Spring quarter means warm weather and cherry blossoms! For the ISS team, it is also the busiest time of the year. Many of our F and J international students are applying for summer or post-graduation work authorizations such as CPT and OPT. To better support you throughout this busy time, we are making a few changes to our services.
Live Online Chat Support
We are happy to announce that you are now able to connect directly with our team through our website via online chat.
During certain times, our reception staff will be available to answer basic questions, help you find answers on our website, and direct you to other ISS and campus resources. When you see the Chat icon displayed on our website, this means our team is ready to connect with and help you!
Online chat will be available at the following times:
Monday – Thursday: 9AM – 12 PM
Friday: 1 – 3 PM
This service is not advising. You should continue to attend our drop-in advising when you have complex questions. With the implementation of our online chat, we are ending our Friday Virtual Front Desk.
Improved Virtual Advising Experience
We are also changing how you connect with us during virtual advising. Currently, you can join virtual advising by entering a Zoom room and then completing a sign-in form. Students have told us that this causes confusion.
Now, you will be asked to complete the sign-in form first. Once completed, you will receive an email with a link to that day’s Zoom room. After joining the advising session, you will be placed in a waiting room until an advisor is available to speak with you. Once you are in the waiting room, you can always check your place in the queue. Remember: our virtual drop-in advising capacity is limited. When we have reached capacity, the sign-in form will be turned off.
We hope that these changes allow for a smoother experience with our office and encourage you to continue to provide feedback in an effort to improve our services.