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MIT | ISO | International Students Office
ISO Newsletter
January 7, 2022
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Important Updates
Announcement sent to students from iso-broadcast@mit.edu on December 29, 2021

UPDATES
  1. Travel Restrictions to the U.S. from 8 Countries of Southern Africa REVOKED, effective December 31, 2021
  2. USDOS Extends Discretion for Consulates to Waive In-Person Visa Interviews For Certain Nonimmigrants Through End of 2022
  3. USCBP Lifts U.S.-Canada-Mexico “Non-Essential” Travel Restrictions at Land/Ferry Border Crossings, Requires Proof of Full COVID-19 Vaccination
  4. ISO Operating Remotely/Virtually During First Weeks of IAP
  5. MIT Announces COVID-19 Response Update for IAP (January 2022)
  6. ISO Travel Guidance – Fall/Winter Break 2021-2022
Travel signatures for Form I-20/Form DS-2019
  • *Note: You can leave the US without a travel signature; however, you will need a valid signature to re-enter (signed within the last 12 months)
  • Request new immigration form on iMIT
  • Go to "F-1 or J-1 Student Services" 
  • Choose "Request Replacement Form" (Reason: Travel signature)
  • Form I-20s will be emailed; Form DS-2019s will be mailed
Please check your Form I-20 on Page 2 (F visa holders) or Form DS-2019 (J visa holders) on Page 1 to be sure you have a travel validation signature signed within 12 months of your planned date of return to the U.S.  If you do not yet have a travel validation signature, or it will be older than 12 months, you can request in iMIT a new Form I-20/DS-2019 with travel signature.  Instructions are available on the ISO “Visas and Travel” webpage

Please note, you can leave the U.S. without a travel signature, but you will need one to re-enter the U.S. All Form I-20s will be emailed electronically to students; Form DS-2019s will be physically mailed.
MIT Establishes COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Requirement
Deadline is Friday, January 14, 2022
On December 13, 2021, MIT announced a requirement for all students, faculty, staff, and affiliates to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination booster, effective January 14, 2022. 

Details on the booster requirement can be viewed here on the MIT Now website. MIT has updated its Vaccine Information guidance on the MIT CovidApps webpage. 

Included on this page is an updated FAQ section that we recommend you review for more details. We have received questions from students about what they should do if they will be abroad or traveling and unable to get a booster prior to January 14, 2022. There is a specific FAQ on this issue, which is copied below:
Q: I can’t get a booster where I will be in January; can I get it when I return?
A: If at all possible, get your booster before you leave the area. MIT Medical is holding a series of booster clinics by appointment only. Register for an appointment using this form (Touchstone authentication required).
If you are able to get a vaccine booster after you return and before you access campus, be sure to upload proof to the Covid Vaccine application.
If you need to be on campus before you are able to get a booster, apply for a temporary exemption (see above).
READ MORE
ISO Virtual Forums: Travel Guidance - Presentation Slides/Recordings Available
Slides/recordings posted on our website
The presentation slides and recordings from the ISO Virtual Forums: Travel Guidance are now accessible on the Student Content Access Page (Kerberos login required).
The Forums were presented on November 23, December 2, and December 9.  The most recent session will include the current updates on government regulations and policies, but all sessions should be reviewed to see the pre-submitted questions provided by the community (the Pre-Submitted Questions are available towards the end of the slidedeck). The end of the recordings include additional questions submitted during the Forum by attendees and will vary based on the session.

If you have any questions about your specific travel plans or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your ISO Advisor.
ISO SPONSORED EVENTS - IAP 
[Video] New Years Traditions: From candles to yellow underwear

More than 3,000 of MIT’s students come from countries other than the U.S., bringing with them a variety of traditions for ringing in the new year. The International Students Association wishes everyone in the MIT community a joyful, peaceful 2022!

WATCH VIDEO HERE
 

MIT International Students Association: https://isa.mit.edu/

IAP: What Every International Student and Trainee Should Know about U.S. Employment
Wednesday, January 19
1pm to 2:30pm via Zoom
Registration required on Handshake
Dan Beaudry, former head of campus recruiting at Monster.com, shares the potent job search system used by many international students and trainees to find U.S. employment. H-1B’s are won in ways you likely don’t expect. What you’ll discover in this presentation may surprise you:
• Learn how to secure H-1B sponsorship at companies that have a policy against sponsoring H-1B visas.
• Learn why 80 percent of open jobs are never advertised – and how to find them before anyone else.
• Learn why human resources is often an obstacle instead of a conduit to finding a U.S. job-and how to bypass it.
• Learn why submitting résumés online is not an effective use of your time-and how you can better invest that time.

Dan’s programs at MIT have been very popular in years past. Find more information about him and his book, The International Student’s Guide to Finding a Job in the United States, at www.powerties.net. This CAPD event is open to MIT undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and alumni.

This event is sponsored by Career Advising & Professional Development, the Office of Graduate Education, the Office of the Vice President of Research, and the International Students Office.

Registration required on Handshake.
REGISTER
IAP: LCE Conversation Cafe and Games
Thursday, January 20
4pm
via Zoom

Registration required

Join us to meet other language enthusiasts, language learners, and native speakers of languages you’d like to practice. This is a great way to find a language partner! We are going to play games and enjoy some Bubble Tea.
 

Brought to you by the Language Conversation Exchange. Co-sponsored by ISO. Our program is open to MIT community members only.

REGISTER
IAP: Cooking With Antoinette
Thursday, January 20
12 pm
via Zoom
Register
Join ISO staff member Antoinette for her monthly cooking lessons.
You don't have to cook all the recipes, only what you are most interested in. Or just observe!
Open to international students and entire MIT community

This month, Antoinette will be teaching us how to cook a traditional Caribbean dish, Stew Curry Chicken Pelau

*See recipe flyer by clicking to enlarge

Sign up to receive reminders

Recurring Zoom link:
https://mit.zoom.us/j/92402061745
IAP: Declutter Your Mind and Tidy Up Your Job Search
Thursday, January 27
12 pm to 1pm via Zoom
Registration required on Handshake
"Marie Kondo" your upcoming US or international job search!

It’s no secret that job searching can be a long, and sometimes demoralizing slog. In this workshop, we will share tools* & best practices for the efficient and effective job search, so that you can finish the academic year strong while making serious progress on your goal of landing a job you love. By participating, you’ll effectively de-clutter your mental load while tidying up your career goals to-do list.

Following our tips & tricks, we'll turn on some music and build in time and support for you to start on the right foot.

*We will be sharing resources using Airtable. If you do not already have an Airtable account, it might help you to get a free account before joining this event.

This event is a collaboration between the International Students Office & Career Advising and Professional Development.
LCE: Conversation Groups
Join a small group for language practice and conversation exchange!

Our enthusiastic volunteers are leading small groups for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French and Portuguese/Spanish!

Find dates and times in our LCE Community Slack Space and by subscribing to our newsletter.  Interested in starting a group for another language? Reach out to the LCE team at .

If you are interested in another language, please fill out the form. We are also looking for new group leaders.

Link to interest Form here
MIT EVENTS & PROGRAMS - IAP
CAPD: IAP Career Exploration Series
Beginning Monday, January 10th

The IAP Career Exploration Series will begin on January 10th. More information on the CAPD Exploring Careers page.
 

Some of the events in the series include:


Guide to Food @MIT
The Food Security Action Team has shared guides to food @ MIT. Click on the flyers to access.
Free Hot Meals
Tuesdays in January 2022
6:30pm to 7:30pm
W11 Main Dining Room


Looking for food over IAP? Pick up a FREE hot meal in W11. Food prepared and served by MIT Origins Club, co-sponsored by MIT ORSELQuestions? contact sdasa@mit.edu.

Serving all MIT students; COVID Pass required

MIT CALENDAR LISTING
Writing and Communication Center: IAP 2022 Consultations
January 3rd - 28th, 9am - 6pm
Via Zoom
The Writing and Communication Center (WCC) is now open for consultations, which take place remotely during IAP 2022. We offer free one-on-one help with your written and oral work including research papers, fellowship applications, dissertations, and presentations. We provide support at all stages of the writing and communication process: from brainstorming to the final version. We can help you make progress through writer’s blocks including procrastination, perfectionism, demoralization, and imposter stress. To learn more about the WCC, check our website and make an appointment at https://mit.mywconline.com. Don’t delay; schedule today!
Ballroom Dance Classes

Sundays at 3:00pm to 5:00pm from January 9 to January 30

Building W20: Stratton Student Center, Lobdell

Come for some fun, energetic and free ballroom dancing classes this IAP, to practise social dancing with the MIT Ballroom Dance Club! We will go over the steps we have learned last semester, but we welcome attendees with all levels of ballroom dancing experience! No partner or special attire needed! We will cover Cha-Cha and Waltz the first two weeks, followed by Samba and Tango the following two weeks! MIT Covid Pass required for participation.

Introducing: Flipping Failure
Flipping Failure is a collection of stories told by MIT students about their path towards resilience when faced with a wide variety of challenges at MIT. Whether you are struggling to adjust to the culture in the United States or at MIT, bracing yourself for your first Boston winter, or stressed about final exams, know that you are not alone.

You may find many of the Flipping Failure stories valuable, and we especially encourage you to check out stories and coping strategies from Annie and Jessica, who share challenges they faced as international students at MIT.

Learn more here














ELS Classes for Spring
21W.219 Foundations of Academic and Professional Writing (ELS) 
Designed for high-intermediate ELS students to review and practice accurate grammar, effective sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, and word choice. Short weekly writing assignments utilizing students’ own research and other course work, with extensive revision required. May be repeated for credit. Limited to 18. No listeners. 
MW 5-6:30 p.m. (Graduate only) Irene Maksymjuk (imaksym@mit.edu)
 

21W.222 Expository Writing for Bilingual Students (ELS) 
Formulating, organizing, and presenting ideas clearly in writing. Reviews basic principles of rhetoric. Focuses on development of a topic, thesis, appropriate vocabulary choices, and sentence structure to achieve purpose. Develops idiomatic prose style. Gives attention to grammar and vocabulary usage. Special focus on strengthening skills of bilingual students. Intended to be taken during the student's first year at MIT. Limited to 15. 
TR 3:30-5 p.m. (Undergraduate only) Olivia Szabo (oliviasz@mit.edu)
 
21W.224 Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation (ELS) 
Designed for high-intermediate ELS students who wish or need to increase listening comprehension and speaking skills. Short speaking and listening assignments with extensive exercises in comprehension, pronunciation, stress and intonation, and expression of ideas. Frequent video and audio recording for analysis and feedback. Enrollment limited to 18 per section. No listeners. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. 
TR 5-6:30 p.m. (Graduate only.) Olivia Szabo (oliviasz@mit.edu)
 
21W.225/226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering (ELS) 
Designed for advanced ELS or bilingual students. Analysis and practice of various forms of scientific and technical writing for academic and professional contexts. Strategies for conveying technical information to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Students use their own disciplinary research as content for assignments, e.g., a journal article, thesis proposal, or dissertation chapter. Enrollment limited to 18. No listeners. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. 
TR 9-10:30 Eric Grunwald egrunwal@mit.edu
 
21W.227/228 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Social Sciences and Architecture (ELS
Focuses on techniques, formats, and prose used in academic and professional life with emphasis on fields such as economics, political science, and architecture. Short assignments include business letters, memos, and proposals that lead toward a written term project. Methods are designed to accommodate those whose first language is not English. Models, materials, topics, and assignments vary from term to term. Placement test or permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor. Enrollment limited to 18. No listeners. 
MW 9-10:30 a.m., MW 12:30-2 p.m. AC Kemp (ackemp@mit.edu)
 
21W.232/233 Advanced Speaking & Critical Listening Skills (ELS) 
Designed for advanced ESL and bilingual students who wish to build confidence and skills in presenting and understanding material in a variety of professional contexts: group discussions, classroom teaching and interactions, and conference talks. Frequent video and audio recording for analysis and feedback. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. Limited to 15 per section. 
MW 3:30-5 p.m. Irene Maksymjuk (imaksym@mit.edu)  
 
21G.237 MIT Out Loud: Public Speaking for Bilingual Students
Develops oral communication skills for bilingual students through the lens of the MIT experience. Speaking assignments in informative and persuasive speech forms draw on examples of popular culture and MIT touchstones such as “alternative” campus tours, MIT 100K pitches and TED talks. Explores the role of voice and body language through improvisation and impromptus. Focuses on spoken accuracy and vocabulary through oral exercises designed for bilingual students. Frequent video-recording will be used for self-evaluation. No listeners.  
TR 3-4:30 (u.g. credit only) A. C. Kemp ackemp@mit.edu
 
21W.240 Imagining English: Creative Writing for Bilingual Students (ELS)
Instruction for bilingual students in writing short stories and poems in English. Study of skills, revision, and creativity, and close reading of important works by American, British, and non-native writers writing in English. Analysis of “the limits of English” through group discussions of students’ writing to distinguish linguistic freshness from grammatical incorrectness, with review of relevant rules. Includes academic and non-academic vocabulary building, a formal writing process, literary analysis essays, short translations to and from students’ native languages, and the workshopping of creative work. Enrollment limited to 18. HASS-A.
TR 1-2:30 p.m. (u.g. credit only)  Eric Grunwald egrunwal@mit.edu

---------------------------
Concentration in English Language Studies (ELS)
Two options exist for completing a concentration in ELS:
  • Complete any three ELS subjects (one of which may be 21W.222)
  • Complete two ELS subjects and a third class in a closely related subject area, for example,
    • MIT Out Loud: Public Speaking for Bilingual Students (21W.237),
    • The Linguistic Study of Bilingualism (21W.024), and 
    • Other subject, with approval by the concentration advisor.
 
For more information on concentrating in English Language Studies, contact ELS Interim Director Eric Grunwald at egrunwal@mit.edu.
Wellness Events & Resources




Know Your Resources!
  • ask.mit - https://ask.mit.edu/ You shouldn’t have to think about where to turn for help. Just ask. Leave a question and a Student Support and Wellbeing team member will get back to you within 1 business day.
  DoingWell was developed to empower students to prioritize their wellbeing. Prioritizing your wellbeing is a journey that looks different for everyone and what works for you one day might need to change another day. What’s most important is that it’s what YOU need. Sometimes, DoingWell means reaching out for support because you’re not feeling good or need help. Other times, DoingWell means going for your weekly run or writing in your journal. This website serves as a place for all MIT students – undergraduate and graduate – to access resources that help you prioritize your wellbeing and get support.
Explore Boston
Boston Symphony Orchestra MIT Discount
Subsidized $5 BSO College Cards are now available for MIT students! This program is supported by the Bobko BSO Ticket Fund. With a BSO College Card, students can reserve free tickets to Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts each week during the entire 2021-22 season. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test required—make sure to review the BSO public health policy: Safe in Sound.
The Boston Calendar
Even though it's winter, there is still plenty to do in Boston! Check the Boston Calendar for free and cheap events around the city.

10 places to go sledding around Boston

50 things to do in Boston this weekend
3,313 People In Movie Theater Illustrations & Clip Art - iStock
Movies at a Discount!
Visit the MIT Activities Committee at the Stata Center from Tues-Fri 12-4pm to pick up tickets in person!

Get your discounted tickets for almost all movie theaters in the area through MITAC.
Kendall Square Cinema 
AMC Theater in downtown Boston
Regal Cinemas in Fenway
Brattle Theater in Harvard Square
Museum of Science Omni IMAX
and more!
 
  • $7 TUESDAY MOVIES at Kendall Square
Watch with an even greater deal on $7 Tuesdays at Kendall Square Cinema
MIT International Students Office
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Office Hours:
9:00-16:00 (M-F)
Closed (W) 10:00-11:30
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