Graduate Studies / Education / Hosting Visiting Scholars

Faculty Sponsor Instructions for Visiting Scholars

If you been contacted by someone who would like to visit the department as a visiting scholar and you’ve agreed to sponsor them, this is the process for faculty:

Forward the visiting scholar’s name and email address to the Program Assistant; nina@education.ucsb.edu. The original email you received from them is fine. Nina will contact them with instructions (for both foreign and domestic visitors) and you will be copied so you'll know the status.
Faculty sponsors must review the visitor's CV. All CV's must be in English, if you have received one, a copy should be forwarded to the Program Assistant. This will be verified as reviewed with OISS.
The visiting scholar may ask you for an “Invitation Letter” (optional). Some governments or academic institutions require this in advance to approve the scholar’s visit and generate paperwork. This invitation from the department is written by the faculty sponsor, and a copy should be sent to Nina. There is no official form used for this letter, faculty sponsors draft this for each individual, but it should contain the following:

The visitor’s arrival and departure dates.
What research/study they will do while here.
If you are permitting use of your Research Office.
Specify in writing to your scholar that no UCSB or other departmental funds will be available for their visit.

General Information for Faculty Sponsors

OISS and the VISA process:

Suggest to your foreign visitors that they review the UCSB Office of International Scholars (OISS) website for information when planning their visit: http://www.oiss.ucsb.edu/index.aspx
If your foreign visitor changes their arrival/departure dates, they must notify OISS (OISS checks on these with Homeland Security). Notify the Program Assistant of any date changes.

OISS will process DS-2019 paperwork no more than 6 months in advance of their visit date.

It is the Education Department Policy not to pay for, nor process, any Express Mail service for visitors.
DS-2019 packets are always sent standard foreign mail by OISS. This can take 2-4 weeks to be received.
If the visiting scholar needs express mail service, they must do so at their own expense using a credit card. UCSB OISS uses United Express Mail Services (UEMS) which will allow the scholar to receive their immigration documents via Federal Express (FedEx) or DHL in 3-5 days. If your scholar opts to do this, they must contact OISS for further instructions about using the UEMS website. Please note: They should NOT contact FedEx or DHL directly.

Visitors must have a minimum of $1400 per month designated for their visit (see the OISS webpage). This can be their own funds, or from another source. Without adequate funding, their DS-2019 will be denied. Visiting scholars will be asked to show proof of funding at the consulate or embassy when the Visa is issued.

Dept. of Education Policies and Information Regarding Visiting Scholars

The Department of Education does not provide any funding for visiting scholars.
Housing needs: Faculty sponsor may assist with this, or the visitor should be referred to the OISS website for help.

The “Education Chair’s Letter” for the Vice Chancellor of Research is required for all visitors. The scholar receives this from the Program Assistant upon arrival. It is used to identify them as a visitor to the Education Department, authorizing them to obtain a UCSB Davidson Library card, purchase a parking permit, and get UCSB NetID privileges.

UCSB NetID: Can be granted to visitors as a professional courtesy. Visiting Scholars can request this from the Program Assistant when they arrive. ISC will provide them with a UCSB umail account and internet access for one year.

GGSE (Education email) account: Can be requested at the same time as the UCSB NetID. This account provides an Education email, wireless access in the building, and access to labs, and seminar room equipment such as the Smart Boards. Do not send the scholar to the Help Desk. Once assigned, they will receive an email from ITG containing instructions for their account registration.

The “Patent Policy” form is mandatory by the UC. All UC faculty, staff, and visitors are required to sign this. The Program Assistant will provide this to the visiting scholar when they arrive.

Office space: ED 3144 is the shared office space for Education visiting scholars. It is not secure nor confidential. Faculty sponsors have the option of granting access to their Research Offices.

An “Access Card” for the Education building or Ada’s Lab (ED 1211) is at the discretion of the faculty sponsor. Forward your permission to Amy Meredith and instruct your visitor to see her in ED 4111 for the authorization form, which the faculty sponsor must sign. There will be a $15 charge for the Access Card which the visiting scholar is responsible for paying.
Education Building regular hours for scholar's use : 7:30am-7:30pm Monday through Thursday, 7:30am-5:00pm on Friday. The building is locked on weekends.

Supplies/copies: No supplies or copying services are provided by Education for visiting scholars. If the faculty sponsor designates a project, they may opt to provide them with their personal code to use the copier or scanner. The Program Office does not assist with this.

Mail: No personal mailbox or mail services are available for visiting scholars. The “Hold for Pick Up” box in the Education Program Office (ED 3102) is available for temporary mail pick-up/delivery.
OISS hosts campus events for visiting scholars to meet and mingle and will periodically contact them by email of calendared events.

updated 4/11/12

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Faculty Sponsor Instructions for Visiting Scholars