E-Mail and Information Requests

Introduction

The mission of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) is to provide quality support services to MU's international students and scholars, foster intercultural understanding on campus and in the local community, and advance the interest of the international community and the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations.

Inherent in the ISSS mission are the tasks of protecting the privacy of international students and scholars, while at the same time promoting on and off-campus relationships that foster international appreciation and community connections. On occasion situations may arise that cause these objectives to be at odds. Nevertheless, the countless efforts by campus and community organizations to welcome international students are greatly appreciated and encouraged by ISSS. Therefore, to accomplish our goals and strike a balance between protecting privacy and fostering community, the following guidelines have been established to address the three primary types of information requests received by ISSS on a regular basis: 1) MU campus, 2) community and 3) research requests.

General Guidelines

1. ISSS will adhere to the University of Missouri-Columbia's established policy and guidelines on FERPA, not releasing any student record information, excluding federal Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) requirements, without the advance written consent of the student(s) and/or scholars.
2. ISSS communication priorities for MU international students and scholars will emphasize federal, state, local and institutional policy and procedural information that may have direct bearing on their well-being, particularly as it relates to their lawful immigration status.
3. At its discretion, ISSS will distribute non-commercial information on activities, events and programs that foster international understanding and promote student/scholar involvement in the campus and community.

MU Campus Requests

1. Individual requests (faculty, staff & students):
1. MU faculty, staff and students seeking to contact international students and/or scholars based on demographic characteristics, e.g. nationality, for the purposes of class assignments and non-commercial event announcements may make a request to have information distributed to the target population using the on-line request form.
2. All required fields on the form must be completed. The parameters for identifying the "targeted" population are limited to those listed on the on-line form.
3. ISSS will review each request and at its discretion, approve or deny the request. The decision will be communicated to the individual that submitted the on-line request form.
4. If approved, the information will be distributed within ten business days and a copy of the message will be sent to the requestor indicated on the form. Only one requestor or contact person should be indicated on the form.
2. Campus departments or student organizations:
1. MU campus departments or student organizations seeking to distribute non-commercial information to all currently enrolled international students may make a request using the on-line request form
2. Each department or recognized student organization is limited to one "notice" per month.
3. All required fields on the form must be completed. The parameters for identifying the "targeted" population are limited to those listed on the on-line form.
4. ISSS will review each request and at its discretion, approve or deny the request. The decision will be communicated to the individual that submitted the on-line form. Only one requestor or contact person should be indicated on the form.
5. Approved request(s) will be included in the monthly ISSS e-bulletin, which is usually distributed by the first week each month (August through May). Department and student organization notices will be grouped at the end of the regular ISSS announcements indicating the "sponsor" of the announcement.

Community Request

1. Individual requests:
1. Community members seeking to contact international students and/or scholars based on demographic characteristics, e.g. nationality, for the purposes of cultural interests, offers of home-stays or invitations to holiday celebrations, and non-commercial event announcements, may make a request to have information distributed to the target population using the on-line request form.
2. All required fields on the form must be completed. The parameters for identifying the "targeted" population are limited to those listed on the on-line form.
3. ISSS will review each request and at its discretion, approve or deny the request. The decision will be communicated to the individual that submitted the on-line form.
4. If approved, the information will be distributed within ten business days and a copy of the message will also be sent to the person submitting the request. Only one requestor or contact person should be indicated on the form.
2. Organization requests:
1. Non-profit community organizations seeking to distribute information to all currently enrolled international students for the purposes of fostering international understanding, building community connections and making international students feel welcomed to the United States, may make a request using the on-line request form.
2. Each community organization is limited to one "notice" per month.
3. All required fields on the form must be completed. The parameters for identifying the "targeted" population are limited to those listed on the on-line form.
4. ISSS will review each request and at its discretion, approve or deny the request. The decision will be communicated to the individual that submitted the on-line form. Only one requestor or contact person should be indicated on the form.
5. Approved request(s) will be included in the monthly ISSS e-bulletin, which is usually distributed by the first week each month (August through May). Community organization notices will be grouped at the end of the regular ISSS announcements indicating the "sponsor" of the announcement.

Research Request

Individuals and/or organizations on and off-campus that are engaged in research involving international students and scholars may request targeted distribution of email notices inviting voluntary participation in research:

1. The researcher must have approval of the MU Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research involving human subjects. A copy of the approved MU-IRB form must accompany a request to distribute the email notice for voluntary participation. Refer to the MU IRB website.
2. The P.I. must fill out the on-line request form.
3. ISSS will not act as an intermediary between the international students/scholars and the researcher.
4. No personally identifiable student/scholar information will be released to the researcher.
5. All required fields on the form must be completed. The parameters for identifying the "targeted" population are limited to those listed on the on-line form.
6. A check for $50 made payable to the University of Missouri-Columbia must be received by ISSS before the researcher's message will be distributed by email. The message will be sent only once. Additional requests for re-distribution of messages are $25 each and will not be sent until payment is received.