ISSP Policy Change for PhD Students
Dear International Doctoral Students,
I write to explain a change in ISSS policy with regard to completion of studies, effective fall 2011 semester. ISSS has decided that our current policy – which bases completion of studies around the date of the oral defense – does not accurately represent a doctoral student’s completion of program. We have established a new Completion Policy to better serve the needs of our F-1 and J-1 students:
ISSS will now define completion of studies for all students in doctoral programs as graduation. Therefore, I-20 and DS-2019 Forms for Ph.D. students in F-1 and J-1 status at Emory will be adjusted to May, August, or December to reflect the accurate graduation date.
Clarification of our completion policy is part of a larger effort by ISSS to improve communication and clarity with international doctoral students. To this end, we have created a Ph.D. Student Topics section of our website (http://www.emory.edu/issp/students/PhD_Info/index.html) which provides customized information for doctoral students on a variety of subjects including registration, employment, research abroad, program completion and more. Please carefully review the pages in this section to ensure that you are up-to-date on relevant information for international Ph.D. students at Emory.
We will also begin offering a Ph.D. Information Session each fall semester to provide relevant information to doctoral students who have completed at least three years in the Ph.D. program. This fall, the session is scheduled for October 12, 2011 in our offices at the North Decatur Building. A formal invitation, requiring RSVP, will be sent to students a few weeks prior to the event. If you have completed at least three years in your program and will continue your studies beyond fall 2011, we strongly encourage you to attend.
If you intend to complete your program sometime during fall 2011 semester, please make an appointment to see your International Student Advisor at least three months prior to your intended defense so that we may discuss your completion and any post-completion work authorization plans. I advise students whose last names that begin with A-M, while students whose last names begin with N-Z are advised by our Senior International Student Advisor, Ms. Angela Guinyard.
We wish you the best of luck in the coming academic year and hope that this new policy will better serve your needs while still maintaining our responsibilities as sponsors of international students at Emory.
Best regards,
Kate Billings
Associate Director, Student Services
ISSS