Author Archives: Stephanie Trottier

Power in Diversity Leadership Conference

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St. Cloud State University’s Multicultural Student Services presents the 13th annual Power in Diversity Leadership Conference — Emerging from the Pandemic: Resilience and Reinvention — Jan. 27-29.

This year’s conference is offered both in-person and virtual. It is focused around hope and the future despite the challenges that we have been through and may remain. The conference provides a space for exploration and facilitation of these discussions and supports the personal growth and leadership skill development of college students of color and underrepresented students. Continue reading

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

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On Jan. 28, St. Cloud State University is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Atwood Memorial Center lower level. We’re partnering with CentraCare, Stearns, Sherburne and Benton counties to offer COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots. Pfizer vaccines will be administered for both a primary series vaccine and boosters.

For the Husky community, walk-ins are welcome but look for a sign-up link via email soon.

This event will be open to the public — between 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Appointments will also be available for participants of the Power and Diversity Conference between 1-4 p.m. —  more information will be shared with conference registrants.

Please monitor your email and University social media channels for updates.

Free COVID Testing

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SCSU will be holding a walk-in saliva-testing event open to any faculty, staff and students who wish to be tested from 1-4 p.m. Jan. 11 in the Husky Den located in Garvey Commons.

Specifically, MDH recommends the following people get tested for COVID-19:

  • Anyone who has any symptoms.
  • Anyone who has had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Anyone traveling or returning from travel.
  • Anyone who has attended a high-risk event.
  • Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and works in close contact with a lot of people.
  • Anyone who is not fully vaccinated and participates in in-person childcare, school, extracurricular activities, or sporting activities.
  • People with immunocompromising conditions, even if fully vaccinated.
  • Anyone who has been asked or referred to get tested by their health care provider or state, tribal, local, or territorial health department.

For testing in the community options include ordering a take home test or find a testing site via this link: COVID-19 Testing – Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)

St. Cloud State University’s goal is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff while our students are able to realize their educational goals. With your help of getting vaccinated or a booster shot, staying home if you’re feeling ill, and testing if you meet the MDH testing recommendations, we can provide a safe and regular schedule of operations and activities for our students.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Application Change

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A message from United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS):

As of Nov. 29, all applicants eligible to file for TPS under one of the current designations may file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online. The following countries are currently designated for TPS:

  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • El Salvador
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Nepal
  • Nicaragua
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen

First-time TPS applicants and TPS beneficiaries who are re-registering may apply for TPS online. Applicants can request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a completed Form I-765 with their Form I-821, or may submit their Form I-765 separately later. However, filing both forms together may help applicants receive their EAD more promptly.

To file Form I-821 online, eligible TPS applicants should visit our myUSCIS page to log into or create a USCIS online account. This free account offers a variety of features, including the ability to communicate with us about their application through a secure inbox.

Background
Previously, the option to file Form I-821 online was only available to initial TPS applicants from certain countries. Offering online filing for all TPS applicants allows us to continue making the process of applying for immigration benefits more efficient, secure, and convenient for more applicants.

Applicants who file a paper Form I-821, or any other USCIS form, may still create an online account to track the status of their form throughout the adjudication process, even if they did not file the form online. Applicants who file by paper can reference the Account Access Notice that we mailed to them for details on how to link their cases to their online account.

For the most current information related to TPS, visit our TPS page. For more information on the 12 forms available to file online, visit our Forms Available to File Online page.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Croatia: Reflections 4 years later

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By: Logan Kludt

I studied abroad on the Croatia Biology program in Rijeka, Croatia during the summer of 2017. While overseas, I primarily studied immunology with my classmates and graduate students from SCSU at the University of Rijeka. The primary reason I was able to study abroad, was because the opportunity allowed me to graduate a semester early. As someone who relied heavily on scholarships and financial aid, this was an important detail in my decision to study abroad.

Photo taken at Plitvice National Park. Photo shows (from L to R) Logan Kludt Lawrence, SCSU 17′ Alumna; Ana Mihatovic, University of Rijeka Alumna; Andrea Majstorovic, University of Rijeka Alumna.

While it’s been a handful of years since this endeavor, I reflect fondly over the experience. One of the most valuable experiences I had was being able to complete group work with a mixture of American and Croatian students, where everyone was motivated to do efficient and quality work, with the primary purpose to learn. I still stay in contact with the individuals I closely worked with, and it was a fantastic way to build friendships.

Photo taken in Smiljan, Croatia at Nikoli Tesla’s birthplace. Photo shows (L to R) Logan Kludt Lawrence (SCSU ’17), Erica Rehnblom (SCSU ’18), Dee Yang (SCSU ’17), and Katherine Schimnich (SCUS ’18).

In addition, Croatia is an absolutely beautiful and remarkable country. The SCSU faculty leader that led this program, Dr. Marina Cetkovic-Cvrlje, grew up in Croatia; she was an outstanding host and teacher while visiting. My favorite non-academic excursions were visiting Nikoli Tesla’s birthplace and exploring Plitvice National Park.

Logan participated in the Croatia Biology Summer program.

W-9 Forms

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Many students recently received a notice from the State of Minnesota requesting either Social Security (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN) information (specifically a W-9S form). This form is sent out annually in a courtesy effort to anyone for whom University records does not have said information on file. Here is some clarity and context:

Is the form real and do I need to take action?
Recipients are understandably cautious when asked for personally identifiable information like SSN or TIN. The W-9S form you received is indeed accurate and sent out from the State of Minnesota in accordance with tax laws and securing necessary information.

Who needs to fill out the form?
Returning the W-9S form is only necessary if you intend to include tuition paid in any upcoming tax return. Since tuition paid information is distributed at the start of every calendar year (via the standard 1098-T form), if your record does not include SSN or TIN information you would not receive the 1098-T form properly.

As such, if you do not intend to include tuition paid information or will not be filing tax return information, no action is needed.

Is the form really due back 10 days after I receive it?
The W-9S form outlines “return to the requestor’s address within 10 days of receipt,” which understandably yet unnecessarily creates a potential sense of unease or panic in the recipient.  Please note there is no 10 day return requirement.

When is the form actually due?
Should you wish to include tuition paid on a 2021 tax return next year, the window for having your SSN or TIN on file is December 31, 2021, to ensure receipt of the 1098-T form in January/February (although you can still update through March 2022 in order to file taxes by the standard April deadline).

The form contains helpful information beyond this summary, so please review accordingly.

Landmarks.

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Landmarks.

By: Jack Newman

Why should you use landmarks?

Whether you plan to travel on foot or by car, using landmarks is a great way to not get lost. When I traveled around England and Scotland I mostly walked to my destinations. I did not have an international plan on my phone so I tried to use my data wisely as it was quite expensive to turn on. I was able to make my way around by using landmarks around the city. These can be both large and small structures – the key is to find something that helps you remember your path. I use large structures to get a sense of where I am in the city or town.

Jack studied abroad to St. Cloud State at Alnwick during the Spring 2020 semester.

For example: Edinburgh Castle. In Edinburgh, it is very easy to see Edinburgh Castle from wherever you are. Just look up! You should see the castle in the city center. From there, I could roughly see where I was in the city. In the case of Edinburgh, the train station is very close to the castle so following it will lead you to transportation.

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Spring Registration

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This is a reminder that January 14 was the last day to add/drop classes for the spring 2022 semester. If you need to register for classes now, you should contact the course instructors for approval.

Also, please remember that if you have a hold on your account, you will not be able to register for classes. Below are some holds commonly found on international students’ accounts and instructions for removing them:

Insurance Hold

You will have an Insurance Hold on your account if you submitted only a partial payment for this year’s international student health insurance.

To remove the hold, you should pay the remaining balance of your insurance fee ($1,167, if you paid the initial $760) through one of the following methods:

  • Online through e-Services: stcloudstate.edu (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, or E-Check accepted). Please select “Health Insurance”
  • By Phone: Call Cashiers Office at 1-320-308-4012 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday: Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express accepted.
  • In Person: Administrative Services Building, Room 123 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you believe your Insurance Hold was placed in error, please contact our CIS accountant, Kim Gregory at kkgregory@stcloudstate.edu for assistance.

Unpaid Balance Hold: You will have an Unpaid Balance Hold if you have an outstanding balance of $4000 or more.

To remove the hold, you should pay down your balance to at least $4000 through one of the following methods:

  • Online through e-Services: stcloudstate.edu (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, or E-Check accepted). Please select “Health Insurance”
  • By Phone: Call Cashiers Office at 1-320-308-4012 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday: Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express accepted.
  • In Person: Administrative Services Building, Room 123 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you believe your Unpaid Balance Hold was placed in error, please contact Business Services at businessbilling@stcloudstate.edu for assistance.

ARP Funds

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Most degree-seeking undergraduate- and graduate-level international students enrolled in 6 credits or more have received an email from Financial Aid notifying them of their eligibility for funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). ARP is a federal law that provides money to students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn.

ARP requires that the money distributed to eligible students is used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.

Based on distribution guidelines instructing SCSU to prioritize the distribution of these funds to those with financial need, eligible students will be receiving $750 in ARP funds. They should expect to receive the funds in a little over a week. If you have direct deposit, your funds will be automatically added to your account. If you do not, Financial Aid will send you a check in the mail to your local address on file with the University. Please check E-Services to set up direct deposit, apply the funds directly to your student account, or confirm that your local address information is correct.

Please note, these funds are grant assistance that does not need to be repaid. If you have any questions about your grant money, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 320-308-2047 or by email at Financialaid@stcloudstate.edu.

HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 3: Lost in Malaysia

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HMoob (Hmong) around the World Part 3: Lost in Malaysia

By: Kevin Phoojywg Xiong

Kevin in Vientiane, Laos (Winter Break 2018)

Hi! My name is Kevin Phoojywg Xiong and I went on the Laos, Thailand, Malaysia (LTM) Winter Break 2018 study abroad program. Every year, I would be encouraged to go by friends who had gone before. In 2018, it was my 4th year at SCSU and I felt it was my time. Some main reasons I wanted to participate on the LTM experience was because I had grown to love making curry and this was an opportunity to eat authentic curry in other countries. Also, my parents and grandparents were born in Laos and Thailand. Although times have changed, I was interested in speaking with other Hmong kids my age who grew up in a different culture, and who were born in another country.

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