ACCOMMODATIONS	NEW USER WORKSHOP	SESSIONS
		BOSTON	REGISTRATION
		GENERAL INFORMATION	SCHEDULE

 

	Proposed Session Topics
	The following are proposed session topics to be presented at the ISSS Summit.  The sessions shown are subject to change.  Revisit the website to review updates as the event approaches.  View the full schedule here.
	Getting to Know TDS for ISSS - An Overview
	Come to this session to take part in a broad strokes overview of how TDS can become an essential asset to any ISSS professional's day-to-day workload. Quickly create, view, and edit your student, scholar, and dependent records as well as access all the information you need to effectively advise and process their requests. Translate your SEVIS record updates and benefit request processes into a student/scholar initiated paperless online format that can be easily accessed and reviewed by an advisor. Communicate quickly with your students and scholars via email & SMS and configure customized automatic alerts to notify your students, scholars and staff about important deadlines, such as notifying visa holders of approaching passport expiry dates with detailed instructions on how to renew their passport.
	Where's Waldo? Quickly Find the Information You Need with Queries and Reports
	Are you confident that you can sort through hundreds of records and narrow the results to only the ones that interest you? Would you like to create 'bookmarked' lists of records on your home page or send quick links to other admins? Finally, would you like to quickly and easily create detailed reports on the information you collect? The Terra Dotta system has advanced capabilities for searching ("Queries") and reporting. Come to this session to learn the basics of these critical tools and get ideas for the many varied ways they can be utilized on your site to save you time and keep tabs on Waldo!
	How to Tame Your SEVIS Dragon
	Learn how TDS tames the SEVIS dragon, simplifying your interactions with SEVIS in our version 15 release. This session will cover the basics, including preparing to batch create, register/validate, and update SEVIS records with TDS. We will also discuss how TDS integrates existing student information and assists with SEVIS compliance. Come learn how TDS Version 15 will forever change your relationship with SEVIS.
	How to Train Your SEVIS Dragon
	This session will cover the specifics of using TDS to train your SEVIS dragon. Whether batching or using embedded RTI, TDS will provide the tools you need to "domesticate" the wild SEVIS. Focusing on high-volume tasks that you repeat routinely in ISSS, we will discuss using batch and embedded RTI functions for creating and updating SEVIS events. No more fear!
	Lose the Paperweight: Going Paperless with TDS
	Have dusty file cabinets become the focal point of your International Student and Staff office? Ditch your antiques and find out how you can use Terra Dotta Software to go paperless. Student files, applications, requests and documents can all be quickly created and stored in an organized system that's accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection. This session will guide participants through the process of creating an application/request/petition, using the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) as an example.
	One Small Step for Students, One Giant Leap for Adminkind: Using OneStep Forms to Effectively Gather Information
	This session will demonstrate how Terra Dotta software enables your incoming students and scholars to quickly complete forms containing key information your office needs. Examples will include how students and scholars can use one-step forms to complete their initial arrival report, F-1 and J-1 travel endorsements, and Reduced Course Load forms. Increase compliance and data validity by simplifying processes where it makes sense for your office to do so. Takeaways will include creating a one-step form from scratch or using existing data to setup a one-step program.
	Know Before You Go: Using TDS to Create Targeted Pre-Arrival and Orientation Modules for Your International Students and Scholars
	It's hard to imagine the new international student and scholar experience - applying to US schools, securing a visa, navigating a new country, finding housing, the list goes on. Make this transition easier by providing new students and scholars with a customized online module that contains useful pre and post-arrival information that can be referenced throughout the duration of their program. Provide in-depth information regarding status maintenance and create assessments to gauge student and scholar aptitude of the important information presented by your office. Ease your orientation burden by using TDS to create a process that enables new students and scholars to upload their passport, visa stamp, and I-94 arrival departure information directly into their Terra Dotta file. Session participants will learn how to create pre-arrival and orientation programs in TDS and exchange ideas with colleagues regarding best practices.
	Breaking It Down: Creating Phases for Online Applications/Requests
	TDS enables your office to transition your specific processes for accepting and adjudicating requests and updates from international students and scholars into an online format. Each request process that your office creates will instruct your students and scholars to complete specific requirements that you need in order to adjudicate their request. In addition to controlling what is required in each of the requests, you can determine when in the process users must complete certain requirements. For example, your office may want a student or scholar to complete certain prerequisites (Orientations, Quizzes) before accessing a list of other requirements (forms, attachments) they must complete/submit as part of their process. In this session, you will learn how to structure these processes in TDS using a combination dates and phases, and will also provide you with various examples of how dates and phases guide the student/scholar request experience.
	Panel: Going Paperless with Terra Dotta Software
	Hear from ISSS and Terra Dotta software experts Doug Upton, from the Colleges of the Fenway, and Erin Brady, from North Dakota State University, about how they transitioned their offices from being reliant on paper processes to becoming almost completely digital by using the tools available in Terra Dotta software. Questions will focus on the entire trasitional process, including best practices for preparing to go paperless, to the difficulties of adjusting to a digitized office, to the longterm benefits of cutting down on paper-reliance.
	Don't Hate - Automate!: Using Automated Workflows to Manage SEVIS Alerts On Your Own Terms
	Do you feel as though you are at the mercy of overwhelming and overflowing SEVIS alerts? Don't you wish there was an easier way to manage the alerts you care about, and ignore the rest? Don't Hate - Automate! TDS15 provides sophisticated workflow management tools to define your process surrounding SEVIS alerts and other tasks. In addition, you can configure your software to automatically start workflows based on the SEVIS alerts you care about -- and safely ignore the rest.
	SOS! Support Our Scholars with TDS
	TDS supports your scholars through every phase of their visa lifecycle - J-1/J-2, H-1B, O, PERM, and visitors. Learn how TDS applications, questionnaires, and recommendations can simplify your scholar workload, and clarify your communication. Checklists, query watches, and integrated orientations keep your processes moving along and meeting deadlines. Batch create, validate, and update SEVIS records for all your J scholar categories with TDS. The versatility of TDS can easily be used to support your scholar population.
	Be Flexible: Streamlining International Recruitment and Admissions to Improve Student Advising
	With the increased demand from international applicants for more immediate contact during the admission process, it is even more important to improve efficiencies and reduce manual processes. Looking for a way to merge your communication, appointments, application evaluation, and advising for international students in a streamlined platform? This session will provide details on how NDSU uses the flexibility of TDS to integrate the prospective student, applicant, and admitted student phases into one cycle. It will also show examples of text interface and HTML customizations that improved the recruitment and interdepartmental advising of international students.
	Secrets to a Happy Marriage: Integrating TDS with Campus Data Systems
	The majority of Terra Dotta clients rely on an integration between their Terra Dotta Software and campus data systems in order to log in and evaluate applicants. In addition, an integration is required for the SEVIS module functionality. This session will cover the basics of how an integration actually works. We’ll cover integration structures, various options for campus logins, and go over examples of data fields commonly included in integrations. No IT background is required for this session. Knowledge is power - gain control of your integration!
	Sink or Swim: Making the Most out of Terra Dotta software with Support Services
	Ever feel like you’re drowning and don’t know where to turn for help? Let Terra Dotta Support be your lifeguard! In this session, we’ll look at what Terra Dotta Support offers to ensure you’re making the most of your resources and software. We will walk through the Terra Dotta Support Portal together, reviewing how to search the Knowledgebase for answers, submit cases, find upcoming webinars, and connect with other users in the community. You’ll learn about Professional Services offered by Terra Dotta such as the Administrator Service, Tune-Up Service, Onsite Training and One-Week Workshop. Whether you need simple answers or special attention on a custom project, know your options with Terra Dotta Support and Services.
	All in the Family: Supporting Your Dependents with TDS
	TDS supports all dependents through every phase of their visa lifecycle - F-2, M-2, and J-2, as well as H-4s and more. Provide pre-arrival and ongoing orientation materials and programming support with our integrated features. Share critical information and opportunities that will enagage with them in their visa lifecycle. Learn how the student and scholar-facing portals of TDS make it easy to create and update dependent records from your office. Simplify your dependent workload by using our query watches and checklists. Batch create, validate, and update SEVIS records for all your dependents. Learn more about how the versatility of TDS can easily be used to support your dependent population.
	Beyond the Regs: Using Terra Dotta Software to Facilitate Programming in Your ISSS Office
	Supporting International Students and Scholars should not be limited to their visa status alone. Programming and special events created specifically for international students, scholars, and their families can enhance and enrich their experiences at your institution, resulting in higher retention rates and happy alumni whose positive reviews can increase your future numbers. TDS can serve as an invaluable tool that your office can leverage to facilitate programming in your office. This session will focus on how you can utilize TDS to help create and effectively manage a buddy or friendship program, from handling the initial application process, to arranging meetups and events, to allowing participants to document their experiences while participating in the program. Attendees will also brainstorm other programming needs that could be folded into TDS.