1. Spring Semester 2008 Academic Calendar
2. Information for Late-Arriving New International Students
3. Did You Travel Abroad During Break?
4. Spring 2008 International Spouses Program (ISP) English as a Second Language Classes Begin January 28th
5. European Student Association To Meet Monday, January 28 at 6:00pm
6. Next International Coffee Hour is Friday, February 1
7. Special Program to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on February 1
8. EOP Seeks Summer Instructors
9. Important Reminder Regarding On-Campus Employment Regulations
10. CINTAX Income Tax Preparation Software Available Soon
11. Income Tax Information: Wait!  Don’t File Your Tax Forms Too Soon!

1. Spring Semester 2008 Academic Calendar

Jan 28	Classes begin
Feb 8	Course add and course-drop/delete deadline*
Feb 8	Last day for undergrad seniors to submit an application for degree for Fall 2008
Mar 19- May 9	Registration and Academic Advising for Fall 2008
Mar 21	Residence halls close 9 a.m.
Mar 21-30	Spring break
Mar 30	Residence halls open 2 p.m.
Mar 31	Classes resume
Apr 4	Course-withdraw (with a “W”) deadline*
Apr 18	Recess (Passover and Easter) Classes end at 1:00pm
Apr 18- Apr 21	Recess (Passover and Easter) Residence Halls remain open
Apr 22	Classes resume
May 9	Last day of classes
May 10-11	Reading period
May 12-16	Final examinations. Residents must vacate residence halls 24 hours after last exam
May 17	Graduate Commencement
May 18	Undergraduate Commencement

*Courses meeting less than the full semester have proportionately adjusted deadline

2. Information for Late-Arriving New International Students

Although classes begin today, January 28, not all new international students have checked in with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, and some are still arriving. If you are assisting a new student, be sure to bring them to the office of International Student and Scholar Services beginning today so that ISSS can photocopy their passport and visa documents and give them their orientation packet. As a service to late-arriving students, the following orientation activities are being repeated this week:

English as a Second Language: Ms. Jennifer Brownstein, Director of the English as a Second Language Program, will give an ESL placement examination for late arriving students on Monday, January 28 at 3:00pm and on Tuesday, January 29 at 3:00pm in [Old] University Union Room 101.  The examination takes two hours.  For more information, call 607-777-6725 or contact Ms. Brownstein by e-mail at jbrownst@binghamton.edu  Her office is in the Writing Center, Library North Room 1209 (first floor). 

New students with TOEFL scores of 625 (263 on the computer-based test, 106-108 on the internet-based test) or higher and students schooled in an English-medium institution with TOEFL scores of 600 (250 on the computer-based test, 100 on the internet-based test) or higher do not have to take the test. Students with a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (with no individual band below 5.0) do not have to take the test. Students in the MBA program are not required to take the test because their program requires a communications course.

Required International Student Appointment: New international students in F-1 or J-1 status who did not attend the orientation meeting on Friday afternoon, January 25 will need to attend a mini-orientation on Friday, February 1, 2008 at from 2:00pm to 3:00pm with Amelia Shafer, International Student Advisor.  This Mini-Orientation will be held in the Hinman Commons room.  This room is located in the building above the ISSS Office.  Look for the signs directing you to that location.  If you are unable to make this session, you must schedule another mini-orientation session with Amelia Shafer.  Contact the ISSS office by visiting or by phoning 607-777-2510 to make an appointment.

3. Did You Travel Abroad During Break?

Many continuing international students were able to travel abroad during the inter-session break. If you obtained a new visa while you were away or entered the United States using a new I-20 or DS-2019, please come to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services with your passport and visa documents so we can make copies for your files.

4. Spring 2008 International Spouses Program (ISP) English as a Second Language Classes Begin January 28th

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services is pleased to announce its schedule of International Spouses Program (ISP) English as a Second Language Classes. These are non-credit bearing classes for spouses of BU international students, faculty and staff.  BU Research Scholars are welcome to join as well.  These classes are NOT intended for current BU students. The focus is to practice conversation, reading, grammar skills and daily living in the United States.

Classes being on Monday January 28th in Nelson A. Rockefeller Center (RC) 205

If you are unsure of the classroom location, meet Amelia Shafer (the International Student Advisor) in the ISSS Office at 10:45am. She will walk you to the classroom.

Two classes will be offered this semester at the following times:

*

TOEFL Prep:

Mondays and Wednesday from 11:00am to 12:30pm In Nelson A. Rockefeller Center Room 205

*

English in the Afternoons:

Mondays and Wednesday from 1:00pm to 2:30pm In Nelson A. Rockefeller Center Room 205

Back by popular demand!  ISP Book Club -- open to all levels of English. Every Friday in the Susquehanna Dining Room from 9:30am until 11:00am.  Begins February 1st.

A $5.00 fee per semester per student is requested towards the copying of materials (no need to purchase a textbook for these classes).  The instructor will collect this fee.

Our ESL instructor is Ms. Nancy Barno Reynolds. She has both a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Education degree in English also from Binghamton University.   She is a very energetic and creative teacher.  We are happy she is part of the ISSS Team!

If you have any questions about the ESL classes, please contact Amelia Shafer at ashafer@binghamton.edu

5. European Student Association To Meet Monday, January 28 at 6:00pm

The first meeting of the European Student Association(ESA) will take place on Monday, January 28 at 6:00pm in the Graduate Student Lounge, on the first floor of the Library Tower.  For more information, please contact Alper Ecevit, President, at yecevit1@binghamton.edu

6. Next International Coffee Hour is Friday, February 1

Good company! Free food! An opportunity to visit with friends and classmates!

This month's International Coffee Hour will be held on Friday, February 1 from 3:30-5:00pm in University Union Room 133. Please note the room change for this month only!  This is a great occasion for all international students, both new and continuing, to enjoy food and beverages in a relaxing atmosphere.

The Coffee Hour strives to be a space where the entire Binghamton University community, including international students, U.S. students, faculty/staff, and community members are welcome. The coffee hours are informal and provide an opportunity to meet and learn more about each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Each coffee hour has free hot and cold beverages, breads and cookies, sponsored by a different department on campus.

The sponsor of this month's International Coffee Hour is the Office of Residential Life.

7. Special Program to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on February 1

Binghamton University will honor the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday, February 1 with a campus and community celebration titled “Beloved Community: The Art of Living Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream.”  The event will take place at the University Downtown Center on Washington Street at 6:00pm, as part of Downtown Binghamton’s monthly “First Night” celebration of the arts.  Flutist and Producer Pamela Whitman will perform a multi-media work that integrates photography and music.  Community participants are invited to co-create their version of the Beloved Community.  Twenty-five volunteer community participants will accept the assignment to document via photographs, their vision of a Beloved Community here in the Greater Binghamton area.  For more information, call the Multicultural Resource Center at 607-777-4472

8. EOP Seeks Summer Instructors

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) is searching for instructors and teaching assistants for its summer transitional program for pre-freshmen. Positions are available for math and rhetoric. Applicants must attend an info session or contact the respective coordinator directly. The math coordinator is Judy Pranger at mailto:jprange@binghamton.edu or 777-2076. The rhetoric coordinator is Kim Allen Gleed at mailto:kagleed@binghamton.edu or 777-6881. Info sessions will be held in LN-1402 at the following times: 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Jan. 30; noon-1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1; 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5; and 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7.

9. Important Reminder Regarding On-Campus Employment Regulations

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has received a number of inquires regarding the federal regulations that govern on-campus employment.  Students in F-1 or J-1 status are reminded that when classes are in session, employment on-campus cannot exceed 20 hours per week.  If a student works for more than one on-campus employer, the total number of hours worked from all jobs cannot exceed 20 hours per week.  Keep in mind that Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are all considered to be on-campus employment, and a full assistantship is considered to have a 15-20 hour per week obligation.

If you are a J-1 student, remember that all employment, including on-campus employment, must be authorized in advance.  If you are a J-1 student and will be employed on-campus for the Spring 2008 semester, and have not yet obtained work authorization from your J-1 responsible officer, you need to take care of that matter immediately.  If your DS-2019 was issued by Binghamton University, you may request the required letter by completing the form at the following link: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/jempframe.htm

For more information regarding on-campus employment regulations, visit the ISSS website http://isss.binghamton.edu and click on “employment.”  The direct link to on-campus employment information is: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/index.html
Still have questions?  Send an e-mail message to isss@binghamton.edu

10. CINTAX Income Tax Preparation Software Available Soon

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services plans to announce the availability of CINTAX income tax software in the next two weeks.  This web-based software product will make it very easy for international students to fulfill their U.S. Federal income tax filing obligations for calendar year 2007.  Watch for an upcoming e-mail message.  Once ISSS receives its supply of income tax forms, an announcement will be posted in ISSS-BU News.  A series of Income Tax Web Workshops will become available in mid-February.  Watch ISSS-BU News for the announcement.

Also, please read the very important information about Income Tax Filing (below)

11. Income Tax Information:  WAIT!  Don’t File your Tax Forms Too Soon!

Many international students have begun to receive their W-2 forms and other tax forms, and are anxious to file their income tax returns.  This is usually because most students want to determine if they are eligible for a tax refund.  If so, they want their money as quickly as possible. 

But, before you get to work on your income tax returns, WAIT!  You’ll avoid mistakes that way.  Here’s why.

Most International Students Cannot E-File Their Income Tax Returns

Non-resident income tax returns (forms 8843, 1040NR EZ and 1040NR) cannot be e-filed.  They must be printed and mailed through the Postal Service. 

Most international students in F-1 or J-1 status are non-residents for tax purposes, if they have been in the United States in F-1 or J-1 status for five years or less (2003 or later). 

CINTAX, which is the web-based income tax software for non-resident tax filing, is what BU international students who are non-residents for tax purposes should use.  It’s free, it’s an excellent product, and based on the information you provide, it populates the required federal income tax forms, prints them so that you can mail them, and determines whether or not you are eligible for a tax refund.

International Students Who Complete Non-Resident Federal Income Tax Returns Cannot E-File Their New York State Tax Returns
Some students will also need to file a New York State income tax return, either because:

1. They wish to receive a refund of New York State income tax or
2. Because the amount of wages earned is greater than the New York State income threshold requiring the filing of a state tax return. 

Although New York State strongly encourages e-filing, it can only be used if the federal income tax form is e-filed.  Since non-resident federal forms cannot be e-filed, you must fill out the New York State non-resident income tax forms yourself, based on the information printed on your federal non-resident form.  CINTAX does not prepare New York State tax forms.  Watch ISSS-BU News for information on upcoming Web Workshops that will assist you with filing NYS non-resident income tax forms.

Don’t File Your Income Tax Forms Until You Have All of Your W-2s

If you worked for more than one U.S. employer during calendar year 2007 (for example, Sodexho Dining Services and the State of New York) you must wait to file your income tax returns until you have a wage and tax statement (usually a W-2 form, but sometimes a different form) from each employer.  If your former employer(s) do not have your current mailing address, you need to contact them and request that the wage and tax statement be sent to you.

If You Will Be Issued Form 1042-S, You Cannot File Your Income Tax Form Until the 1042-S Arrives
Form 1042-S is also known as “Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding.”  This form has multiple purposes.  It is used to report Tax Treaty-eligible income, as well as scholarships.  By law, form 1042-S may be issued as late as mid-March.  If you are the recipient of an athletic scholarship, dissertation year fellowship, or a US sourced scholarship such as a Fulbright or Muskie grant, OR if you worked for the State Payroll or Research Foundation Payroll and were able to claim the benefits of a tax treaty based on wages, a form 1042-S will be issued to you in March.  This form is an essential part of your income tax filing.  Do not file your income tax form until you have received it.

Getting Help with Your Income Tax Forms

The ISSS is in the process of developing a series of web income tax workshops, which will assist you with filing New York State forms, since all international students and scholars who were non-residents for tax purposes during 2007 can use CINTAX for their federal forms.   Watch for an announcement after mid-February.

ISSS-BU is a listserv owned and managed by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, Division of Student Affairs, at the State University of New York at Binghamton. It is the publisher of ISSS-BU News . Permission is granted to freely distribute the information posted to this list as long as its contents remain unchanged.