April 20, 2010
Impact of Volcanic Ash Cloud on Travel in Europe
The Icelandic volcano eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Europe with many airports not allowing incoming or outgoing flights. CIEE students who traveled away from their Study Centers for the weekend or scheduled breaks are having a difficult time returning. All modes of transportation are currently in high demand throughout Europe and anticipated travel will most likely not proceed as planned.
CIEE is in the process of contacting all students who are impacted and we are asking our host institutions to understand that students might miss classes. We are suggesting alternative travel possibilities to students—where possible—and ask that they return to the program as soon as possible.
Students experiencing delays in returning to their Study Center should call or email their Resident Director and home institution to inform them when they expect to return.
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Enrollment Update
Spain Visas
For the fall 2010 semester, the Spanish consulates in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco have agreed to allow CIEE to submit visa applications on behalf of our students. The consulates require that students meet the residency criteria in order to participate in the appointment.
Students are required to inform CIEE by Friday, May 7 if they plan to have CIEE submit their visa application to the consulates listed above. Instructions on signing up for the appointment and completing the visa application are available to students via the online checklist accessible in MY CIEE. Students participating in the CIEE visa appointment must send their complete and correct visa application materials (including their passport) to CIEE by Friday, May 21.
Please note that it will be necessary for students participating in our group appointment to surrender their passports for the duration of the visa processing period estimated at approximately six to eight weeks. If students have any special circumstances that would make surrendering their passport a hardship (planned international travel during the summer, etc…) we suggest that the student apply for their visa independently.
If you have students who will be studying abroad during the summer and need a visa for Spain, the students should contact the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over their home address in the U.S. to find out how to proceed. A list of Spanish consulates and their jurisdictions is found here.
If you have any students who plan to apply for their visas independently of the CIEE appointment, it is extremely important that they contact the consulate as soon as possible to schedule an individual appointment. Consular appointments fill quickly and students want to leave plenty of time for the visa to be processed prior to departure.
Please contact Libby Lauze, Manager, Enrollment, ELauze@ciee.org, 1.800.407.8839 x4141 with any questions.
Staff Updates
Michelene Guertler, Resident Director for the CIEE Study Center in Tokyo, will be leaving her position to pursue other interests following the summer 2010 program. For the last two years, Michelene has done a wonderful job expanding the CIEE Tokyo program and its range of co-curricular offerings and level of student support. She has also worked hard to develop the relationship with our host institution, Sophia University, and has done a laudable job managing administrative processes to ensure students successfully transition into the university. The search for a new Resident Director is underway.
Dr. Nathan Longan, longtime CIEE Resident Director in St. Petersburg, Russia, will be leaving CIEE at end of the spring 2010 semester. Nathan plans to continue his studies and potentially launch a new business venture in the near future. He began his journey with CIEE as a student on the St. Petersburg program and has served as the Resident Director there for over 10 years. During his tenure as the Resident Director, Nathan has, among many accomplishments, developed the Russian Area Studies program, conducted pre- and post-program language testing, and has taught numerous courses at the Study Center.
CIEE has begun a search for a new Resident Director and plans to have the new person in place by early August 2010. The current CIEE Administrative Director and Resident Coordinator will manage the 2010 summer program with additional support from the St. Petersburg State University-appointed CIEE Academic Director.
Max Savishinsky, as previously announced, is the new Program Director, Latin America and Caribbean. He begins his work at CIEE on Monday, April 26, and will be based in the Portland, Maine home office. Max’s contact information is:
Email: MSavishinsky@ciee.org
Telephone: 800.407.8839, ext. 4054 or 207.553.4054
Fax: 207.553.5054