Summary of the Annual Report for 1996-97 |
For a complete hard copy of this report (including statistics), please contact John Pearson, Director.
The Bechtel International Center believes that international educational exchange nurtures a lifelong global perspective. Its primary purpose, therefore, is to play a key role in making Stanford a truly international university.
The Bechtel International Center also strives to:
· facilitate understanding and acceptance of human differences with the goal of fostering cross-cultural tolerance and respect.
· provide services which will enhance the experience of the international community at Stanford.
· encourage the Stanford community to make use of internationally focused educational opportunities.
· enhance relationships and create a sense of multicultural and international community among international and American students, international scholars, faculty, staff, community volunteers and local residents.
· advise in a consistent and professional manner.
· provide accurate and relevant information and advice.
· treat all individuals with fairness, consistency and integrity.
· foster a work environment that encourages responsibility, efficiency and excellence, values creativity and enthusiasm and allows for personal flexibility.
There were four changes in staffing during the year.
· In September 1996 Nicole Blechynden joined the I-Center as our Computer Specialist, replacing Laura Cox.
· In February Judy Polenta resigned after 10 years and was replaced, as Administrative Assistant, by Elizabeth Lasensky.
· Lisa Park resigned in late summer as Coordinator of the Overseas Resource Center and was replaced by Le Ann Joy Adam.
· With the support of the Dean of Students the I-Center was successful in obtaining funds for a new 50% position to begin September 1, 1997. This position is to assist in the area of immigration advising.
· Extensive and intensive programming and advising to international students, scholars and family members, US students and international visitors was maintained. Increasing numbers of users of the I-Center, in all areas, were still able to have one-on-one advising meetings.
· The I-Center joined an informal consortium of institutions to formulate responses to federal immigration legislation. The consortium held two meetings during the year, in Miami and in Vancouver, and maintains an electronic distribution list. In addition we remained part of a regular membership of conference calls on immigration issues coordinated by the American Association of Universities and participated in regular meetings of Bay Area Foreign Scholars Advisers Group.
· The I-Center received a 1996 USIA Community Support Grant for $4,800 to support services to international visitors.
· Successful fund-raising/development in three areas:
i. $500,000 future bequest to support programming that currently has no base support;
ii. $100,000 gift to support both programs for students and volunteers and to renovate the interior of the building;
iii. university funds for renovation of the exterior of the building.
In addition the I-Center continued to work on increasing income streams from the guest room, room rentals, sale of passport photos, etc.
· Staff remained actively involved in local and national organizations. One staff member served as Chair of one of the five major sections of NAFSA: Association of International Educators; another staff member was elected to the Chair-elect position of another of the sections; staff presented at numerous conferences and attended meetings with Immigration Officials, National Council for International Visitors etc.
· Twenty-seven individuals were sponsored for faculty and staff positions as immigrant employees by Stanford University during the last academic year, of which fourteen were faculty. This proportion of faculty to staff cases is unprecedented; faculty usually comprise some 10-15% of the permanent work we do each year. Appointments of foreign faculty are up, and staff are probably seeking opportunities in Silicon Valley, where opportunities are many and salaries relatively high.
· 115 I-129 petitions (H-1B, TN and O visas) were processed during 1996/97, an all-time high.
· Approximately 600 requests for off-campus work authorization were processed.
· The Overseas Resource Center completed a survey on users of its scholarship advising services.
· The Center supported, financially and in staff time, the survey work of a Masters student in Education who was researching the transition to the academic system by international undergraduate and graduate students.
· Between 30-35 classes and programs were offered each quarter to families of international students and scholars.
· Volunteers from the Office of International Visitors had orientation meetings at Hoover and the Business School.
· A departmental server and new equipment to take further advantage of communication through technology were purchased. The I-Center developed a "Social List" majordomo to publicize social and cultural programs, and moved its electronic Focus to a majordomo.
· The I-Center's Web was expanded and use rose, both from on-campus users and from overseas.
· The I-Center began participating in discussions about the future of NSI.
· The facility continued to be extensively used by campus organizations.
· The Overseas Resource Library was redesigned
· The relationship with the International Undergraduate Community was strengthened through better cooperation for international frosh orientation and more frequent meetings.
We feel it is important to stress that the list of goals and objectives needs to be seen in the context of the advising and counseling of individual students/scholars/family members and visitors, whether on regulatory or academic (e.g. scholarships and study abroad), personal, social and cultural issues In all these areas there has been an increased "client base" over the past year. Consequently, the time available to proceed with programmatic, etc. objectives continues to be limited.
· Develop surveys on services to international scholars, students, visitors and family members. In order to complete a comprehensive set of surveys.
· Develop an educational report on CIPRIS (Coordinated Interagency Partnership for the Regulation of Foreign Students) for distribution to various university departments. In addition a comprehensive series of meetings with university officials, departments, etc. will be developed to ensure an overall understanding of the possible implications of CIPRIS, e.g. whether there is a need to begin registering of scholars.
· Complete refurbishing of the building.
· Host the annual Ivy League Plus International Offices meeting in March 1998.
· Increase outreach of the International Speakers Bureau.
· Develop an awards program to honor students, scholars, spouses and volunteers who have contributed significantly to programs and services at the I-Center.
· Complete new brochure for distribution to campus community.
· Review the advising needs of students studying abroad on non-Stanford programs. Develop a comprehensive packet of information (including materials from ORC, Office of Transfer Credit, Registrar's Office, Cowell Health Center, American Express Travel Services, etc.) for prospective study abroad (non-Stanford program) students.
· Complete "Resources Available at the ORC" informational binders and distribute to community groups (e.g. Ethnic and Community Centers, Haas Center, UAC, URO, etc) to raise awareness of opportunities available at ORC.
Technology
· Develop Web-based forms for J-1 visa requests; this would allow a more efficient download to our File-Maker Pro database.
· Develop the Filemaker Pro DataBase to improve the user interface and assess its applicability to CIPRIS.
· Create a data base program on File Maker Pro for room reservations.
· Encourage staff to take more advantage of both free computer classes and STAP supported classes.
· Continue to develop the I-Center's Web Page (for example in the area of services for Spouses/Partners and Families) and compile statistics on its use.
· Develop a relational faculty resources data base to facilitate programming of international visitors.
· The strain on advising continues in all areas. While the addition of a 50% FTE is of considerable help in the foreign student advising area, we may need to seriously consider whether it is possible to continue to offer advising for Rhodes and Marshall in the present manner. In addition, uncertainty over the intent of federal immigration regulation has led to an increased number of requests for advising to ensure adequate understanding of these regulations, even without the need for action to be taken.
· The Immigration Service is proceeding with CIPRIS. Although we do not know exactly when this will be implemented at Stanford, we are beginning to educate the Stanford community. The program will involve considerably more work with students, scholars and dependents as this entire population will have to have paperwork individually verified by the I-Center, within a certain time of arrival. There is the prospect that staff will have to advise almost 2,000 individuals during fall quarter 1998 or 1999. Initial discussions have produced a sense of dismay as to how this will be possible to do, mixed with a sense of potential in that we will, for the first time, be able to "meet" all newly arrived, scholars and dependents.
· Although there are some national projections that suggest international student and scholar numbers will remain stable or even decline, the summer of 1997 suggested quite the opposite (this was verified by international student statistics for fall 1997); if international student and scholar numbers show the same kind of increase as we witnessed in the early 90s ( e.g. 200-300 additional students per year) we will once again find ourselves stretched to provide necessary services and advising.
· There is evidence that US consular offices overseas are making it more difficult for students and dependents to obtain visas. This is an area of national concern; at Stanford it means much more involvement of I-Center staff and Stanford faculty in working with US Consulates and local congressional representatives.
· Our temporary salary budget remains minimal as we attempt to keep the I-Center open as much as possible for the benefit of the entire campus.
· The I-Center is experiencing a significant increase in e-mail communications from overseas from prospective students, scholars and visitors. The messages often involve detailed responses.