New International Student Orientation

Orientation Evaluation

Before Arriving:
| Pre-arrival | Small Group Leader List | Airport Transportation & Temp. Housing
| Department Ambassadors | International Student Organizations

After Arriving: 
| Orientation Schedule | Information Fair | Check-in Schedule | English Placement Test | SPEAK Test | Explanation of Orientation Fee | Health Insurance Policy |

Meet the Orientation Team

Information Fair

Virtual Information Fair

Important Dates in August 2008
(pdf calendar)

The Information Fair provides an opportunity for students to learn about the many resources available on and off campus. The information fair is held in the Ballroom of Talley Student Ballroom and consists of many display tables and exhibits with very helpful information.

This is an excellent chance to talk directly with representatives of various organizations and offices to learn more about what is available at NC State. Be sure to ask questions and plan to collect valuable information. In the past, the Fair has included representatives from such groups as the Health Center, the Library, Student Legal Services, Payroll Office (taxes), Chaplains' Cooperative (religious organizations), Intramural Sports, the NC Division of Motor Vehicles, local banks, etc. Highlights also include representatives from health insurance office.

MINI-INFORMATION SESSIONS: On Orientation Day on August 15, there are helpful mini-information sessions after the morning main-session which students can choose to attend. In the past, students have found these to be very informative. Topics have included: Succeeding in Your Studies, Saving Money/Money Management, Getting a Drivers License, American Culture, English Resources, Volunteering, and an International Friendship Program/Breaking Bread Orientation (which is required for anyone who has signed up for this program!).

Check-In

All new students, including transfer students, are REQUIRED to check-in with the Office of International Services (OIS) soon after their arrival at NC State. Individual check-ins are conducted by OIS volunteers and usually last about 30-45 minutes. During check-in, students will receive important welcome information. Students are requested to bring their passport, immigration documents, and local address with them to check-in - this is very important! If students have dependents, please bring their immigration documents as well.

The Check-in Schedule is as follows:

New Student Check-in July 22-August 6,
Monday-Friday, 10:00am in Daniels 320.
Please be on time.


Location: 322 Daniels Hall

Times: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Check-in Dates:

Thursday, August 7^th

Friday, August 8^th

Monday, August 11^th

Tuesday, August 12^th

Wednesday, August 13^th

Thursday, August 14^th only from 9am-12pm due to Information Fair in the afternoon at Talley Student Center

Tuesday, August 19^th

What to bring: I-20 (for F-1s) or DS-2019 (for J-1s), Passport, I-94 card, and if applicable, your spouses and children's immigration documents too. We recommend your family attend check-in with you so everyone can ask questions and dependents can learn about resources available to them.

If you arrive BEFORE Thursday, August 7th or AFTER Tuesday, August 19th check-in is done BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call 919-515-2961 to schedule the appointment.

Questions: Contact: ois@ncsu.edu

English Placement Test

1. What is the purpose of the general English language test? The general English Placement Test is used to determine if international students need to take English (FLE) classes in order to succeed in their academic work at NC State. The results can also show which FLE course or courses would be most useful to each student.

2.      Who must take the general English Placement Test? All new international undergraduates who scored 590 or below on the paper-based TOEFL, or 243 or below on the computer-based TOEFL, must take the English language placement test.

New international graduate students may also take the English language placement test.  Specific graduate programs may ask their individual graduate students to take the test.  The Director of Graduate Programs will let the student know whether he/she needs to take the exam.
 

3.      What does the general English placement test consist of? The general English placement test consists of three parts: (1) a dictation, (2) a brief essay, and (3) a brief oral interview.

4. When and where should students take the general English placement test? The general English placement test is given at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. For specific dates, times and places, all students may contact Ms. Toby Brody at 515-9299. Information is also usually available at the International Student Orientation.

5. If students are still unsure whether they should take the general English Placement Test, what should they do? All students should check with Ms. Toby Brody, the Director of the FLE program, 219 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh NC 27695. Her phone number is 515-9299.

6. How do students learn the results of their test? All students will be sent their test scores by e-mail or by contacting the ESL Coordinator.

SPEAK Test

1.    What is the purpose of the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Oral English Proficiency Screening?

The purpose of the ITA Oral English Proficiency Screening is to determine whether international teaching assistants can speak English well enough and clearly enough to be understood by the undergraduates whom they teach.
 

2.    Who must take the ITA Oral Proficiency Test?

All international graduate students for whom English is a second language and who are either appointed as Teaching Assistants or who are required to teach undergraduates as part of their graduate programs.
 

3.    What is the test like?

The test is the SPEAK Test, which is an institutional version of the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Students listen to questions on a tape, and their responses are recorded on a computer disk.
 

4. When and where will the test be given?

The test will be given on Thursday, August 14; Tuesday, August 19; and Thursday, August 21 in the Foreign Language Technology Lab, 212 Laundry Building.
 

5. How can students sign up for the ITA Oral Proficiency Test?

They cannot sign up themselves. Their graduate secretary or their Director of Graduate Programs must sign students up at this website: www.grad.ncsu.edu/SPEAK.The student's social security or student ID number is required for sign up.
 

6. How can students find out when they are scheduled to take the ITA Oral English Proficiency Test?

They should ask the graduate secretary or Director of Graduate Programs in their department, or they may contact the Coordinator of Graduate Student Teaching Programs in the Graduate School.
 

7. How can students prepare for the SPEAK test?

SPEAK practice tests are available in the Foreign Language Technology Lab, 212 Laundry Bldg.
 

8. How can students, the department secretary, and DGP find out a student's SPEAK Test score?

They can go to the following website a day or two after the test was taken: www.grad.ncsu.edu/SPEAK.
 

9. What is a passing score on the SPEAK test?

A student must score at least a 50 to be cleared for full teaching responsibilities. A student who scores 45 may have limited teaching responsibilities, with a senior TA or a professor who has primary responsibility. A student who scores less than 45 should be limited to TA responsibilities that don't involve explaining things to undergraduates, such as grading or setting up labs.
 

10. If a student makes less than a 50 on the SPEAK test, what should that student do?

A student may sign up for an English course such as FLE 401 or FLE 400 to improve his or her spoken English.
 

11. What is this presentation like, and how can the student sign up for it?

The student is signed up for the presentation with Coordinator of Graduate Student Teaching Programs in the Graduate School by the student's FLE instructor. In the presentation, the student pretends to teach a concept in his or her field of study.
 

12. What is the student doesn't pass this interview?

The student should consider other ways to improve his or her spoken English. One way is to practice with the English software in the Language Technology Lab. The student could also take another FLE course, or the student should try to get an English Conversation Partner through the Office of International Services.

Explanation of Orientation Fee

An orientation fee of $50 is assessed to every new international student in F-1 or J-1 status. This fee is assessed only once (during the student’s first semester of enrollment) and it will appear on the student’s account sometime around the beginning of classes. This fee must be paid before students can (pre-) register for the following semester.

WHY IS THERE AN ORIENTATION FEE? This orientation fee was instituted to defray some of the escalating expenses associated with providing orientation services to incoming international students in a time when state support for such programs is decreasing. Notice of this fee is posted on the University Cashier's Office website.

Several years ago, international students at NC State University clearly stated (through an OIS web-survey of programs and services) that one of the greatest unmet needs for this population was enhanced pre-arrival and on-arrival services, most notably airport pick-up and temporary housing. Similar to many other organizations and service providers, the University has had to move toward a user-fee basis for providing some programs and services, particularly those that affect one particular group or subset of the academic community. Without the revenue raised by this fee, these critical orientation services provided by OIS simply could not take place.

WHO DECIDES HOW FUNDS ARE SPENT? The student-led Orientation Team makes many of the decisions on how these funds will be used to sustain or expand orientation services. For more information about how to become a part of this team, or to voice your opinion on how Orientation can be improved, please contact OIS.

WHAT IS COVERED BY THE $50 ORIENTATION FEE? Typical expenses covered by this fee include:

·         Transportation (vans for airport pickup, apartment finding) 

·         Temporary housing (rooms reserved at Avent Ferry, E.S. King Village, and other off-campus sites) 

·         Orientation Day and Information Fair (food, supplies, equipment rental, room rental) 

·         Welcome Party (food, supplies, and entertainment) 

·         Orientation Volunteers (T-shirts, training costs, certificates of appreciation)

·         Communications (beeper and cell phone rentals) 

·         Printing and copying costs (Handbook, pre-arrival material, handouts, folders, copier) 

·         Check-in (supplies and food) 

·         Miscellaneous orientation supplies

Note: The fee does NOT pay for OIS staff salaries or general OIS operating costs other than those directly associated with Orientation.

EXCEPTIONS TO THOSE PAYING THE ORIENTATION FEE: Exceptions to this fee are limited to:

a) Off-campus students or part-time students studying through Distance Education or Lifelong Learning programs;

b) Exchange students who enter the University through the Study Abroad Office (these students are already charged an orientation fee and comparable services are offered by Study Abroad);

c) Part-time or full-time students in a nonimmigrant status other than F or J (e.g., H-1b or H-4) are charged a pro-rated amount (50%) of the Orientation Fee since generally fewer services are used by these students.

All students are welcome to use some or all of the orientation services offered through OIS - the fee will be charged to every new international student who matriculates regardless of whether they use any or all of these services and programs or not. Students in a dependent (or other) visa status who are changing to (or re-entering in) F or J status during or before their first semester of enrollment will also be charged this fee.

NOTE ON OTHER ORIENTATION FEES: Undergraduate international students (F-1 or J-1 status) are also charged an orientation fee by the New Student Orientation office as well as the one provided by OIS. All new Graduate students (international or domestic) are also charged a modest Orientation fee.

QUESTIONS? Anyone with further questions about this fee can call 515-2961 and an appointment with the OIS director can be arranged.

A WORD FROM OIS STAFF: The entire OIS staff would like to say "Welcome" to all incoming students and "Thank-you" to all those students and friends who have worked hard and volunteered their time and effort to improve New International Student Orientation and the other OIS programs. We are committed to providing the best possible service and programs to the international community at NC State University and look forward to serving you.
 

Health Insurance Policy
 

Every new and continuing international student in lawful nonimmigrant J-1 or F-1 status enrolled at North Carolina State University is required by the University to annually purchase, and maintain throughout their program of study, the NC State University Student Medical Insurance Plan, administered by Hill, Chesson and Associates. Only those students who are in J-1 Exchange Visitor status and whose J-1 Program Sponsor requires, provides, and monitors their own health insurance (which meets all federal requirements) are waived from this policy. Students in J-1 status whose J-1 Program Sponsor (which issued the Form DS-2019) provides acceptable health insurance must submit proof of such coverage to the Office of International Services (OIS) every year. No other students may be exempt from the NC State University health insurance requirement. (Memo on Health Insurance Policy Information)

In order to obtain US visas, nonimmigrant students who are admitted to NC State University are issued legal Certificates of Eligibility (Form I-20 or Form DS-2019), the basis of which includes the student's acceptance of insurance costs as part of the obligated costs of their study at NC State. Failure to continuously maintain annually verifiable health insurance which meets both federal requirements and university policy is a violation of the conditions by which NC State issued these Certificates of Eligibility. Any student who has not purchased insurance, or provided proof of such purchase to OIS by the last day of registration, will have a hold placed on future registration, transcript release, or graduation. Other possible consequences may include termination of program and termination of one’s SEVIS record based on failing to maintain nonimmigrant status.

Since health costs in the US are extremely high and illnesses and accidents can strike anyone at anytime, all nonimmigrant students, employees, and visitors are strongly encouraged to have adequate health insurance. International students may wish to have supplemental insurance coverage or maintain secondary coverage from their home countries, but must also maintain the NC State University Student Preferred Care Medical Insurance Plan each year of their program.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy statement, please schedule an appointment with the Director of the OIS by calling 515-2961 prior to the last day of registration. Questions regarding the actual health insurance policy should be addressed to the providers of the plan, Hill, Chesson and Associates (645-0240; email@hillchesson.com; http://www.hillchesson.com/).

DISCLAIMER: This policy is subject to change.