, be at least 25 years old by December 31, 2009, and not be related to any World Bank group staff member or their spouse.

A copy of the list of all eligible developing countries for this Scholarship as well as application information are available now on the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund web site. Visit http://www.mmmf-grants.org for full information. The actual application form for 2009-10 will become available on the http://www.mmmf-grants.org website beginning November 2, 2009. The application deadline is February 18, 2010. Supporting documents must be sent through the mail, in one envelope, to Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 27255, Washington DC 20038-7255.

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
World Bank Family Network
The World Bank
1818 H Street NW, Room MSN H2-204
Washington, D.C. 20433
202-473-8751 (phone)
202-522-3142 (fax)
e-mail: mmmf@worldbank.org

Other sources of financial aid include:
1. American Association of University Women International Fellowships
2010-2011 deadline is December 1, 2009, applications are available now on their website.
AAUW Educational Foundation
Dept 60
301 ACT Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52243-4030
telephone: 319-337-1716 ext. 60
e-mail: aauw@act.org
http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/international.cfm

Eligibility: women only, graduate students, citizen of any country except United States, admission to an accredited U.S. institution, outstanding academic record, professional potential, record of civic or community involvement concerning women, intent to return to home country, potential of the field of study to improve lives of women and girls in the country of origin. Up to 57 fellowships awarded.

2. PEO International Peace Scholarship Fund
Philanthropic and Educational Organization For Women
2010-2011 deadline is December 15, 2009 to submit eligibility form.
3700 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50312
telephone 515-255-3153
http://www.peointernational.org/about/

Eligibility: women only, full-time candidates for MA or PhD at U.S. school, citizen of any country except U.S. and Canada, intention to return to home country upon completion of degree, additional financial support to cover remaining expenses. The maximum award is $10,000. You must complete the eligibility form well in advance of December 15 in order to be eligible to apply for the scholarship.

If you have travel plans for Thanksgiving or Intersession, whether within the United States or abroad, you’ll want to read the latest information on travel, published by the ISSS, at the following link:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/travel/travelplan.htm

The U.S. State Department has published its announcement of the 2011 Diversity Visa Lottery. The Diversity Visa lottery (DV) is a program mandated under Section 203 (c) of the Immigration Act of 1990. The legislation makes available up to 55,000 permanent resident immigrant visas by random selection through an annual diversity visa lottery.

Individuals born in “High admission" countries, defined as those from which the United States has received more than 50,000 immigrants during the last five years in the immediate relative, family and employment preference categories, are not eligible to apply. The list of high admission countries that are NOT included in the diversity visa lottery are: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, the United Kingdom and dependent territories (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam.

Although China and the United Kingdom are listed as ineligible countries, persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan, are eligible to apply. No countries have been added or removed from the list of eligible countries. The list of countries remains the same as for DV-2010.

Coming off the ineligible list of countries this year is Russia. Two new additions to the list of ineligible countries are Ecuador and Guatemala.

The registration period will last for approximately sixty days. The registration period began at noon Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4) on Friday, October 2, 2009 and will end at noon Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5) on Monday, November 30, 2009. As has been the case for the last five years, the Diversity Visa Lottery Program will be conducted entirely on-line via the internet, through the officially designated website: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov. Paper entries are not accepted.

Persons submitting entries to the 2011 lottery will be able to print a notice of receipt that contains their name, date of birth, country of chargeability, and a time/date stamp when information has been properly registered at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Those who submit entries will be able to check the status of their entries on line and determine whether or not their entries are selected. Successful entrants will receive notification by paper mail.

Individual digital photographs of the DV applicant and his/her spouse and all children under 21 years of age must be submitted with the electronic application. The image file can be produced either by taking a digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a digital scanner.

If an applicant does not have access to the internet, a third party can submit the application and electronic photograph on the applicant's behalf. However, only ONE application per applicant can be submitted.

Individuals who wish to enter the 2011 Diversity Visa Lottery are encouraged to submit their information early in the two-month registration period.

There is no fee charged for entering the Diversity Visa Lottery. The Department of State does not endorse, recommend or sponsor any information or material from outside entities. The Department is aware that websites and email have masqueraded as official Diversity Visa Lottery facilitators. Registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery through the official, U.S. government website, www.dvlottery.state.gov is free of charge and notification of winning entries are sent by paper mail only, with winners notified between the months of May and July 2009.

ISSS-BU News subscribers are urged only to consult official U.S. government sources for information on the Diversity Visa Lottery. The lottery is a random drawing. Be suspicious of any organization that offers to increase your chances of being selected for the lottery if you pay them a fee. They are promising something that is false. Also, there is no charge to enter the visa lottery, unless you are required to pay a third party to submit the application on your behalf.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has copies of the complete, official DV 2011 instructions available in print form for interested students to pick up.

There is a second, more detailed warning on the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm Although the reference to the Diversity Visa Lottery is outdated, the other information remains valid.

At the same time that the U.S. State Department announces the yearly Diversity Visa Lottery Program, individuals with malicious intent try to take advantage by sending e-mails or providing a link to a web site, while falsely claiming to announce that a person is a diversity lottery winner, or that they can help you be selected for the diversity visa lottery. The only purpose of these schemes is to separate you from your money! Ignore them!!

Notification of Diversity Visa Lottery winners is sent by paper mail from the Department of State’s Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Notification is NOT sent by e-mail. No other organization or company is authorized by the Department of State to notify Diversity Visa lottery applicants of their winning entry.

If you have received postal mail about the Diversity Visa Lottery and would like the ISSS to confirm whether it is authentic, please bring the mailing and the envelope it came in to the ISSS. Ellen Badger, Director, will review it and let you know if it is the “real thing.”

How Do I Report Internet Fraud or Unsolicited E-mail?
If you wish to file a complaint about Internet fraud, please see the https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ Website, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, which is a joint effort of consumer protection agencies from 17 nations or go to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/

To file a complaint about unsolicited e-mail, contact the U.S. Department of Justice at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/spam.htm

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Monday, October 5 4:00 PM-4:30 PM LSG 500 - CDC South	Express: Tell Me About Yourself	Develop an effective answer to this tough interview question!
Monday, October 5 Via eRecruiting	Alumni Phone Practice Interview Program Application Period Opens (applications run through Thursday, October 22)	Students, take this opportunity to practice your interviewing skills with Binghamton Alumni! This is an excellent way to sharpen your interview skills and gain confidence for your “real” interviews. Follow the application instructions linked to the CDC homepage at http://cdc.binghamton.edu.
Tuesday, October 6 4:00 PM-5:30 PM UUW 324	How to be a Competitive Applicant to a Teacher Education Program	Come to this program to be sure you are submitting top notch applications to graduate programs in education. Tami Mann from Binghamton University's School of Education will share her expertise.
Wednesday, October 7 4:00 PM-4:30 PM LSG 500 - CDC South	Express: Writing Cover Letters	We'll show you how to write cover letters that makes an impact!!
Wednesday, October 14 4:00 PM-4:30 PM LSG 500 - CDC South	Express: The #1 Way to Job Search Explained	One method of job searching beats all others, hands-down! Learn how to effectively job search with our tips!