Hello, and welcome to UIS! Once you’ve settled in, please take some to review our website, as it has several resources that you will find helpful during your time here—like information about travel while on F1, information about employment, and much more. For your online orientation, please review the following information in detail.
Need to know
Review all of these sites for mandatory orientation.
Maintaining F1 status – The immigration specialists in our office can answer your questions regarding your status.
Title IX
“Title IX is a law that requires all educational institutions in the United States receiving federal funding to remove barriers and provide equal opportunity on the basis of sex or gender.” For more information on this law and how it affects you, please review the Title IX site.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
“No one under the age of twenty-one may store, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages on any property under the control of the university, including campus housing. Persons of legal drinking age – age twenty-one years or older – may possess or consume alcoholic beverages only in areas or at functions specifically designated or approved for such use.” Please review the rest of the drug and alcohol policy (PDF) for important federal laws and how they apply to you.
Academic Integrity Policy
Ideas about plagiarism vary across cultures. Make sure you are aware of the academic expectations of your professors here in the US. Here is some helpful information about plagiarism. Please also review the university policy on academic integrity. If you have questions about academic integrity, please ask your instructors for clarification.
Campus Safety
Please familiarize yourself with the local laws, and the information provided on Campus Safety by the Campus Police. They may be different and/or have different consequences from your home country. For example, in Illinois, you may not drink alcohol if you are under 21 years old. Also, the laws for drunken driving are very strict in Illinois. You should never drive while under the influence of alcohol. UIS has its own police unit. Please view their website for university policies and state laws.
Health Services
Review the campus Health Services website. Pay special attention to the information regarding required immunizations for incoming students.
Student Insurance
Please review the Health Services site pertaining to student insurance. Health Services is the department to contact if you have any questions or concerns regarding your student insurance.
USFSCO
University Student Financial Services and Cashier Operations—for questions about and information regarding student accounts and billing procedures, please review this site.
Stay Safe in the US
Study in the States has shared campus safety tips for international students.
I-94
Here is information detailing how to access your I-94 (PDF). If you have trouble finding your I-94, follow the directions provided in the I-94 Not Found PDF.
Good to Know
Once you’ve settled in after your first week, please review the following sites for valuable information about your time here at UIS.
Bookstore
The UIS Bookstore offers one-stop shopping for all your books, supplies, and UIS apparel. The bookstore will buy back most textbooks at the end of each semester for a percentage of the original price. The UIS Bookstore is located on the first floor of the Public Affairs Center. Visit their website for additional information.
Campus Food Services
For information on the dining options and hours of operation on campus, please see the Dining site.
Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation offers activities, equipment, facilities, and services to enhance your mind, body, and spirit. The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) is a gym available for all UIS students (bring your i-card for admittance), which has a running track, racquet ball/squash courts, weight machines, and more. Check out the recreational sports website for more information.
Career Development
Familiarize yourself with the Career Development Center. They frequently hold workshops that are beneficial to students seeking employment.
Counseling Center
“Confidential counseling is provided to address the personal concerns of students in a safe and private environment. The Center facilitates the academic progress of students by providing counseling and outreach programming that address issues of concern to students including stress and time management, depression, substance abuse, conflict resolution, communication skills and relationship concerns.” Please know that there is a Counseling Center on campus available to you if you need someone to talk to.
Get Involved
For information on student organizations, events on campus, and other ways to engage in activities on campus, check out the Student Life website. There are a number of student organizations at UIS of interest to international students. The International Student Association is open to all UIS students interested in international affairs, campus life, and other cultures. Other organizations serve primarily to provide fellowship and support to students from one particular country or region of the world. Still others provide opportunities to practice a particular language or to explore international political relations. All international students are encouraged to participate in any and all of these in order to maintain their ties to their native cultures and to learn from and share with each other our common needs and aspirations. See the Student Life website for a listing of all Student Organizations.
Student Life also offers numerous events and activities throughout the year. Look for announcements about these in your campus email and on posters throughout campus.
Graduate Assistantships
Many students wish to obtain a Graduate Assistantship while attending UIS. If you are interested in seeking a GA position, please review the information posted on this site.
Graduate Public Service Internships
UIS’ unique GPSI program “secures public sector experiential internships that afford top flight graduate students with the opportunity to integrate the academic classroom with real world learning.” If you are interested in an opportunity to hold an internship in the public sector, please review the GPSI site.
Student Handbook
The Student Handbook provides reference materials for questions regarding academics, student affairs, arts and entertainment, athletics, food and dining, among other areas.
The Learning Hub
“The Learning Hub offers free academic support services to currently enrolled UIS students. Through a peer tutoring program, The Hub offers one-to-one appointments—both in-person and online—in writing, math, accounting, economics, science, and academic skills. In addition to peer tutoring, The Hub offers supplemental instruction; online, on-ground, and in-class workshops; walk-in writing assistance; and additional support materials hosted on our website.” Be sure to make use of The Learning Hub for academic support.