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What to Know About International Student Services at Us Colleges

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What to Know About International Student Services at Us Colleges

International student services offices at US institutions provide campus assistance and a wealth of resources to assist with anything from visa applications and orientation to year-round activities.

“ISS usually stands for International Student Services, which indicates that these offices serve and support international student services during their journey of studying in the United States,” explains Lynne Vanahill, director of international support services at the University of Kansas.

She adds that foreign students might think of ISS as “their home base at the new university, a place to start and return to when feeling lost or confused.” Here are some strategies foreign students may use to make the most of their school’s ISS office before and after they come on campus.

Things to Do Before Leaving

Prospective foreign students should contact an institution’s international student services office before submitting an application or enrolling.

Go to an institution’s ISS webpage.

Students may assess the atmosphere and degree of assistance provided to foreign students at a school by visiting its ISS website. According to Vanahill, “The majority of ISS websites contain a plethora of information to assist prospective students in navigating available resources and specialized programming to help international student services adjust to life in the U.S.”

An ISS website typically includes contacts, information on contacts, campus resources, tutoring and language aid, accommodations, and visas. It may also include an FAQ page with answers to frequently asked questions.

Talk Online In conjunction with the ISS office

Prospective foreign students may speak with ISS advisors one-on-one via live chat or videoconferencing at many ISS offices. Students may also contact the ISS office directly via phone or email.

“Students are encouraged to contact the office or attend one of our webinars for prospective or newly accepted students if they are unable to obtain the information they are searching for,” Vanahill adds.

According to Vanahill, the ISS office at KU works with the admissions and recruiting departments to provide pre-arrival webinars on various subjects, from “Campus Life at KU” to “How to Request an I-20” for a student visa application.

Additionally, many ISS offices communicate with students and post information on social media sites like X and Instagram. Prospective overseas students may also send direct messages in addition to participating in live sessions and conversations on social media.

Obtain Immigration and Visa Advice

Students should contact ISS as soon as they have any immigration-related queries, whether about wait times or how to get a student visa.

“We are the only authorized source of immigration-related guidance at the university, but we welcome all inquiries,” says Rick Lane, the Institution of Illinois at Springfield’s director of international student services.

Lane especially urges students to contact them with “any questions about their non-immigrant student status, including how to get it, keep it, and get the most benefits possible, among other things.”

What to Do After Arriving at Campus

Students should intend to make the most of all campus resources and campus assistance offered by their ISS office as soon as they arrive.

Examine Advisory Services

For present foreign students, some ISS offices provide further consulting services beyond immigration and visas. According to Lane, foreign students should speak with staff members in person at the ISS office or by phone or email to address their academic, cultural, social, and personal problems.

“They feel comfortable discussing those with us, both because of the broad range of international living experience represented by our advisers, and because we have established a valued relationship with them since before they arrived in the U.S.,” Lane explains.

International student services should go to the ISS office at their university as their first resource for help, according to Jody Pritt, associate vice provost for international student services and scholar advising at Pennsylvania State University. For other inquiries, she adds, the office may assist in directing students to the relevant school resources.

According to Pritt, students may get cultural support and participate in activities and offers inside the Penn State community with the assistance of the ISSA team.

“As a team of encouraging advisors, we aim to provide our international student services with life-changing and purposeful experiences while they are attending our university,” Pritt said.

Take Part in Workshop Activities

International students should schedule time to attend seminars offered by the International Student Services (ISS) office at their institution on various subjects, including travel and money management.

National of Iraq, Mustafa Al-Qadi received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas in 2019. “I attended many of these workshops,” he adds.

He participated in seminars such as “Optional Practical Training and Academic Training for International Students,” “Essentials of Car Ownership for International Students,” and “Income Tax Workshop for International Students.”

Additionally, the University of Texas at Dallas hosts courses like “Study Abroad for International Students” three to four times a year. According to Josephine K. Vitta, senior director of international student services at the University of Texas at Dallas’ International Center, “every semester various sessions are organized in coordination with several departments on campus on topics related to student safety, health, transportation, and career preparedness.”

According to Pritt, Penn State’s ISSA office hosts many educational employment programs each semester to assist students stay current and knowledgeable about career opportunities.

“The students are eager to explore career opportunities,” Pritt asserts; “and we want to equip them with the knowledge and understanding to access those opportunities with as much ease as possible.”

Join trips and activities.

International students may also prepare to explore their new community via excursions and other activities organized by ISS offices throughout the year, such as summer festivities at certain colleges.

According to Vitta, the Foreign Center at UT Dallas arranges local tours to sports events, museums, and other sites to help foreign students learn about American culture and customs.

According to Pritt, Penn State provides foreign students with specialized counselors and global involvement coordinators who plan interesting off-campus excursions.

“From visiting iconic destinations like Niagara Falls and New York City to enjoying local farmer’s markets and historical sites, students have diverse opportunities to explore and engage with their community,” Pritt tells me.

Al-Qadi’s favorite activities were international trivia nights, excursions to Kansas City, and BBQ gatherings hosted by the International student services office at the University of Kansas. He claims the various ISS-provided services made him feel more accepted and active in the community. “This had a great positive impact on my academic, social, and cultural experiences at KU,” according to Al-Qadi.

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Macron of France Greets Donald Trump at a Grand Presidential Reception in Paris.

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Donald Trump
Aurelien Morissard/AP

(VOR News) – French President Emmanuel Macron greeted Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with presidential grandeur following a four-year hiatus.

Claiming to be in a “a little crazy” world as they met one-on-one before Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening five years following a catastrophic fire, Donald Trump, the future president, said.

As Trump arrived at the Elysee Palace, the official house of the French president, Macron extended numerous handshakes and back-patted him. Declaring it “a great honour,” Donald Trump hailed their “great relationship.”

As they met one-on-one before Notre Dame Cathedral reopened five years following a catastrophic fire, Trump suggested the two would talk about a “a little crazy” world.

Like the French do for sitting American presidents, the palace spread out a red carpet. Trump noted before he came in, “The world feels wild right now.” We will explore that.

Accepting the Paris invitation, Donald Trump asserted Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full glory, and even more so”. Today will be unique for each of us! A 2019 fire almost destroyed the 861-year-old monument.

More than 20 French government security agents were guarding Trump alongside the Secret Service, according to the French national police. Trump’s procession was guarded from drones by a specially equipped French police truck.

Scores of international VIPs were expected at the Notre Dame reopening, hence security was more rigorous than usual outside the U.S. Embassy and other Paris sites.

Despite Donald Trump’s loss last month, Macron has tried to repair his relationship.

Macron’s staff minimised the offer, citing invitations to other former leaders.

Declaring Trump invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation,” Macron’s office added, “This is in no way exceptional. We’ve done it before.”

Red carpet treatment by Macron and other European leaders revealed their aim to placate Trump prior to his inauguration. Trump enjoys pomp and spectacle. During his first tenure as president, he paid Paris a guest of honour visit for Bastille Day events. Macron Later on, Trump insisted he wanted a US large military exhibition.

Democratic President Joe Biden is also invited but won not be present. White House communications secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said first lady Jill Biden will represent the US due to a scheduling issue.

Trump last visited Jill Biden at the White House for the customary farewell-incoming president’s conference following the election.

During Donald Trump trip to France, Macron and other European leaders are trying to convince him to help Ukraine fight Russia’s intrusion. According to Macron’s office, Macron and Donald Trump would discuss Middle East conflicts as well as others.

Prince William and Jill Biden will meet prior to Notre Dame, according to the British royal house.

Macron would meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine. It depends on whether Trump meets Zelenskyy. Future conversations worry Kyiv as Trump has vowed to swiftly stop the war on Ukraine but has not said how.

On a two-day trip earlier this week, Zelenskyy’s top advisor Andriy Yermak visited important Donald Trump team members to build confidence in the incoming government. Requesting anonymity, a senior Ukrainian official hailed the discussions as successful but omitted specifics.

Under Donald Trump’s first term, France-US relations deteriorated.

Trump paid many trips to France and introduced Macron at his first state dinner. Macron attacked Trump for challenging NATO’s necessity and America’s dedication to the mutual defence agreement, therefore endangering the alliance.

If France taxed American businesses during the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mimicked Macron’s accent and threatened to levy high taxes on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S.

Among the first international leaders to congratulate Trump last month was Macron. Noted for its stained glass, the Notre Dame fire destroyed its spire in 2019, endangering one of the most iconic architectural sites worldwide. At the time Trump was president.

“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote, counselling Paris. “Perhaps flying water tanks could help eradicate it. Be fast!” he advised.

Shortly afterwards, French officials reported that “all means” were being employed to put out the flames, “except water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”

Last weekend, Trump declared he would name Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, ambassador to France. Pioneers in such a great role were Franklin and Jefferson.

SOURCE: NPR

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Elon Musk Expended Over $260 Million To Facilitate The Election Of Donald Trump.

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Elon Musk
Reuters

(VOR News) – Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, is said to have made a significant contribution to the re-election campaign of Donald Trump, President-elect of the United States of America, in the year 2024.

This information has been reported. Specifically, the information in question was collected from the Federal Election Commission by means of their most current filings.

More than $259 million was contributed by Elon Musk to the campaign of Donald Trump, which he subsequently used to support his own campaign.

Elon Musk contributed a total of $269.

The Chief Executive Officer of Tesla and the owner of SpaceX is now in the position of being one of the top donors in the history of a presidential campaign in the United States.

This is due to the massive financial support that has been provided to him. Consequently, this contributes to the strengthening of his power in the area of the Republican Party. One of the corporations that own Tesla is SpaceX, which is a corporation.

There was a contribution of two hundred and thirty-nine million dollars made by Elon Musk to America PAC, which is a super PAC that he founded with the goal of assisting in the mobilisation of votes in support of Trump. This represents a big new development that has taken place.

RBG PAC is an organisation that makes an effort to persuade voters that President Trump, who is 78 years old, would not sign into law a national abortion ban. It is alleged that Musk, who is 53 years old, contributed an additional twenty million dollars to RBG PAC.

There is strong suspicion that Elon Musk made this financial contribution to RBG PAC. As can be seen from the documentation that was handed over to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Elon Musk was the one who made this donation.

This organisation got its name from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was well-known for her advocacy of abortion rights. Ginsburg was the inspiration behind the name of this organisation. In addition to being a well-known liberal personality, Ginsburg was also well-known for her advocacy of the right to abortion.

Ginsburg was a significant figure in the feminist community and a prominent member of the liberal community.

In addition to being the owner of the social networking platform known as X, Elon Musk has emerged as a prominent counsellor to the transition team that Trump has gathered. This is a significant development.

The platform’s owner is Elon Musk, so keep that in mind.

Trump has nominated him, together with Vivek Ramaswamy, a former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and an entrepreneur, to lead a task group that will strive to minimise the amount of money that the government spends and the number of rules that it imposes. Ramaswamy is also an entrepreneur.

Ramaswamy is also an entrepreneur in his way. In his own way, Ramaswamy is likewise recognised as an entrepreneur.

Thursday was the day that Elon Musk and Ramaswamy met with senators on Capitol Hill in an effort to obtain the significant cutbacks in expenses that Trump has asked.

The gathering was held on Thursday of this week. On the other hand, in order for them to be successful in their ambitions, they will want the support of these politicians.

These two individuals have not only advocated for the termination of thousands of federal employees, but they have also battled for the reduction of regulations and the elimination of programs that have had their authorisation revoked, such as healthcare for veterans. In addition to this, they have campaigned for the dismissal of all employees and employees of the government.

At the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where the president-elect has been residing during the transition, Musk has been a frequent visitor and a close confidante of Trump.

Musk has attended the residence on multiple occasions. Many times, Elon Musk has been seen on the premises of the mansion. In addition to that, Musk has been a frequent visitor to the home on a number of occasions.

SOURCE: TN

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The US Court of Appeals Affirms the TikTok Ban While Dismissing a Free Speech Challenge.

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TikTok
PHOTO: PEXELS

(VOR News) – A federal appeals court dismissed TikTok’s assertion that the crackdown infringes upon the free expression rights of millions of Americans on Friday.

The court affirmed a statute that would ban the viral video application from usage nationwide unless its Chinese parent company divested from it.

The court’s verdict led the president and Congress to determine that TikTok’s “expansive reach” necessitated its divestiture from Chinese ownership, which is “essential to protecting our national security.”

The court’s ruling indicates that TikTok’s ownership by the Chinese corporation ByteDance poses a greater national security threat than the issues related to free expression associated with TikTok.

In the United States, the First Amendment safeguards the right to free expression. The official court acknowledged that the government acted to safeguard this freedom from a foreign adversary and to restrict that adversary’s ability to acquire information about American citizens.

TikTok critics include the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

“This ruling is fundamentally flawed, interpreting significant First Amendment precedents too restrictively and granting the government extensive authority to limit Americans’ access to foreign information, ideas, and media,” stated Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization.

“This decision is fundamentally erroneous.” “We anticipate that the appellate court’s decision will not be final.”

The decision issued by the three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was a notable triumph for the administration of Vice President Joe Biden; yet, it concurrently places TikTok in a precarious position.

Donald Trump, the future president, has pledged to guarantee the continued existence of TikTok. Nonetheless, that may be construed to signify a multitude of alternative interpretations.

According to the law, TikTok faces a potential ban throughout the state unless it divests from its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, by January 19th.

The deadline may be prolonged by ninety days if “significant progress” is made towards finalising a sale. Consequently, one possibility is that Trump may seek to negotiate an agreement for the app to be held by an American entity or consortium of investors, while concurrently postponing the implementation date.

Notwithstanding China’s enduring opposition to the compelled divestiture of the application, analysts contend that Chinese authorities may want to auction TikTok to enhance their bargaining position in trade discussions with President Trump’s new administration.

Notwithstanding this, TikTok maintains that it is not available for acquisition from any third party.

TikTok’s initiatives to separate itself from ByteDance, exemplified by Project Texas, which seeks to segregate American data from China, represent divestiture, and Trump possesses the authority to assert that these initiatives qualify as divestiture. Furthermore, Trump may instruct his attorney general to abstain from enforcing the law.

Merely disabling TikTok is inadequate to preclude its utilisation. The regulation targets app stores operated by Google and Apple, leading to the removal of TikTok from their platforms by the digital giants.

Moreover, TikTok cannot be endorsed by web hosting companies.

Neither Apple nor Google has issued any statements concerning their possible reactions to the legislation. Moreover, given that Trump has expressed his intention to maintain the application despite an impending court-imposed deadline, it remains unclear what precise measures web-hosting companies would undertake.

TikTok would ultimately deteriorate, even if the legislation were implemented by a presidential administration. The application will remain accessible on devices for its 170 million users in the United States.

Conversely, the program would become ineligible for software updates. TikTok is on the verge of being inoperable because to its sluggish performance and numerous glitches.

A prohibition on the social media site would solely benefit Meta, which Trump has condemned for his unfounded assertion that the network adversely affected him during the 2020 presidential election.

Trump, who previously sought to prohibit TikTok during his initial presidency, reversed his stance and asserted that a restriction on the platform would merely benefit Meta. This transpired throughout his political efforts.

The subsequent phase may involve an appeals process that requires considerable time to finalise. The DC appeals court can entertain petitions from any party involved to reassess the case. The Supreme Court may then be requested to deliberate on it following its presentation.

SOURCE: TET

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