Reves Conference Room, 2Nd Floor of Reves Center

ISAB Meeting Agenda – March 3, 2017

Reves Conference Room, 2nd floor of Reves Center

In attendance:

Eva Wong

Elkie Vandenbeemt

Yi Hao

Hannah Song

Jennifer Beckensteiner

Maicoll Gomez

Arun Kumar

Lisa Chuanyan Zhang

Yiying Liu

1.  ISSP Reports to ISAB

a.  #YouAreWelcomeHere Campaign

i.  Events at W&M, SOE & VIMS.

1.  All very successful

b.  Meeting with Dining Services

i.  Following up from Outreach Interviews

1.  Eva and Elkie met with two representatives at dining services

2.  Discussing more diversity at international stations

3.  Possibility of having some educational sessions for international students (ISSS workshop?)

ii.  Provided suggestions to Dining Services and explored collaborations

1.  Very receptive to working with ISSP in the future

c.  DMV Updates

i.  Streamline process with registrar’s office for license renewal

1.  Internal deadline of May 5 to collect enrollment verification form

2.  Registrar will have more time to compile letters/enrollment verification form for license renewal

ii.  Website with graduation how-to for renewing license

d.  Post-OPT messaging (e.g., H-1B stats, post-graduation options).

i.  Limited H-1B spots - so even when companies are willing to do the sponsorship, students might not get a spot

ii.  More proactive in explaining to students what the statistics are

1.  Helping students diversify their search for after graduation, so that students have the information ahead of time so that they can plan accordingly

2.  ISAB Updates and Discussion

a.  “International Student Experience” workshop for staff and faculty

i.  Looking for students to serve on panel and share experience

ii.  Thurs, March 23, 12-1pm in Reves Room

iii.  Hoping to have broad representation on the panel

1.  Let Eva know ASAP if you are interested in serving on the panel, or if you have a friend who you think would be a good fit for serving on the panel as well

b.  International Peer Leaders

i.  Please consider applying and encouraging friends to apply

ii.  Yi - had positive experience as a PL

1.  Not too constricting of a time commitment

2.  Rewarding to meet students on the day of orientation, serving on panels, etc.

iii.  International and American students can serve

c.  ISAB members for 2017-2018

i.  Let Eva know if you would like to step down

1.  Call for new members will likely be sent out after spring break

2.  Will need a new member for the law school

ii.  2 current ISAB members (1 undergraduate, 1 graduate) to serve on selection committee for new members, along with Eva

1.  If interested in serving on selection committee, let Eva know

iii.  Average of 20 applications

iv.  5 days to read applications and nominate students based on vacancies

1.  Maicoll and Jennifer interested in being part of selection committee/reading

2.  Committee reads applications on their own

v.  Decisions based on nominations

d.  Updates from members (e.g., information and/or questions that Reves should know/that are important to international students)

i.  Jennifer - Wants to know date of spring reception and how it might conflict with VIMS end-of-semester event

1.  Eva – Thanked Jennifer for bringing this to our attention. ISSP usually holds our spring semester reception on the last day of classes which often conflicts with VIMS event since no sponsored events are allowed during exam weeks

ii.  Arun - very interested in applying for ISAB

iii.  Yi - met with President Reveley

1.  Religious accommodations are allowed on syllabus, but cultural accommodations do not often apply

2.  Cultural practice might not be recognized here

a.  College should offer cultural accommodations, even for those students who are not religious

3.  President Reveley has appointed task force to look at religious and cultural practices to best support students at W&M

a.  Working group of faculty and administration to discuss this

b.  Recommendations by the end of the school year

3.  Final Meeting

a.  Friday, April 7, 3pm