Workshop slides

Ideas from participants

Cultural Awareness

​
What do you want people to know about you and your culture? ​

• Connect with other international students/employees
• Domestic Peers, if curious, can be great partners in sharing cultural aspects/ sharing food
• Have some structured activities organized by CIRES for international people to foster friendship. This would help a lot people that are not lucky enough to be in a working group that doesn't include them socially.

What practices have you observed being successful in fostering belonging among people from diverse cultural backgrounds?​

• Deliberative Exchange of cultures- invitations to socialize, curiosity to learn about other people’s culture, whether it is festivals, parties, going to dinners together or celebrating festivals, inviting people over. Easier to connect with other international employees - making an effort to invite friends
• Trivia is a another great way to connect people from many different backgrounds that are country agnostic
• Engaging in recreational activities very helpful in fostering belonging. 

Immigration Policies​

What are some ways in which international employees and staff can maintain well-being amid uncertainties around immigration policies?

• Take time off and try to enjoy extra-curricular activities as a distraction from the news cycle
• Try to find someone knowledgeable to talk to to contextualize ongoing tension about immigration policies (FSAP)
• Being proactive

In what ways can CIRES better support international employees in the current context? ​

• Provide some kind of interpretation for the newest/recent immigration policies
• Provide some kind of financial resources or connect folks with jobs so that leaving is not the only option for someone who is in limbo over funding issues that are out of their control
• Connecting them with trusted immigration lawyers when the needs go beyond what CU/CIRES can help them with.

CIRES Onboarding​

What processes have helped international employees connect with the broader CIRES community?

• Have frequent 1:1 meetings for the first couple of months to check in on how they are adjusting to CIRES, culture shock. Make sure that these are open-ended conversations where you let the employee direct the conversation. 
• Make sure that you connect with them in person when you can, as they are transitioning.
• Share the CIRES onboarding website.
• Reach out with invitations to attend CIRES Town Halls, CMC meetings, lab all hands meetings. Don’t assume that they know to attend!

International Student and Scholar Services

Mission Statement

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) provides support to the University of Colorado Boulder's international students and scholars who are seeking educational and professional opportunities in the United States. ISSS collaborates with university departments, liaises with international partners, and communicates with U.S. federal agencies to advise, support, engage, and advocate for our international community.

Services

Advising

ISSS offers advising services for international students and scholars and their dependents including:

• General immigration advising
• Assistance with adjustment to life at the university and in the U.S.
• Preparation of immigration benefit documents
• Facilitation of access to campus and community resources

Engagement & Programing

ISSS offers a variety of programs, events, and workshops that honor students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds that seek to engage participants and cultivate knowledge, belonging, success, adjustment, and community.

1. Website line: https://www.colorado.edu/isss/ 
2. News and FAQs: https://www.colorado.edu/isss/news-alerts 
3. Event information: https://www.colorado.edu/isss/programs-events 

Resources and forms, including how to hire an immigration attorney, for international employees in J-1 status: https://www.colorado.edu/isss/forms-handouts/forms-scholars-j-1-status

Resources and forms, including how to hire an immigration attorney, for international employees in H-1B status: https://www.colorado.edu/isss/forms-handouts/forms-scholars-h-1b-status 

Here is updated guidance for our campus community regarding ICE or other federal agents on campus. This guidance has been updated by University Counsel and Strategic Relations and Communications in collaboration with the Division of Public Safety and a number of other campus offices based on the latest national developments.

While it is unlikely that ICE agents would come to the CU Boulder campus to conduct mass immigration enforcement activities and, to the best of our knowledge, ICE has not been on campus to conduct immigration enforcement activity over the past year, the campus has received many questions about immigration enforcement on campus in light of recent national events. The intent of this guidance is to provide our campus community with a better understanding of: 

• The situations in which ICE agents may be on campus;
• What parts of campus ICE agents may access and under what circumstances;
• What to do if you see or encounter an ICE agent on campus; and
• CU Boulder processes to ensure compliance with local, state and federal laws related to immigration enforcement while also respecting campus community members’ civil rights.

This ISSS website has frequently asked questions about how furloughs impact international employees.

ISSS resource