De Anza ISP

Dear International Students,

On July 6, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued changes in guidance that modify the exceptions to regulations that were put in place due to COVID-19 for the Spring and Summer 2020 quarters.

Over the past four days, we have been working tirelessly to gather information, consult with our peer institutions, and with Foothill-De Anza District administration, to brainstorm student-friendly options. We also have to carefully consider how each option will fulfill the new SEVP F-1 requirements for Fall 2020.

The language in the SEVP memo is ambiguous and we will continue to gather information. Here is what we know as of today:
You will have options available that will allow you to continue your studies at Foothill or De Anza
Both Foothill and De Anza will be offering hybrid classes in the Fall of 2020, and thus meet SEVP’s definition of hybrid

What does this mean for me?
F-1 Students studying in the U.S.
If you wish to remain in the U.S., you will have the option to register for a hybrid class to meet the SEVP F-1 requirements. We will have the course options necessary for you to maintain your F-1 status. We will follow up with information regarding which classes you can add to fulfill the hybrid course requirement.
F-1 Students studying outside the U.S.
You can register for and take Fall 2020 classes from abroad regardless of whether you are in F-1 status or not. The SEVP guidance is still unclear regarding the details of maintaining your F-1 status during Fall 2020. We are continuing to seek clarification and will be back in touch with more details soon. In the meantime, we will not do anything to your SEVIS record. We will continue to be here to support you and to keep you updated.

We also want to reaffirm that the administration, faculty, staff, and students at the Foothill-De Anza District stand together with our international students and condemn this profoundly troubling and xenophobic policy. In addition to taking steps to assist our students, the District is actively advocating against this unjust requirement. Earlier today, Chancellor Dr. Judy C. Miner, announced that the District has joined an amicus brief in support of the Harvard/MIT suit, challenging the SEVP/ICE rule. The leaders of California’s public system of higher education are also filing suit against the Trump administration. You can read additional messages of support from our Chancellor and the Presidents of both colleges here.

We recognize that many of you are far from home and may feel isolated. We are here to offer our support. We understand that many of you will have further questions and concerns during this stressful time and we will continue to have opportunities for you to connect with us. You have always been, and will continue to be, welcome here.

In Solidarity,
Foothill-De Anza International Student Programs (ISP)

Hello Everyone!
In advance of tomorrow's town hall meeting for current international students, we wanted to share messages of support for F-1 students from the Foothill-De Anza District leadership, including Chancellor Dr. Judy Miner and De Anza President Lloyd Holmes. We value you and appreciate you!

http://international.fhda.edu/message.html

Message of Support for International Students

Dear Students, please see the link below for important updates and FAQs for F-1 students related to COVID-19.

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions and continue to check your email and the De Anza College website for important updates!

Two major updates:
- De Anza College will be holding classes using virtual methods for the remainder of the academic year, through the spring 2020 quarter.
- If you are a continuing F-1 student and register for at least 12 units in the spring 2020 quarter, you will remain in F-1 status, even if you decide to return to your home country.

https://fhdainternational.box.com/s/5lf4nm2t6rf0dwfcfnhno88pddvgdmyn

Box

Join us in celebrating Black History Month as we welcome multifaceted educator and advocate Ericka Huggins for a talk this Thursday, Feb. 20, from 1:30-3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B. You won't want to miss this event hosted by the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Yesterday's 🌈 over campus was beautiful to see, but it's also nice to have some ☀️ leading into the long weekend. Campus is closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Yeaaay! 🎊 The End of Year Celebration is tomorrow!
Please join us for appetizers 🍪🍰 and ice cream🍦 as we celebrate our ISP students moving on to the next exciting chapter of their lives! We hope to see you there 😊

Meet Denica Kelly for today’s . This is her third year working at as an International Student Counselor.

When we asked her about the international students here and the advice she would give them, she answered, “We have a very diverse group of students, each are unique and different but generally, I think they’re super hard working and focused on their goals. They add special perspective to our campus just by being in the classroom and contributing to discussions and group work. The advice I would give them is to always plan ahead, at least for the upcoming quarter or the year, but on the other hand, to always be prepared if it doesn’t happen accordingly and to be flexible with different circumstances. So plan for the best but be ready for changes and know that there are a lot of people here to help and support you.”

For meet Debopam Chatterjee from India. 🇮🇳 He is in his third quarter majoring in English at and he also works at the dining services.

D says that he loves the atmosphere at De Anza and is very grateful for the people that he met there but most of all, his job. He got the job when he was in need of money and now he’s financially self reliant and can pay his rent and bills on his own. Say hi 👋 to D if you see him there. 😁

Meet Julie Wilson for today’s . This is her third year, teaching EWRT and Reading classes at . 📕

When we asked her thoughts on the international students here, she said, “I’ve noticed international students to be more focused on their academics, coming to class, and doing the work. I’ve also noticed cultural differences, what I usually do in my class is I have students talk to a partner before any assignments, but I’ve had some students who just won’t talk, so I would push them to speak. I later realized that those student weren’t quite because they’re not interested, they were quiet because of their culture and what they’re accustomed to. So, it was a nice reminder for me to check on my assumptions and make more space for all kinds of students to participate productively and also to help them break out of the mold.”

For today’s meet Karen Kawashima from Japan. 🇯🇵 She is majoring in liberal arts and it’s her third quarter at De Anza.

When we asked her what she likes most about De Anza, she answered, “When I first came here, it was very difficult, since I was far away from home and my family and I had to do everything on my own, but then I started to make a lot of friends here and it became easier for me. I like that it’s a very diverse environment and we can make friends from different countries and get to know about their cultures and backgrounds.” 👍🏼😊

Thank you to all the universities and students that attended the International Transfer 2019! 👍🏼

For today’s meet Stephanie Anderson, who has been an instructor in the Speech Communications department at De Anza College for 4 years. She studied at De Anza herself and feels very grateful to be teaching here. She has been teaching various speech communication classes in different universities for over 9 years.

On why she loves teaching at De Anza, she answered, “The students here are very driven and I relate to them in a lot of ways since I have been through similar situations when I was attending college. To see how they persevere and push through when they face hardship is really inspiring. That’s why I really connect with the students here and I feel very comfortable.”

When we asked her about the international students, she said, “I’ve taught in Finland for a summer and all the students there were from all over the world like Argentina, Singapore, Finland, Russia, and so on. I never would have been able to do that if I hadn’t worked here and wasn’t already exposed to students from various backgrounds. For me the coolest part about international students is what they contribute to the class based on their culture. A lot of what we do in public speaking classes is sharing a lot about ourselves and our identities and it’s really useful when we get to learn from people from different cultures. When they contribute that to the class, I feel like the classes grow immensely rather than talking about the same type of culture over and over again. International students have so much flare to bring to the class and I really appreciate and admire their bravery, because it is very difficult to come up in front of an audience and share about themselves in a language that is not their first language.” 👍🏼😊

CSU Chico will be joining us for the International Transfer Fair. Stop by tomorrow to find out more!

https://www.facebook.com/events/404826193403324/

📣The International Transfer Fair where you can meet over 68 universities, will be held tomorrow April 30th from 10 am to 1 pm. This is the perfect opportunity for you to find the school of your dreams! Plus there will be free pizza 🍕 for everyone and chances to win prizes 🎁!

Here is the link to the event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/404826193403324/

See you there! 😉

For today's meet Jinu Kim from . 🇰🇷🌎
Jinu is studying and it's his third quarter here at . He says that he chose to study here since it is one of the top community colleges for transferring, but now his plans to transfer have changed and he wants to go back to Korea after two years at De Anza. Even though he is majoring in Biology he plans to become a policeman👮‍♂️ when he goes back.

When we asked him what he likes most about De Anza, he answered, "The ISP office, because if it wasn't for them I would have no one to go to or ask for advice. Aside from helping me on my classes and academic plans, the counselors always gives me helpful tips and I really appreciate it." 👍

Looking to join a club? Come to the Main Quad tomorrow to check out over 70 different clubs! 🤩

For meet Alex Jin from Singapore. This is his first quarter here at . Alex had previously chosen Business as his major, but after taking some programming classes here, he is thinking about changing his major. Alex loves being socially active on campus, he has joined the Malaysian Singaporean Association and has been recently elected as Event Planner. He also got elected as the DASB Senator, and says he is very excited about both positions.

When we asked him what he likes most about De Anza, he said, “The education system in Singapore is very different from here, we don’t have the chance to choose the classes we want to take, I’ve had to take classes that I don’t want to in the past, which really didn’t make sense to me. But here, I can choose my classes and enjoy the freedom of studying at my own pace. So that’s one of the things that I really like about studying here. Also, the weather is very nice around Cupertino.”

Happy first day of Spring Quarter 🌷🌞‼️
We wish you a wonderful and successful quarter! 📚😊

For today’s meet Christy Adityoputri from Indonesia. This is her second quarter at and she is majoring in business. She works at the ISP office as a student assistant. She is also a member of multiple clubs such as Red Cross, UNICEF, and PISO (Permias Indonesian Students Organization).

When we asked her what she likes most about De Anza, she answered, “I like the ISP office the most. Because firstly, Lynn, at the front desk, is very nice and welcoming, I can ask her anything, and secondly, the other student assistants that I work with are amazing and I’m very happy to be working with them. Also, the counselors and advisors here are very helpful, I remember when I first came here, I didn’t have a clue about anything and they helped me out a lot. As for the campus, I like the MLC building most, I think it’s the most modern building here and they have cool anthropological stuff there.”

CAMPUS VIDEO TOUR 5: VPAC & Euphrat Museum of Art

The Visual and Performing Arts Center is a 400-seat theater that hosts numerous community performances and De Anza events.

More than a museum, the Euphrat creates an experiential environment for visual ideas and communication. Our comprehensive program of arts, education, public art programs and lectures stimulate creativity and interest in art among audiences of all ages. Be inspired by the challenging exhibitions and accompanying educational programs. Engage in the development of creative solutions for our times.

Campus Tour - VPAC & Euphrat Museum of Art | De Anza College The Visual and Performing Arts Center is a 400-seat theater that hosts numerous community performances and De Anza events. More than a museum, the Euphrat cr...

Good luck with finals everyone! Study hard for only one more week and you'll be done! 😉

For this week's we are introducing ISF!

ISF (International Students Fellowship) is a non-profit organization independent of De Anza College. They have weekly meetings and dinners, where you can meet and talk to other international students play sports, go on trips, grab boba and food together. ISF has what it takes to be your cure for homesickness, your U.S family, and your friendship community for a lifetime. Their weekly dinner and activities take place at 7:00 pm every Thursday night at the Student Center next to the volleyball courts.

ISF also sponsors and runs the off-campus Welcome Dinner each quarter for new international students. The Spring 2019 Welcome Dinner will be held tomorrow, March 21, from 3:30-6:30pm at Valley Church in Cupertino. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to get to learn more about the community!

For today’s , we talked to Professor Jeffrey West of the Accounting department at College. He started his career as an entry level accountant and worked his way up until he became a CFO at two different companies and retired in 2013. He has been a part time instructor here for 6 years since then.

On why he loves teaching, he said, “The general understanding is that students at a community college may not be ready for a full-time university because of many different reasons. I found out, especially from teaching at a couple other universities, that De Anza students are very bright. But the reason I love teaching is, firstly to help students and hopefully help them understand how it’s done in the real world, when I see students truly understand the subject or when I see something on an exam and know that they learned it from me, that’s a great feeling. The other thing is, if I can influence even one person to become a great CEO of CFO with credibility and integrity, that would be great.

When we asked him his thoughts about the international students here, he answered, “I admire the students that English isn’t their first language, but they still come and they work really hard. Especially in accounting, because accounting has its own language, learning that in a different language can be very challenging. Therefore, I have a lot of admiration for the effort, the thoroughness of the work, and the thoughtfulness they put into their work.”

Today is the first day of International student orientation week. We are more than happy to welcome our new international students for the spring quarter! 👏

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door. 🌈🍀
💚 HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY 💚

For today’s meet Yami Sun from China. This is her second quarter at and her major is journalism. She is planning to transfer after two years but also mentioned that it would be great if she can find a job after graduating De Anza. She is currently the staff reporter at LaVoz, the student newspaper. She was also a part of the Cross Cultural Partners Program, which she says really helped her to open up and work on her English. She said, “The program is a great way for students to get to know about someone else’s culture and I became good friends with my partner. We still stayed in touch after the program ended. He helps me a lot and even invites me to his house for family dinners.”

When we asked her what she loves most about De Anza, she answered, “I chose to enroll in a community college since it’s much cheaper than a normal 4-year university and I could pay for tuition with my own savings. Also, the enrollment process here, especially for international students, is very fast and easy. The location is really nice, even though I’m not a computer science major I love that there are big tech companies around and I get to meet and hang out with techies. In addition, there are a couple professors I really admire and learned a lot from. Even though this is a community college with lots of international students, they don’t lower their expectations and try their best to guide you. Overall, I think community college is a really special system because it helps many students who want a higher education and even if you don’t transfer to a university, I believe that just the couple years here will be a great experience.”

San Jose State University representative is in the ISP office until 2 pm today answering all your questions about transfer.

CAMPUS VIDEO TOUR 4: LIBRARY

The DeHart Library is a place to read, study, do research and find new sources of information.

All library computers are connected to the Internet. Wireless access is provided for laptops and other devices. Laptops are available for loan to students, faculty and staff who have a valid DASB card and library accounts in good standing. The laptops connect to the wireless network and come equipped with standard software (including Microsoft Office).

If you are writing or printing a paper, go to a computer lab. There is a lab on the first floor of the library in addition to a lab located on the lower level of Learning Center West.

For more campus video tours go to:
https://www.deanza.edu/videotour/

Campus Spotlight - Library | De Anza College The DeHart Library is a place to read, study, do research and find new sources of information. All library computers are connected to the Internet. Wireless ...

Meet Ines Cordoba Robyn for today’s ! She is the Office Coordinator at the ISP office here and is mainly in charge of health insurance and missing documents. She came to De Anza in 2013 as an international student, started working as a student assistant and has been working here since then.

When we asked her about the international students here, she said “I love our international students, I love how diverse it is and the number of people from so many different countries I get to meet. It’s always very interesting to learn about a country that I’ve never met anybody from and to get to know about their culture, life and customs. It’s really fun to work here.”

We then asked her if there is any advice she would like to give to the international students, she said, “Don’t listen to your friends advice when they say that they know rules and regulations about immigration or about health insurance, always ask the professionals, because there may be a difference between you and your friends and that’s what we’re here for, to help you figure out what is best for you.”