Thursday, April 13, 2017

PIER NEWSLETTER: APRIL 10, 2017

In This Issue:
·         PIER Announcements
·         Next PIER Meeting
·         US Consulate Tour
·         PIER Travel Grant
·         NAFSA Volunteer Opportunities
·         SEVP InFocus Webinar       
·         PIER Meeting Dates

PIER Announcements

Dear PIER Members,

We hope your spring quarter is off to a great start.  The PIER Board writes to remind you of some exciting opportunities which are available this spring.  Are you interested in learning more about visa issuance process or attending the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference? 

PIER is still accepting applicants for the upcoming tour of the U.S. Consulate, Tijuana scheduled for Thursday, April 27, 2017.  Apply now for the U.S. Consulate tour (see details below).  The deadline to apply is this Friday, April 14, 2017.   

The PIER Travel Grant Application to attend the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California is OPEN.  PIER will award two $300.00 grants to attend the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California to support registration/travel/lodging/meals expenses.  APPLY Now.  Application Deadline: April 21, 2017. 

 We hope you take advantage of this event and opportunity. Our next PIER meeting is Friday, April 21, 2017 from 2pm – 4pm at the University of San Diego.  The meeting agenda will be to follow.

Save the Date for the next PIER Meeting: Friday, April 21, 2017
Date: April 21, 2017
Location: University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Please see Agenda and Directions (attachment).

Meeting Agenda Items:  This is a call for meeting agenda items.  Please email PIER at piergroupsd@gmail.com by April 17, 2017 with any hot topic items are interested in including to the agenda. 

U.S. Consulate Tour, April 27, 2017: Application is Now Open

PIER is excited to invite you for a tour of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico on Thursday, April 27, 2017.  Space is limited, so sign-up today.

• WHERE: We will depart as a group from the San Diego Old Town Transit Center (4005 Taylor Street, San Diego, CA 92110) public parking lot and travel by charter bus to the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico.

• WHAT: A two hour tour of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico, including an informational presentation by a U.S. Consular Agent.

• WHEN: Thursday, April 27, 2017 from 8am – 4pm

• COST: $30. INCLUDES: Round trip bus transportation from San Diego Old Town Transit Center to the U.S. Consulate and back to the SD Old Town Transit Center.

• IMPORTANT: In order to participate, you must have a valid U.S. passport or permanent resident card (Form I-551). Documents will be required for entry to the U.S. Consulate and for re-entry through the port of entry). Those with a permanent resident card must also have either of the following: U.S. driver license; U.S. or foreign passport; Foreign national ID with photo; or U.S. Government issued photo ID (includes U.S. Military ID).

• HOW TO SIGN-UP: Submit the online application at: https://piersandiego.wufoo.com/forms/m1vm7trw01ujkda/ and application fee by no later than April 14, 2017. Registration closes April 14, 2017, but spaces will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. Space is limited, so sign-up today.

• HOW TO PAY FEE: After submitting your PIER Consulate Tour application, you will receive a statement and a separate email from PayPal requesting your payment of $30.00 to PIER. A PayPal account is not necessary to make a payment. If you choose not to use PayPal, you may pay by check: Mailing instructions to follow. Payment is due no later than April 14, 2017. Payment is non-refundable.

* All applicants must be current PIER members for the 2016-2017 membership year. If you are not currently a PIER member, please submit your complete PIER application and $15.00 dues prior to submission of this application. To access the current PIER Membership form, please go to: https://goo.gl/kx5MjV 

We look forward to having you join us.

PIER Travel Grant Application is Now Open

PIER will award two $300.00 grants to attend the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California to support registration/travel/lodging/meals expenses. PIER is pleased to offer travel grants on a competitive basis for members to participate in NAFSA Conferences. These conferences provide an opportunity for international educators to acquire and exchange information and provide an excellent way to begin building a personal network of contacts in the field of international education.

Travel Grant Information
PIER will award two $300.00 grants to attend the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California to support registration/travel/lodging/meals expenses.

Eligibility
Applicants must be current members of PIER or become a member prior to the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference.

Travel Grant Recipient Responsibilities
PIER requires each individual who accepts the PIER Travel Grant to present a 15-minute or longer presentation to the PIER members on Friday, June 23, 2017 at the PIER Meeting at Mira Costa College. The PIER Board will mail full presentation details and requirements to the award recipients.

Application Procedures and Award Timeline
Please complete the PIER Travel Grant application at: https://form.jotform.us/PIERSanDiego/70677739879178 and submit with your statement of objective and letter of recommendation no later than 11:59 p.m. April 21, 2017.

PIER will award Travel Grant funds no earlier than June 23, 2017. Recipients must submit receipts prior to fund distribution. The PIER Board will mail full details and requirements to the award recipients.

NAFSA Volunteer Opportunities

NAFSA is actively looking for people to volunteer at our upcoming National Conference in LA this May (we need more than 200 volunteers to help make this a successful conference!).  This is a great way for you to do some networking and get more involved with NAFSA.  Also, for people who volunteer 20 – 40 hours, you will receive a partial to full reimbursement of your conference registration fee!  Reimbursements are processed about 4-6 weeks after the conference.

Hours
40 or more
100% reimbursement
30-39
75% reimbursement
20-29
50% reimbursement
1-19
No reimbursement


If you would like to volunteer, you need to register at www.shiftboard.com/nafsa.  Once you have registered, you will be able to select the areas and hours you would like to volunteer.  I would recommend checking back frequently as people will continue to add and drop hours so, more shifts may become available.

You can also get more information by visiting:  http://www.nafsa.org/Annual_Conference/Registration/Volunteering/ 

If you have any questions, please contact Angie Keam or Kerry Gonzales at nafsavolunteers@gmail.com.

SEVP InFocus Webinar: April 12, 2017, 2 to 3 p.m. EDT

Webinar overview:
This webinar will discuss the latest program news and updates affecting SEVP certified schools and international
students, including information about planned SEVIS enhancements and new resources on Study in the States.

Audience:
The webinar is designed for DSOs and those with an interest in SEVP news and information.

Access the webinar:
For more information please visit: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/stakeholder-webinars. You can access
the webinar using the following link—no registration required: http://sevp.adobeconnect.com/InFocus

PIER Meeting Future Dates

Please save the date for our next regular” PIER meetings and visit our website www.piergroup.org for the most up to date information with locations, dates and agendas.

Date: April 21, 2017
Location: University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Time: 2:00 pm

Date: June 23, 2017
Location: Mira Costa College, San Elijo Campus
3333 Manchester Ave.
Cardiff, CA 92007
Time: 2:00 pm

Do you have an item or job posting you would like to post in the PIER newsletter that is valuable to PIER members? Please email piergroupsd@gmail.com with your inquiry. Thank you. The PIER Board reserves the right to edit content.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PIER Board

Chair - Eric Abutin, National University
Chair-Elect Rhonaliza Reyes, University of San Diego
Treasurer Vanessa Fennell, Stafford House San Diego
Membership Coordinator Mia Scavone, Mira Costa College
Communications Coordinator John Akapito, National University