Knowing Kean’s departments: Center for International Studies

Published by May 9, 2018 | By Petruce Jean-Charles

Ever heard of the Center for International Studies (CIS)? Well this department, located in the Center for Academic Success (CAS), room 121, is full of welcome and support for international students.

CIS provides opportunities for Kean students to continue their studies while living overseas during their study abroad program. It offers programs in 30 countries including Australia, England, France, Ireland and Italy, where students of all majors are welcome to participate.

In addition, within their department, they provide international student and scholar services in their office, which provides support to incoming international students and faculty. These services are provided because the belief is that international students deserve the same if not similar services as traditional students.

Some supporting materials include:

• On-Campus Employment
• Change of Status
• F1 and J1 Student Support
• Hardship Employment
• Maintaining F-1 status
• Scholarships and International Loans
• Optional Practical Training
• Reinstatement
• Current Student Forms

Aanchal Singh, a graduate assistant for CIS and a student studying global management stresses the importance of the CIS department.

“CIS stands for Center for International Studies where we help students from all over the world. If a student got accepted from a different country like Germany, he would come to our office and we’d guide him through the whole vis process and regulations,” said Singh.

CIS is also responsible for the international student community where they promote services such as immigration regulations, support and social interactions. Their mission is to give international students a positive and meaningful experience while they are here in America.

“Once students get accepted from the admissions office they come here and we give them an I-20 application,” said Singh. “An I-20 application is an application that they have to fill out in order to get their visa, once they fill it out they submit it to us.”

After students submit the I-20 document, the CIS department advises them to send it to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for them to know that the student has been accepted in the program.

“Sometimes students get accepted when they are still in their country and then we mail them that I-20 where they go to their embassy to apply for an F-1 visa. Only then will they be able to come to the US to study,” said Singh.

The CIS is dedicated to infusing the ideas of the international education through the University. They aim to serve the diverse needs of students, faculty and the community by connecting them to global affairs.

“For events, we do new student orientation every semester where we provide workshops for them,” said Singh. “We also do a lot of one on one meetings if the student is having trouble with anything like understanding their status. Two events we do for sure is new student orientation and workshops.”

CIS wants students to understand that their department strives to be helpful and that they understand the struggle of adapting to the American lifestyle.

“As a student myself, CIS is definitely one of the departments that will do their one hundred percent to help the student, and I’m not just saying that because I work here,” said Singh. “Even at the time that I didn’t work here, as a student, this department was so helpful. They always went above what they had to do to help me and we do just that.”

Singh and her colleagues are aware of the importance of international departments at universities, which is why they develop new ways to help and encourage international students through their studies.

“Every university, whether public or private has international programs. Although I am not aware of other schools with international departments, some of the students have mentioned that they don’t compare to Kean,” said Singh. “They have also explained that they aren’t as helpful because being an international without help can be difficult.”

CIS hopes to be an efficient department on campus where students can feel comfortable asking questions.

“We are probably the most amazing and efficient department here on campus. Here at work, I’ve experienced so many different things with departments and at times, they don’t care,” said Singh. “If you email us or need an answer, we answer you back and if we don’t, we put it on hold and find an answer for you. We have so many urgent matters so we take care of everything as fast as we can.”

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