PrincetonUniversityA Guide for International Students, 2004-2005
Who is Here to Help
International Student Adviser Rachel Baldwin, associate dean of undergraduate students and international student adviser, can be contacted at the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544; telephone: 609-258-3053; e-mail: rbaldwin@princeton.edu; Web site: www.princeton.edu/odus/mw.htm.
The adviser is available for consultation on all matters -- academic, financial, legal, and personal -- concerning international students. She offers assistance with immigration questions, including visa information, change of status, leaving and reentering the United States, transferring to other colleges and universities, practical training, verification of status, and exchange visitor programs for students. If the adviser is unable to help you directly, she will refer you to the appropriate person or office. You are always welcome to contact her.
International Student Preorientation
Each fall in the week preceding freshman orientation, the international student adviser, assisted by student volunteers from the group International Students at Princeton, hosts a three-day preorientation for international students. Participants in preorientation are welcomed to campus, assisted in practical tasks such as purchasing travel-unfriendly items (bed linens, lamps, etc.), and opening bank accounts. They also are introduced to other international students and to the dean and the director of studies of the residential colleges, treated to social events and outings, and more. Participation in preorientation is voluntary, and the program gets enthusiastic reviews from those who attend; incoming international first-year students are encouraged to participate.
International Students Association of Princeton (ISAP)
The International Students Association of Princeton (ISAP) is an organization of all international undergraduates, including U.S. citizens who live overseas, run by and for students. Recognizing the diverse backgrounds of students at Princeton, members of ISAP believe that they can best bring everyone together by organizing social and cultural functions, sports (such as cricket and badminton), and other activities. In this way, members broaden knowledge of their countries and cultures while creating a congenial atmosphere conducive to greater understanding between themselves and American students.
ISAP is headed by a president and an executive committee who are responsible for the overall formulation of policy and for planning various activities. The president represents the international undergraduates in their dealings with the faculty, administration, and trustees of the University.
Additionally, the association supports Dean Baldwin in organizing a special program welcoming first-year students to campus a few days prior to regular orientation. Members take this opportunity to become personally acquainted with all newcomers and to provide further information regarding undergraduate life at Princeton.
If you have any questions, please write to ISAP at isap@ princeton.edu. You may also consult the ISAP Web page at at www.princeton.edu/~isap.
International Center
There are more than 1,400 international students and visiting scholars on campus, representing more than 80 countries; many have families with them. The International Center, founded in 1974, provides a setting in which the special needs and interests of this international community can be met. Working together with campus organizations and local volunteers, the center offers support and assistance to newcomers and provides them with opportunities to meet with one another and with area residents. Through the center, international students and visitors share their rich cultural resources with members of the University and the Princeton community.
The center's programs include weekly Thursday luncheons, weekly English conversation tutorials, home and holiday hospitality activities, lectures, discussions, national celebrations, cultural events, UNICEF card sales, weekly television programs, and an annual international festival.
Volunteer opportunities for students at the center include planning and organizing events, participating on committees, tutoring English, and speaking to local organizations about their countries. All activities are open to the entire campus. Please call the director, Paula Chow, at 609-258-5006; e-mail: pchow@princeton.edu; or stop by 243 Frist Campus Center.
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