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?