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NEW INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT
ORIENTATION
During most of the month of September and through
the first week of October, the I-Center’s Community
Committee for International Students assisted I-Center
staff by distributing packets of information to new
international graduate students and scholars, answering
basic non-immigration related questions and referring
students and scholars who had immigration-related
questions to I-Center staff. Some of the items included in
the packet of information that was given to student were
the I-Center’s Handbook for new International Graduate
Students, a list of the I-Center’s programs and services, a
concise booklet of basic visa related information entitled
Passport to Understanding Visa Status and Benefits,
information on parking and transportation, and a
checklist of “things to do,” e.g. apply for a social security
number, obtain a Stanford ID card, stop by the Graduate
Student Information Center for information about
Stanford resources, orientation activities, and tips for
getting settled at Stanford, attend the I-Center’s Orientation
workshops, purchase adequate medical insurance,
establish bank accounts, etc.
The official “University Welcome Reception for New
International Graduate Students, Visiting Scholars and
their families” was held at 5:15 pm on Tuesday, September
17, in the back lawn area of the I-Center. Representatives
of twenty of Stanford’s international student
organizations set up tables at this event to make their
presence known to the new international students and
scholars. In addition, a special table was set up to
acquaint spouses with the wide variety of activities
offered to them by the I-Center. Former Stanford
University President Gerhard Caspar, Dean of Students
Marc Wais, Vice Provost Gene Awakuni, and John Pearson,
Director of the I-Center, attended. Each gave a short
speech to welcome the new international students and
scholars and their families. After the speeches, a jazz
band played music as students, scholars, and their
families mingled with staff and community volunteers
and enjoyed refreshments.
Among the workshops offered during Orientation week
(Sept. 17 to Sept. 23) were: a banking information
workshop; a workshop on registering at Stanford, F-1 and
J-1 visa information workshops; two “student panel”
workshops, one entitled “Stanford As We See It,” and the
other entitled “The Culture of the U.S. Classroom”; a
workshop on health and insurance issues; and automobile
information workshop; a bicycle workshop; a
workshop for future course assistants and teaching
assistants entitled “Teaching at Stanford.” The visa
information workshops were repeated the week after
Orientation Week for late arrivals who were not able to
attend the earlier visa workshops.
Other activities offered during Orientation week included
nightly “Courtyard Cafes” which offered new
students a chance to purchase a light supper at the I-
Center and meet other students in an informal setting.
On Thursday the 19th, new international students were
invited to Orientation Week’s Academic Lunch, an
opportunity for new international students to have
lunch with continuing students from their departments.
This event took place in the back yard area of the I-
Center and lunch was provided free of charge by the
Community Committee for International Students. That
evening James Bettinger, Professor of Communications
and Director of the Knight Fellowship Program spoke on
“The U.S. Media and It’s Perspective on World Events.”
Social events taking place at the I-Center during Orientation
Week included a Reception for New International
Graduate Women, and a Middle Eastern music and dance
party. In addition, two bus trips were offered. The “Bay
Area Tour,” which was organized by the Community
Committee for International Students was an all-day trip
that included a walking tour of the U.C. Berkeley campus,
lunch at Berkeley’s International House, and a drive
through San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge Vista
Point. The second trip, a bus to Santa Cruz was organized
by the I-Center.
34 Bechtel International Center Annual Report 2002-2003