Welcome to the Office of Global and Domestic Studies

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Currently the Office of Global and Domestic Studies serves students from , Canada, China, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Thailand and Tanzania

The Office of Global and Domestic Studies coordinates activities and programs for international students and for those students preparing for study abroad. The office assists international students with linguistic, cultural, educational, or personal adjustments they may be called upon to make.

In addition to offering academic and social support to international students, the Office of Global and Domestic Studies is an on-campus resource for information regarding F-1 visa status.

In addition, the Office works closely with scholars studying here as Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants, Fulbright Scholars, Muskie and Ford Foundation fellows.

The F-1 Visa permits a foreign student to enter the U.S. for the primary purpose of studying. A student meets the requirements of eligibility by gaining admission to a school which has been SEVIS approved by the Department of Homeland Security, provides a financial guarantee by providing proof of financial support, and meets all required academic standards and English proficiency as required by the school. A valid visa is required to enter our borders, and once a student is in the U.S., s/he must maintain legal status by complying with F-1 regulations.

The Office of Global and Domestic Studies informs students of their legal responsibilities as per the federal reporting regulations, and encourages students to be responsible for maintaining their legal status. The consequences for falling out of status can be quite dire; a student who becomes non-compliant either intentionally or accidentally risks deportation. Falling out of status can adversely affect career paths, a student’s ability to return to the U.S., and may result in additional levels of surveillance or monitoring by the Department of Homeland Security.

The F-1 Visa Federal regulations mandate that all international students meet with the Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) at the onset of each semester for registration in SEVIS, the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) information system. SEVP tracks schools, programs, and students throughout their enrollment and provides essential and timely information to the Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Overall, F-1 Visa students are required to follow correct procedures if transferring, changing academic goals, considering concurrent enrollment at another college/university, or majors, or extending or shortening their program. The PDSO must be kept informed of all such changes in order to enter required reportable data into SEVIS. F-1 Visa students must alert the PDSO of any intent to transfer and meet with the PDSO to arrange the transfer of their SEVIS record. F-1 Visa students must report any changes of address to the PDSO within 10 days of the change