International Student Banquet
“Divided By Countries, United By CISO”
The Banquet began with a pleasant greeting
from emcees Neel Patel and Sheenal Patel,
followed by a delightful dinner featuring
cuisine from around world. The award ceremony followed, with entertainment from
the Indian Student Association, featuring student Pooja Revanna.
Award Winners for 2015
Fall Semester 2015
I n t e r n at i o n a l S e rv i c e s
Newsletter
On Thursday, November 12th the Council of
International Student Organizations (CISO)
hosted its annual International Student Banquet
which was held in the Student Center
Ballroom.
Outstanding Female International Athlete
Award
Sophie Haywood
Outstanding Male International Athlete Award
Jann Christoph Graf
Graduate Academic Award
Venkata Naraya
Graduate Academic Award
Ca Wen Lee
Undergraduate Academic Award
Marzieh Atigh
Undergraduate Academic Award
Abdulrahman Alyousef
President’s Award
Syed Safi
Ajyal Alenizi—Outstanding scholastic
achievement as a student in the English
Language Center at USA
President’s Award
Kassy Urena-Rodriguez
Outstanding Faculty Member Award
Dr. Ishara Ramkissoon
Outstanding Staff Member Award
Dr. Philip Theodore
Outstanding International Student
Orgranization
Indian Student Organization
Outstanding Service Award
Bader Almutairi
Outstanding International Student Award
Neel Patel
CISO Rookie of the Year Award
Sumeet Patel
Jang Najmi—Outstanding Service to the
CISO at USA
What is CISO?
The Council of International Student Organizations was created in 1987 in order to
provide a stage for people with different cultural backgrounds to exchange ideas and cultivate
relationships. CISO comprises of all the active International Student Organizations on campus
and every international Student is a part of it. With over a thousand members, CISO is the third
largest organization on campus after the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Office
of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA).
Get involved today!
Fall Semester
2015
Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society
Phi Beta Delta, founded at California State University, Long Beach in 1986,
was established as an organization in 1987 with 38 chartered chapters,
many of which had existed for a considerable time previously at the local
level. It is the first honor society dedicated to recognizing scholarly achievement in international education.
The Delta Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Delta inducted new members on November 12th
during the Annual International Banquet. The inductees were:
 Aiman A. Al Hdad
 Marzieh K Atigh

Kristi Clayton
 Jesus A Estaba
 Miena Haider
 Brenda Hinson
 Mohammad S Hossain
 Weijian Jiang
 Sayed Farhan A Madni

Deepa Shrestha
 Daniela L Yunker
The Exchange: Holiday Meals in an
American Home
The Exchange is a group of American &
International students that gather to share
food, culture and conversations. The Exchange
is sponsored on campus by BCM (a USA
Student organization). The Exchange wants to
welcome International students to our
community and make ways for them to
connect with American friends and families.
The Exchange invites ALL international
students to enjoy a holiday meal with an
American family during the Thanksgiving and
Christmas season. This is a wonderful
opportunity for you t o spend time with an
American family in their home and to enjoy
favorite traditional holiday foods. You can call
BSM at 251-344-5904 for more information or
if you have questions.
COME BY THE OFFICE, 2200 Meisler
Hall, TO SIGN UP.
Understanding Holiday Meals in
America
1.
2.
3.
4.
Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday
in November and Christmas is always the
25th of December (your host family may
host you on any day surrounding these
days).
Many families have special family recipes
they like to share during their holiday
meals.
Some families wear their nicer clothes to
their holiday meal, others may dress very
casually. You can ask your host if there
are any dress expectations.
Do you have any questions about any
element of these holiday celebrations?
Feel free to ask your hosts. They would
love to share with you about American
culture.
ESOL—Speakers of other Languages who wish
to Improve their English
We want to help you better communicate in:

Daily communication

Conducting business

Involvement in children’s education

Working towards educational goals
When and Where?
Class will be held Tuesday night from 6:00 P.M.—8:00 P.M. in the Activities Center of Spring Hill Baptist Church
The church is located at 2 McGregor Avenue South
The Activity Center is across McGregor Avenue from the church (behind
CVS Pharmacy)
Need More Info?
Contact Carolyn Douglas
By email: carolyndouglas9@aol.com
Or call/text: 251-689-8552
Just a Few Reminders...
Spring Semester is just around the
corner and as always, your help is
needed to assist with new student
orientation, pick-up of incoming
students, and temporary housing of
new students as they arrive on our
campus.
These things are a very important
service that we provide to our students
and mean a commitment on your part if
you choose to help. It is also a very
rewarding experience for you to help
out your new fellow students and make
new friends!
Please come by the Office of
International Services and let us know
if you want to be a part of this
rewarding and important service.
Or email Brenda at
bhinson@southalabama.edu
CISO Meetings are open to
everyone, whether
participating on behalf of a
student organization or
individually. They are held each
Thursday at 5:30 in the Student
Center. Check your University
email for events and important
University notices.
Now, more than ever, it is important that all F-1 students be aware of and abide by all
status requirements.
DO NOT LET YOUR I-20 EXPIRE! It must be extended before the expiration date or it will be
automatically cancelled by the SEVIS system. It is YOUR responsibility to be aware of passport and I20 expiration dates. Suspension or dismissal from the University does not allow you to apply for an
extension. Passports should be renewed six months before expiration as processing time can be several months.
You MUST register as a full-time student (12 hours undergraduate/6 hours graduate) no matter
what. The only exception is a well-documented medical condition or graduation during that semester. If graduating, you must notify us when taking less than a full course load at the beginning of your
final semester. If you are not a full –time student and do not meet the reasons above, you will be reported to INS as out of status.
Failure to officially drop the course with the university will result in an F on your transcript.
If you are transferring to another school, notify
our office for the proper transfer. We do not transfer your SEVIS record until you are 100% sure you
want to stay there.
If you are going home and sitting out a semester,
you are not to re-enter the United States more than 30 days prior to the start of the next term. Reentering before this time jeopardizes your immigration status.
New students trying to enter the U.S. more than 30 days before the start of their I-20 will be returned home and their visas cancelled. Do not let this happen to any of your friends who will be joining us.
If you are visiting a country other than your own,, you may need to obtain a visitor’s visa. Most Embassies have special web pages regarding current visa requirements and forms.
Let the Office of International Services know when traveling outside the U.S. to verify your documents and sign your I-20 for travel.
If you are traveling inside the U.S., keep your passport, I-20, and I-94 with you. Any office of the law
can ask for your immigration documents. If you have a car, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of your
passport/I-20/I-94 in the glove box with your insurance and car registration.
International Student Orientation
January 5
New Student Registration
January 6—January 10
Classes Begin: January 11
Late Registration & Drop/Add
January 11—January 13 (ends at 5:59 P.M. on January 13)
________________________________________________________________________
TUITION AND FEE PAYMENTS
December 8, 2015: 15% Fee Payment Deadline
15% of all tuition and fees including housing and meals are due December 8th, 2015.This deadline applies only
to students who have registered. Students who do not meet this deadline will be canceled from registration on December 9th.
January 15, 2016: Balance of tuition and fees including housing and meals due oncampus payments
January 18, 2016: Balance of tuition and fees including housing and meals due online
January 19, 2016: All registration schedules released if payment deadline not met
January 20—25: Reinstatement Period