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International Programs Office
Spring 2010
Information Packet
For Exchange Students
MANDATORY ORIENTATION:
Sunday, January 17, 2010
ARRIVAL Day: Sunday, January 17, 2010
FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
INFORMATION IN THIS PACKET:
Visas – page 3
Immunisations – page 3
Travel plans – page 4
Luggage, mail – page 5
Academic Info – page 6
Bills & Financial info – page 7
Housing – page 8
Useful Websites – page 9
Academic calendar – page 10
QUESTIONS? Contact us at:
Grad Students contact: Pat Vokbus – [email protected]
Undergraduate Students contact: Erin Barrett – [email protected]
Telephone: 413-545-2843 / Fax: 413-545-1201
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THIS INFORMATION PACKET…
was prepared for international exchange students who will be enrolling at the University
of Massachusetts Amherst for the first time and is designed to give you details about
things we feel you need to know now. While we have tried to include all relevant
information, it is possible that we may have omitted something which is important to
you. If the enclosed information does not answer your most immediate concerns, please
feel free to contact us.
Please review this information as soon as possible and be sure to follow our instructions
so that you take care of all important paperwork in a timely fashion! That includes
dealing with such matters as:
⇒ Getting your VISA document and applying for your visa;
⇒ Having your IMMUNIZATION FORM filled in;
⇒ Applying for HOUSING (unless you did so as part
of your Exchange Student
Application);
⇒ Making TRAVEL arrangements.
We look forward to meeting you when you arrive at the University of Massachusetts. We
urge you to schedule your arrival as indicated on the Orientation Information Sheet, and
unless you are able to make your own housing arrangements, that you not arrive earlier
than the scheduled date. Meanwhile, if you have questions about any of your
arrangements, please feel free to contact us:
OFFICE LOCATION
The International Programs Office is located on the fourth floor of Hills South;
Our reception area is in Room 467 and our normal office hours are
8:30AM-4:30PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
Our Mailing Address is:
International Programs Office
467 Hills South
111 Thatcher Road
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
Telephone: 413-545-2843 / Fax: 413-545-1201
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VISA APPLICATION
Most foreign nationals who come to the United States to study will need a visa in their
passports. For exchange students, this will usually be the EXCHANGE VISITOR (J-1) visa.
Detailed information about the visa application process, required fees, etc will be sent
along with your visa document.
What NOT to do!
If you are from a country which has a VISA WAIVER PROGRAM with the United States and you are
planning to study here, you must NOT enter the U.S. using the Visa Waiver Program! This would
create serious problems for you: you could be denied entry to the U.S. or, even if you were
allowed to enter, you would NOT be allowed to change your status without leaving and reentering with the correct visa!
IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
Maintaining your legal immigration status once you are in the U.S. is fairly simple and
very important, since violating your visa status may result in severe penalties! Following
is a brief summary of the rules:
1. You must maintain full-time student status
2. You must not work illegally: in most cases, international students require some
sort of employment permission – ask if you aren’t sure!
3. You must not remain in the U.S. longer that you have been authorized!
MANDATORY IMMUNIZATIONS
Every new student is required to get immunizations, if they have not already gotten them. Once you
have received this packet, you should make sure that you have completed the required immunizations
or that you are planning to do so. To learn more about this process and access the form, please visit:
http://www.umass.edu/uhs/immunizations/ and direct your questions to: [email protected]
Some notes about immunizations:
- The Hepatitis B series takes at least 6 months to complete (at least one month from dose 1 to dose 2,
and at least 4 months from dose 2 to 3) and UMass cannot accept the accelerated series. Best to start
as soon as possible and get doses 1 and 2 at home, then complete the series at UMass ($15/visit).
- Massachusetts law requires that the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) immunization is administered
after a child’s first birthday. If yours was done earlier, you will need a booster shot or a blood test to
show that you have the required immunity.
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TRAVEL AND ARRIVAL INFORMATION
ARRIVAL DATE: All NEW international students are expected to arrive on campus on Sunday,
January 17, 2010. This is the day when UMass residence halls open for students who have
reserved a room.
TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS: The airport closest to the University of Massachusetts Amherst is Bradley
International Airport but there is no direct bus from Bradley to UMass so this is not the most
convenient option. It is possible to get to UMass from both Logan International and JFK
International via bus.
BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is in Hartford/Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It is sometimes
difficult to book flights directly from abroad to arrive at Bradley, but connecting flights are
available from within the U.S. Traveling to UMass from Bradley is accomplished through The
Valley Transporter www.valleytransporter.com or other shuttle service. There is NO bus service
from Bradley to UMass—the bus can be taken from Hartford, CT to UMass but you will have to
take a shuttle such as CT Limo www.ctlimo.com to the Peter Pan bus terminal
www.peterpanbus.com
LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is in Boston. Peter Pan buses also travels from Boston to
Amherst and to get one of these you must take a shuttle bus or taxi to South Station where you
will find the bus boarding station (for more information see
http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_silve.html From South Station to Amherst, you
will need to take the Peter Pan bus www.peterpanbus.com This trip will takes about 3 hours.
JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is in New York. To get a bus from New York to Amherst, you must
find transportation from the airport to Port Authority (the major bus terminal in New York City)
where you will find a bus to take you to Amherst. The trip takes about 5 hours from New York.
NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is in Newark, New Jersey. In order to ride the Peter Pan
bus, you will first need to get to the Penn Railroad Station, on Raymond Plaza, W Market St.
To find transportation from this airport, http://www.ny.com/transportation/airports/NWK.html
NOTE: The bus trips may require a change of bus but this is a very simple to do. Tickets can be
purchased at either the Trailways (Peter Pan) or Greyhound ticket counters.
BUS ARRIVAL AT UMASS: DO NOT get off the bus in the Amherst Town Center. Stay on the
bus until it arrives at Haigis Mall on the UMass campus. Ask the driver if you are unsure.
MAIL AND FAX MESSAGES: If you wish to have mail sent to you for your arrival at UMass you may
have it sent to our office: IPO, c/o YOUR NAME HERE, WS Clark International Center, 111
Thatcher Road, UMass, Amherst, MA 01003. We will accept mail during the first month of
classes. In emergency situations, you may also have a fax sent to you in care of our office at 413545-1201. Make sure your name is on the fax.
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LUGGAGE
Remember that shipping time can be lengthy!!
If you will not be living in a University residence hall or if you would prefer to have more
immediate access to your property ship to:
YOUR NAME HERE, c/o International Programs Office, 111 Thatcher Road, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003 USA
Note: Due to limited storage, no more than TWO BOXES or ONE SUITCASE per person. Be sure to
clearly write your name on the outside of the package.
SPIRE SYSTEM
SPIRE is UMass Amherst’s Student database. The system is used for course registration
and also allows you to access your bill online. You will have your own page in SPIRE that
called the “Student Center.” In the “Student Center,” you are able to access
information about your account, look at your class schedule and, during registration
periods, change or update your course registration.
ACADEMIC
INFORMATION
IMPORTANT! All exchange students are eligible to register for classes in advance. Since
classes fill up quickly in many departments, it is very important for students to begin to
register as early as possible. We recommend that all students make this a priority and plan to
log into SPIRE as soon as you have your ID number and password.
As an exchange student, your primary academic responsibility is to your home university, and it
is your responsibility to find out what your home university requires of you academically while
you are on exchange at UMass. Be sure to find out now – before you leave home! – about any
such requirements. You should also be sure to have the name, address, telephone/fax numbers,
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and email address of a contact at your home university so that you can consult with someone if
there are questions about your courses once you are here.
Please also read UMass’s Academic Regulations so you are aware of the policies you need to
adhere to as a student at UMass Amherst. (Please note that this handbook was written for
degree-seeking students, but much of the information will apply to non-degree students as well.
Please contact IPO if you have any questions.)
Read our Exchange Student Registration Information carefully for instructions about the online
registration process. This will be sent to you via email by IPO. If you have questions after you
have read it, contact:
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Graduate Level Students: Pat Vokbus – [email protected] – Tel: 413-545-2843
•
Undergraduate Level Students: Erin Barrett, [email protected] – Tel: 413-5454986
BILLS & FINANCIAL INFORMATION
UMass bills for all fees, room rent, etc which are not covered by
your exchange program are issued on a per-semester basis, and
you will get an email message when your bill is up and available
to be seen in SPIRE. The Bursar’s website www.umass.edu/bursar
has more info about billing or you can contact them by email with
questions [[email protected]].
Undergraduate students are billed for the Fall semester in July, with payment due in
early-August, and again in December, with payment due in January, for the Spring
semester.
Graduate students are billed for the Fall semester in September, with payment due in
mid-October and again in February, with payment due in mid-March, for the Spring.
Many exchange students must pay some fees at their home university as well as other
fees (such as insurance and meal plan) at UMass. Students should never ignore a UMass
bill, but instead – if you think it’s wrong or is something that someone else is supposed
to pay – should ask the UMass International Programs Office for clarification.
HERE ARE SOME METHODS OF PAYING YOUR UMASS BILL:
∇ Wire Transfer is the most popular way to pay your University bill. These are
usually fast and secure. Here’s what you need to process a wire transfer:
Beneficiary
Receiving Bank
FBO
Routing #
Account #
Swift #
University of Massachusetts
Bank of America, 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02109
University of Massachusetts
026009593
362172980
BOFAUS3N
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Purpose
Max 35 characters – student name and UMass ID#
∇ Purchase an international money order (bank or postal) in US Dollars.
∇ If your bank at home has a correspondent bank in the US or if it is a US bank (i.e.
Citibank, Chase Manhattan), you can get a check (with “routing numbers”). Ask
your bank for details.
∇ Pay with a check drawn on a bank inside the US. If you have friends or relatives
in the U.S. you could send funds to them, for deposit in their bank, and then have
them pay your bill from their checking account.
∇ Credit card payments are possible, but you will be assessed a fee of 3% if you
choose to use a credit card. For a bill of $4,000, 3% is $120. We advise using
another payment method to avoid this fee.
∇ If you are paying a UMass bill with any type of check or money order, be sure to
write your UMass student ID number on it.
Most exchange students will have filled in a housing application as
part of the UMass exchange student application and thus will not need
to do this again. In some cases, such as for Baden-Württemberg
students, the housing application is done separately from the
exchange student application form, and the Housing Application Form
is sent with this packet. If you aren’t sure, check the HOUSING
section of your acceptance letter: if we have received your housing
application, it will be specified there.
HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS: Students are normally not notified of their specific housing
assignment until they arrive at UMass or, in some cases, via email from the Housing Office
during the weeks prior to the start of the semester.
HOUSING
FOLLOWING IS SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ON-CAMPUS LIVING.
Except for the 9-Month Halls, all undergraduate residence halls are closed when the
University is not in session. Lewis and Brett, Prince House, North Apartments, and Cashin
(the grad student hall) are 9-month halls, which means that students may remain in their
room during Thanksgiving, winter break, and spring break (and are charged a higher rent
fee). All other students must make their own alternative arrangements for times when
residence halls are closed. Exceptions to this policy are not made for foreign students!
Refer to the housing information/application which was part of your exchange student
application for more info about housing at UMass or go to the Housing Office website for
more detailed information!
HOUSING ASSIGNMENT OFFICE - 235 WHITMORE,
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST, MA 01003
TELEPHONE 413-545-2101 / FAX 413-545-1241
Important: Students who complete their UMass studies at the end of the Fall semester
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must follow the Housing Assignment Office rules regarding timely cancellation of your
room reservation! Failure to do so will result in a Housing Cancellation Fee! Contact the
Housing Office or refer to their website for details!
SINGLE ROOMS? There are very few single rooms at UMass and these are rarely assigned to
new students. Students who are able to get a single room pay a more rent.
LINENS?
Students must provide their linens (sheets, towels, pillows, blankets).
All students must follow residence hall regulations. These include restrictions on smoking
(allowed only in designated areas), use of alcoholic beverages (you must be 21 years of age
or older to drink alcoholic beverages in the U.S. and there are further restrictions on the
use of alcohol on University property), and controlled substances - such as marijuana
(prohibited). Students residing on-campus are expected to display appropriate behavior.
Each hall has a resident staff (some of whom are students) who are responsible for seeing
that rules and regulations are followed and enforced.
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USEFUL WEBSITES
Name
Description
Website
Academic Calendar
http://www.umass.edu/registrar/html/academic_calendar
African Students Association
http://www.umass.edu/rso/african/
Amtrak
Train Service
www.amtrack.com
Arab Students Association
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~arab/
Asian American Students Association
http://sandbox.oit.umass.edu/~aasa/
Boston T - Metro
Public Transit in Boston
www.mbta.com
Bradley Airport
Hartford's Airport
www.bradleyairport.com
Cambodian Student Association
http://www.umass.edu/campact/cambodia.html
Cambodian Students Association
http://www.umass.edu/rso/cambodia/
Campus Center Hotel
Hotel on campus
www.aux.umass.edu/hotel/
Cape Verdean Student Alliance/CVSA
http://www.umass.edu/rso/capeverd/
Daily Gazette
local newspaper
www.gazettenet.com
English Speaking Caribbean Association/ESCA
http://www.umass.edu/campact/esca.html
Enterprise Rent A Car
Car Rental
www.enterprise.com
Graduate Admissions
http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/
Greyhound Bus Lines
Bus Transportation
www.greyhound.com
Haitian Students Association
http://www.umass.edu/rso/hasa/
Heath Services
Immunizations/Healthcare http://www.umass.edu/uhs/
Housing Services
http://www.housing.umass.edu/
Indian Students Organization
http://www.umass.edu/isa/
International Programs Office
our office
www.umass.edu/ipo
Japan America Club
http://www.umass.edu/rso/japanam/
JFK Airport
New York's Airport
http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/jfkframe.HTM
Korean Student Association
http://www.umass.edu/campact/ksa.html
Logan Airport
Boston's Airport
www.massport.com/logan/
Muslim Students Association
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~muslim/
Persian Student Organization
http://www.umass.edu/rso/persian/
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Bus Transportation
www.peterpanbus.com
Round The World Women
international women's organhttp://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~rtww/
Russian Student Organization
http://www.umass.edu/campact/russian.html
South Asian Student Association
http://www.umass.edu/rso/sasa/
SPIRE
online class registration
www.spire.umass.edu
Student Association for the Multicultural Brazilian Alliance (S.A.Mhttp://www.umass.edu/rso/samba/
Taiwanese Student Association
http://www.umass.edu/campact/tsa.html
Target
local store
www.target.com
Town of Amherst
location of UMass
http://www.town.amherst.ma.us/
Undergraduate Admissions
http://www.umass.edu/admissions/
University of Massachusetts
school home page
www.umass.edu
http://www.umass.edu/visitorsctr/Campus_Map/
UMass Amherst Campus Map
University Motor Lodge
Hotel
www.thg.com/content/UL/main/php3
Valley Transporter
Airport Shuttle
valleytransporter.com
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UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
ACADEMIC YEAR CALENDAR: 2008-09
FALL 2008 SEMESTER
Arrival Day – Foreign Student Orientation Program
Labor Day (Holiday)
First Day of Classes
Add-Drop Deadline
Holiday – Columbus Day
Registration begins for Spring 2009
Holiday – Veterans Day
Thanksgiving holiday begins after last class on
Classes Resume
Last Day of Classes
Final Examinations Begin
Last Day of Final Examinations
Monday, August 25
Monday, September 1
Tuesday, September 2
Monday, September 15
Monday, October 13
Wednesday, November 5
Monday, November 11
Wednesday, November 26
Monday, December 1
Friday, December 12
Monday, December 15
Saturday, December 20
WINTERSESSION 2009
Note: Wintersession at UMass is an “extra” term, often used by undergraduate students to make-up a
class. Students are not required to enroll for Wintersession, and most students do not!
First Day of Classes
Add-Drop Deadline
Holiday – Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday
Last Day of Classes
SPRING 2009 SEMESTER
Arrival Day – New Foreign Students
First Day of Classes
Add-Drop Deadline
Holiday – Presidents’ Day
Spring Vacation begins after last class
Classes Resume
Registration begins for Fall 2009
Holiday – Patriots’ Day
Last Day of Classes
Final Examinations Begin
Last Day of Final Examinations
[Graduate and Stockbridge Commencement]
[Undergraduate Commencement]
Monday, January 5
Tuesday, January 6
Monday, January 19
Friday, January 23
Sunday, January 24
Monday, January 25
Monday, February 9
Monday, February 19
Saturday, March 15
Monday, March 23
Monday, April 6
Monday, April 20
Tuesday, May 12
Thursday, May 14
Thursday, May 21
Friday, May 22
Saturday, May 23