Dear New Paltz Student,
Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to our returning students!
We present the January 26, 2024 edition of The Globe!
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The Globe is our International Student Newsletter. It is usually sent bi-weekly (every other week) on Fridays. In the Globe you will find announcements from the International Student Programs office. Important reminders, information on events and more.
As always, please read all information under Announcements and Reminders carefully as it may pertain to policies, mandatory requirements, or other information necessary for International Students.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Events & Opportunities
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Announcements and Reminders
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Spend the day exploring the sights and sounds of New York City and maybe even make a new friend while you're at it.
- Destination: New York City
- Date: January 27, 2024
- Depart: 10:00 AM from Parking Lot #28, Rte. 32
- Pickup from NYC: 8:00 PM
- Cost: $20
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New Paltz ENGAGE-listed Events
New Paltz ENGAGE is our campus platform for clubs, organizations, and events. Click Events at the top to see a list of upcoming activities. Keep checking their page as new events are added all the time!
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Announcements and Reminders
International Student Programs and Dual Diploma Office/Advising Hours
The International Student Programs office in VH 201 is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
- International Student Programs offers walk-in advising hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00am - 1:00pm for all international students.
- Dr. Kathleen Geher, Director of the Dual Diploma Programs hosts office hours on Tuesdays from 1:00pm - 3:00pm and Thursadys from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Dual Diploma students can shedule an appointment with Dr. Geher here! You can also email her at geherk@newpaltz.edu to schedule an appointment outside of her normal office hours.
- Jeff Pollard, Exchange & Visiting Student Advisor, also hosts walk-in advising hours on Wednesday from 2:00pm - 4:00pm, or email him at pollardj@newpaltz.edu if you would like to schedule an appointment outside of these hours.
Full-time enrollment requirement
All international students must maintain full-time status each semester, confirm your enrollment, attend and participate in your classes!
"Full-time" may differ depending on your program
- All undergraduate degrees, MBA and MFA: 12 credits or more
- All other graduate degrees: 9 credits or more
- Combination of ESL and Academic Courses is ok!
- If you withdraw from a class and it drops you below full time at any point in the semester, you will be in violation of your visa status. DO NOT DO THIS!
- An exception to full-time enrollment is made in your FINAL SEMESTER only and requires approval. (If you have questions please contact our office)
Method of instruction
- Only ONE online course counts toward the full-time registration requirement each semester.
- Example 1: If your full-time enrollment requirement is 12 credits, and you are registered for 12 credits, only 1 of those classes (3 credits) can be online.
- Example 2: If your full-time enrollment requirement is 12 credits and you are register for 2 online classes (6 credits), than you must register for 15 credits.
- The majority of your courses must be seated and/or hybrid each semester.
In your final semester, if you are only taking one course, it cannot be online only.
- Example 1. If you only need one course to graduate and that final, required course is an online course, it must have some seated or physical presence requirement on campus, like an examination, presentation, or periodic meetings with the professor in class.
- Example 2. If you only need one course to graduate and that final, required course is an online course, you must take a seated course in addition to the online course.
Practicum, Internship, Fieldwork courses, and CPT approval for F-1 Students If you are registered for a course this semester that has a practical experience attached to it, you must remember to get CPT authorization BEFORE you begin any type of off-campus opportunity. For example, if you are registered for Practicum, Internship, Fieldwork, or an Independent Study that has an off-campus component, you must get CPT authorization before you begin your internship/practicum/fieldwork. You can learn more about this at our CPT workshops by reading the information here.
If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact International Student Programs.
CPT & OPT Workshops
The first OPT workshop for the Spring semester for F-1 students is scheduled for Thursday, Feburary 8, 2024. See the full listing of our Spring semester workshops for F1 and J1 students here!
Check your I-94 Status if you recently traveled abroad!
You can get your most recent I-94 here. Be sure it lists your current student visa type as F-1/J -1 and D/S (for Duration of Status).
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Reminder: Update your US address in my.newpaltz.edu if you live off campus
In order to comply with F-1 and J-1 visa regulations and for SEVIS registration please remember to update your local US address in your my.newpaltz.edu, (off campus students only).
Be sure to check/use your Outlook account, this is the official email account of all university correspondence.
Reminder: Academic Calendar
Please reference the Spring 2024 Academic Calendar for important dates throughout the semester including deadlines, holidays, and finals. (Protip: Bookmark it!)
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International Student Guides
The International Student Programs office has put together a set of guides to serve as a reference for international students. The guides provide details on campus departments and local resources. The guides are meant to serve as general resources. It is still recommended that you visit department websites or contact the departments directly to ensure you are accessing the most up-to-date information.
- Housing
- Dining
- Technology
- Travel
- Banking
- Athletic & Wellness Center
- Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art
- School of Fine and Performing Arts (Theater and live music performances)
- Center for Student Engagement
- Student Health Center
- Psychological Counseling Center
- International Student Health Insurance
- Title IX Support
- Bias Reporting
- Emergency Phrases*
*Emergency phrases have been translated into Chinese (Simplified), German, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Telugu, and Turkish. These have been translated using official sources and with help from international students. If you would like to contribute translations for a language not listed, please contact international@newpaltz.edu.
Unfortunately, several sophisticated scams have been created by criminals around the world to solicit money from people. As international students in the US you may feel especially vulnerable when a person calls you directly claiming to be from the US goverment, your home goverment, or some other position of power and influence. Therefore we ask that you please pay special attention to this guide so you don't fall victim to these scams!
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The Campus Food Pantry
The Campus Food Pantry is open and continues to serve on- and off-campus students as well as campus faculty and staff five days a week, for both walk-in orders and to pick up remote requests.
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- Most food pantries are community-based organizations that provide free or low-cost food and other essential items to individuals. Food pantries play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity and providing support to those facing economic hardship. Food pantries aim to alleviate immediate hunger and provide emergency food assistance to those in need. They often distribute non-perishable items like canned goods, pasta, rice, and other staples, as well as fresh produce when available.
- If you or a fellow student are in need of food assistance, consider using the on-campus food pantry, or other food pantries in our community.
- In addition to the on-campus food pantry, here is information about local food pantries in the New Paltz area.
St. Joseph's Church: Food assistance available, please bring photo ID. You can receive assistance once a month.
New Paltz Methodist Church: Free Fresh Food is a pop-up food giveaway that takes surplus goods and makes them available to anyone who stops by.
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International Student Union
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The international student community contributes to the diversity of campus culture and community engagement. We believe that Globalization is an integral part of New Paltz's teachings and social activities.
Want to learn more about the International Student Union (ISU) or join?
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Tip of the Day
Take advantage of the many resouces around campus, there are here to help you succeed. Check out the different department website to learn more about all of the resouces they offer!
Quote of the Day
"You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things."
-Nate Berkus
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