j visa session nayen 2012 conference – anchorage, ak j visa session presenter: james alexander,...
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NAYEN 2012 Conference – Anchorage, AK
J VISA SESSIONJ VISA SESSION
PRESENTER:JAMES ALEXANDER, Program Analyst
U.S. Department of StateBureau of Educational and Cultural AffairsOffice of Private Sector Exchange
Office of DesignationOffice of DesignationSecondary School Student Secondary School Student ProgramProgram
• James Alexander – Program Analyst
• Travis Parsley – Program Coordinator
• Mary Gant – Special Assistant
Role of Designation: Role of Designation: PhilosophyPhilosophy
Oversee Secondary School Student Program
Partner to the SponsorsWant you to succeedHelping to keep Sponsors in compliance
Give guidance, answer questions, etc.Program Integrity
Health, Safety, Welfare of StudentsPhysical safetyAppropriate Living/Educational Environment
Key Regulatory Key Regulatory Issues/ChangesIssues/ChangesMultiple Changes - Effects
◦ Promotion of Programs Limiting access
◦ Incident Reporting
More Transparent, Attention ◦ Reporting Requirements
Data for use/ Our reporting
◦ Training
Not errors of omission
Promotion of ProgramPromotion of Program
Need to Promote and Protect Students◦ DOS
Key is to protect student: Health, Safety, and Welfare
Recognize sponsor need to promote programs, recruit host families
◦ New Regulations Place Limits on Promotion First year in practice
Figuring out – Sponsors & DOS – best practices Pushing the boundaries
◦ Effect? Fewer students? (1,500-2,000) 5 sponsors sanctioned – webpage violations
Not for newspaper ads yet
Advertising & Promotion: Advertising & Promotion: Host Family Recruitment § 62.25 Host Family Recruitment § 62.25 (m)(m)Sponsors must:
(1) Utilize only materials that professionally, ethically, and accurately reflect the sponsor's purposes and activities
(2) Not publicize the need for host families via public media that: ◦ are not sufficiently in advance of the exchange student's
arrival◦ appeal to public pity or guilt if a host family is not found◦ show photos of individual exchange students with an
appeal for an immediate family; (3) Not compromise the privacy, safety or security of
participants, families, or schools. Sponsors shall not ◦ include personal student data:◦ Provide contact information ◦ Show photographs of prospective students
(4) Ensure that access to exchange student photos and PII:◦ Accessible only to fully vetted potential host families. ◦ Password protect online information
Pre-Screening I: Promotion Pre-Screening I: Promotion LimitsLimits
No…◦ Personally Identifiable Information (PII)◦ Pictures of prospective students
No cartoonized images◦ Full Name◦ Identification #s (passport, etc.)◦ Combination of information
Full name Country Home town Parents names Parents professions And more….
Rotary Placement Process Post-placement Rotary Publications Rotary Disadvantage – Incentives…..
Pre-Screening II: Ease of Pre-Screening II: Ease of RegulationRegulation
Best practices suggest no hand written student essays (warm fuzzies?)
No pictures of anybody in promotion w/o clearly visible statement that not actual prospective students
No overly revealing descriptions of students w/o clearly visible statement that not actual prospective students
Guidance Coming Soon
Report Incidents Report Incidents Quickly§ 62.25 n (1) Quickly§ 62.25 n (1)
Sponsors must immediately report to DOS any incident involving the actual or alleged:sexual exploitation other allegations of abuse or neglect
Sponsors must report allegations as required by local/state law.
Failure to report to DOS and as required to local law enforcement can lead to suspension and revocation of the sponsor's designation
Reporting – Time Reporting – Time RequirementsRequirements Delayed Incident Reports
◦ Sexual abuse ◦ Unsafe housing conditions◦ Student Acting Out Dangerously◦ Tell us quickly, even w/o all details
Same Day….. DOS Concerns
◦ Health, Safety, Welfare◦ Potential Notoriety of Department
Asking for Documents, etc. ◦ Help us to help you
Provide Documents Answer Questions
Improving Our System◦ Templates, SOPs, etc.◦ Looking for suggestions
Reports to DOSReports to DOS Annual – July 31 Placement – August 31, January 15 Change of Placement – July 31
Rotary Struggle Request Annual Allotment – July 31
Timing Concerns for those asking for allotment expansion
Issues for Smoother ReportingTime, Confirmation, SOPs
Review/Audit Process – Expect more frequently OSRs – periodic ESRs - periodic DOS/CSIET Audit Functions
Training ModuleTraining ModuleVolunteers/LCs are the critical link to a
successful exchange programserve as representatives of the sponsorshave responsibility for obtaining school
enrollmentlocating and recruiting host familiesresponsible for monitoring the student and
the host familyDOS ensuring representatives know
regulatory requirementsThe certification program was proposed to
ensure that this aspect of training was uniform
All Sponsor officials, local/regional coordinators received the training.
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Regulatory Requirement § 62.25 d (1) Regulatory Requirement § 62.25 d (1) In addition to their own training, sponsors
must ensure that all LCs complete the DOS training module prior to their appointment as a LC or assumption of duties.
DOS training will includeinstruction designed to provide a
comprehensive understanding of the Exchange Visitor Program
its public diplomacy objectivesthe Secondary School Student category
regulations.Sponsors must demonstrate the local
coordinator's successful completion of training requirements and that annual refresher training is successfully completed.
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Training ContentTraining ContentWeb-based Test
◦Brief text initiallyOpen book test30-45 minutes to complete 27 of 30 questions (90 %) must
be answered correctly to be passed
Test can be taken multiple times DOS certified
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Who must be certified? Who must be certified? All U.S.-based sponsor organizational
officers, employees, representatives, agents, and volunteers tasked with core responsibilities that require contact with exchange students (e.g. placement/ relocation of students, student orientation, student monitoring, etc.) must be certified as set forth in §62.25(d)(1).
-Counselor or Coordinator?- Key….
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Meeting the RequirementMeeting the RequirementMust pass DOS test yearlyCurrently for New LCs
◦ Within 30 days of taking on LC function◦ Before working with students or on
student-focused issuesNext Deadline: July 31, 2012
◦ All continuing LCs must be certified by deadline
Compliance Violation: To not be certified and working with students or student-intensive issues
Rotary? Current issues of licenses….
◦ Not started, In Progress, Failed….
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Current IssuesCurrent IssuesNew Regime?Electronic Signatures?Emergency Situations?
◦Moving the studentRock Center?Questions?Testimonials?Concerns?
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