International Center

April International Student Bulletin

Important updates for F and J student visa holders

April 10, 2012

Please take a few minutes to read the updates and announcements below for F and J student visa holders. 

• International student news
• International student workshops
• MU and Community Announcements

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International student news

Graduating in May? 

• After graduating, F-1 students have a 60-day grace period and J-1 students have a 30-day grace period where they can remain in the U.S. to prepare to exit the U.S., change status, apply for Optional Practical Training, or begin a new academic program.
• If you would like to start OPT this summer, you can apply now! 
  • Check out the OPT section of the International Center website. 
  • Attend a mandatory OPT workshop (schedule included below).
  • Once you have completed both of these steps, you may schedule an appointment with an international student adviser to discuss OPT.

Free American Football Event with MU Athletics! Experience what it's like to be an MU football player by attending this free event on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Registration is required for participation, so please RSVP to isss@missouri.edu if you would like to participate. The event will give international students the opportunity to meet MU football coaches and student athletes, tour the athletics training facility, practice drills on Faurot Field, and enjoy a tailgate lunch in the press box.

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International student workshops

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Workshops. All F-1 students interested in applying for OPT work authorization are required to attend one of the upcoming mandatory OPT workshops. Workshops are scheduled once a week and will take place at the International Center. Participants will learn about the benefits of OPT and how to apply.

• Thursdays, from 4-5 p.m. (April 19, May 3, May 17, May 31)
• Wednesdays, from 10–11 a.m. (April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23)

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MU and community announcements

Multicultural Hour (MCH). Hosted by the Asian Affairs Center, this is a weekly informal discussion where international students and visiting scholars are invited to interact with Americans. Join us every Thursday in Memorial Union S204 from 4-5 p.m. Find us on Facebook page at Multicultural Hour.  MCH event Schedule for April:

• 4/12 – International Business: Opportunity and Threat 
• 4/19 – Find a Job or Apply for Graduate School
• 4/26 – Special Event: SongKran Festival by Thai Student Association

Need a ride to Wal-Mart? We are Missio Dei, a campus ministry at Mizzou, and we will be providing free shuttle rides for any international students to Wal-Mart on Sundays. We will be available in the International Center in Memorial Union starting at 11 a.m. and will be shuttling back and forth until 1 p.m. We look forward to assisting you and getting to know you better! If you have any questions please email Jacob Pollard at jwprh7@mail.missouri.edu.

Beta Upsilon Chi Presents the 2012 Island Party! This FREE event will be held on the South Quad (by the bronze tiger) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. Jeff Bethke will be speaking, former Mizzou Student "DaMac" will be rapping on stage, and there will be plenty of music for a good time. Drinks will be provided. All you need to do is bring yourselves and your friends for a fun time.

Grand Songkran’s Festival 2012 by Thai Student Association. Do you want to experience and know more about Thailand, Thai culture and authentic Thai food? If so, this event is just right for you. The Thai Student Association is bringing Thailand to the people at Mizzou on April 26, 2012 at Carnahan (South) Quad or rain site at South Plaza of Jesse Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come join us for free authentic Thai food for tasting, games, artifact exhibitions and much more!

MSA seeks volunteers for food pantry. Tiger Pantry is a new MSA project, establishing a campus food pantry available to all of students, staff, and faculty that would find use of it in emergency situations. As a university, we sit at a census tract where 50% of our populations lies at 185% poverty and below, we have graduate students that are single parents and make $10,000 a year, staff members that make very low salaries and need to support families, and a large population of international students that are not even allowed to utilize other avenues of assistance like local food pantries or banks due to government restrictions. MSA is seeking 6 student coordinators of different aspects of the pantry (Operations, Marketing, Sustainability, Volunteer, Assessment). All of the information including the job descriptions of the individual coordinators and the online application can be found online.

MISC accepting applications for 2012-2013 executive board. The Missouri International Student Council is a student organization at MU that works in collaboration with other cultural student organizations to globalize our campus through the volunteerism of most of the international student communities. MISC organizes events that provide a platform of communication for students' voices and the broader community, as well as promote the success of culturally diverse partner organizations in order to bring global awareness to MU. To apply, send the application to joinMISC@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 16.