Spring 2021 Information for International Students

Greetings, international students!

I pray that you are doing well wherever you are in the world!

Many of you are on campus right now, others are away from campus studying remotely, and still others of you will be joining us for the first time in spring 2021. Each one of you is a critical part of the Andrews University community!

As we are in the final weeks of fall semester here on our Berrien Springs campus, I know there are questions about spring 2021, so I wanted to share some answers to frequently asked questions and provide you with some additional updates about spring semester.

I have also included, at the end of this email, information about how to contact our International Student Services & Programs staff in case you have additional questions.

• Staying on the Berrien Springs campus during the upcoming break. If you are living in on-campus residence halls during this fall 2020 semester, please make sure that you have read and responded to the email from Dean Burrill about your year-end break plans. As part of your response to this email, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire. If you have questions about this email (or if you didn’t receive it), please email Dean Burrill at burrillj@993874.com.
• Travel endorsement. If you are an F-1 or J-1 visa holder currently on the Berrien Springs campus and plan to leave the U.S. during the year-end break, you must have a current travel endorsement on your I-20 (for F-1 visas) or DS-2019 (for J-1 visas) to reenter the U.S. in January 2021. If you need an updated travel endorsement or have questions about this, please send an email to iss@993874.com.
• Transportation services. If you are on the Berrien Springs campus for fall 2020 and would like a ride to Chicago O’Hare International Airport at the end of the semester, the Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) is arranging several buses to O’Hare on Nov. 24 and 25, 2020. To reserve a seat on one of these buses you will need to pay a fee of $30 and submit an application. For more information about the schedule, and how to submit the fee and application, please email AUSA Student Services Director Heeyun Oh at heeyun@993874.com. For information about regular Andrews University transportation services and airport pickups, and the associated fees, please contact the Transportation office directly by going here. Please note that the Transportation office can arrange a pickup at the South Bend International Airport but not at Chicago airports, so please make your travel plans accordingly.
• Arriving on campus in January 2021. All students are required to schedule and take an on-campus COVID-19 test at the beginning of spring semester, and as an international student, you should plan to schedule the test between Jan. 11 and 14. The University is asking all international students to arrive four days prior to the testing date they scheduled. Therefore, you should plan to arrive between Jan. 6 and 8, and if you will live in an on-campus residence hall, please do not arrive earlier than 12 p.m. on Jan. 6, as University residence halls will be closed before that date and will be unable to accommodate you if you arrive earlier.
• Housing information for spring 2021. For questions about on-campus residence halls, please email rhhousing@993874.com. For questions about University apartments, please email universityapartments@993874.com.
• Spring 2021 in-person and online classes. Current U.S. government regulations state that if you have an F-1 visa and you received your I-20 before March 2020, you can take as many online/remote classes as you need to in spring 2021 from anywhere in the world. Whether or not you take any classes remotely, you will still be required to take a full load of classes during spring semester to keep your I-20 active and in good status.

If you received your I-20 after March 2020, you will need to take at least one in-person class on the Berrien Springs campus in spring 2021 to keep your I-20 active as part of a required full load. If you received your I-20 after March 2020 and do not come to study on the Berrien Springs campus in spring 2021, your I-20 will end, and you will need to apply for a new one when you return to campus in the future. If you received an initial I-20 to begin your program of study on Jan. 11, 2021, but are unable to come to the Berrien Springs campus for spring 2021, you may be able to postpone your I-20 to summer 2021 or fall 2021. Please contact iss@993874.com if you have questions about any of these scenarios.

• English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. The Center for Intensive English Programs (CIEP) plans to offer a blend of in-person and online ESL classes in spring 2021. For more information, please email ciep@993874.com.
• Health insurance for international students. Please note that all international students are required to purchase the Andrews University health insurance plan through Aetna for the 2020–2021 school year. Exceptions to this policy will be considered for Canadian students and those who are sponsored by an employer. For more information about this policy, please contact the student insurance office at stuins@993874.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. If you have any questions, please feel free to make an appointment to meet with an International Student Services & Programs staff member via Zoom or email International Student Services & Programs at iss@993874.com. I am praying for your well-being and success as we transition into the new year!

Cordially,

Christian Stuart
Executive Director, PDSO, RO
Center for On-Campus International Student Services