International Student & Scholar Office (ISSO)
About International Students and Scholars
 The
ISSO supports a population of more than 1,000 non-immigrant
students in degree-seeking, exchange, English language, and
non-degree or enrichment programs. We also provide services
for about 35 foreign faculty, exchange scholars, and
visiting faculty each year.
Approximately 75 percent of international students are here
for two to four years, working on an undergraduate or graduate
degree. The additional students are enrolled at the English
Language Center, are on an exchange semester or year from one of
our international partner universities, or are participating in
one of the Summer in Maryland language and culture
programs.
International students and scholars comprise approximately
five percent of the total student enrollment at Towson
University . (Seven percent of the full-time student
population.) The number of international students at Towson
doubled from 1995 to 2000, and tripled from 1991 to 2001.
International students come to Towson from more than 100
nations.
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Who are international students & scholars?
International student is a
popular term for the more precise, foreign student
– a student who is in the United States as a
“non-immigrant,” i.e., with a temporary visa. The term
does not technically include the many students at Towson
who are foreign-born U.S. Permanent Residents or
citizens, who add to the cultural diversity and
“internationalization” of our campus.
International scholars are
foreign nationals who are officially invited by the
university as visiting faculty, researchers, guest
lecturers or artists. The term scholar also
refers to the faculty of the university who are foreign
nationals, in non-immigrant status or in the process of
obtaining U.S. Permanent Resident status.
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TU International Population Statistical Reports:
2007-08 academic year
(PDF)
2006-07 academic year
(PDF)
2005-06 academic year
(PDF)
2004-05 academic year (PDF)
2003-04 academic year (PDF)
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The ISSO
The major purpose of the ISSO is to contribute to the
retention and success of international students.
The ISSO offers assistance in the following areas:
- visa applications and immigration related matters;
- cross-cultural orientation and adjustment;
- mediation of cross-cultural misunderstanding;
- success in the U.S. academic environment;
- understanding and following University regulations;
- using University services;
- complying with federal law concerning temporary-visa
holders;
- referrals to community resources;
- requests from the community for contact with TU's
international population; and
- emergency situations involving international students or
scholars.
Staff are also in regular contact with other University
offices and departments, education officers at foreign
embassies in the U.S. , non-governmental sponsoring
agencies, Social Security Administration, the Maryland Motor
Vehicle Administration, the Department of Homeland Security,
the Department of State, and other scholarship/sponsoring
agencies. In relationship with these offices, ISSO staff
serve as advocates for students' concerns and needs.
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Services
The International Student & Scholar Office at Towson
University is engaged in many aspects of academic and
student life. The following are some of the functions
performed by the ISSO on a regular basis:
- Provides documents and legal expertise which make
possible the enrollment of nonimmigrant students, the hiring
of foreign faculty, and the invitation of visiting
international faculty and scholars.
- Provides the advising services necessary for those
international students and scholars to attain and maintain
legal status while in the United States , to be legally
employed, and to understand applicable federal government
regulations and university policies.
- Designs and presents programs that assist international
students in their transition to life in the United States
and provides them with tools for success in the American
academic environment.
- Advise students regarding personal, academic, legal,
career, intercultural communication, and cross-cultural
adjustment issues.
- Acts as liaison to and advocates for students with
government agencies and university offices.
- Coordinates programs and provides ongoing services
aimed at enhancing the international student's social life
here, encouraging their interaction with American students
and community members, and promoting ways that they can
become involved and appreciated for their unique cultural
perspectives.
- Assists in coordinating appropriate services for
international students in legal, medical, and family
emergency situations.
The ISSO also publishes the ISSO News , a
quarterly newsletter to communicate immigration information,
recreational opportunities, and other news for or about the
international population on campus. When new international
students begin studying at Towson University , they are
required to provide the ISSO with a valid email address. The
ISSO sends them emails through an e-mail distribution list
which publicizes ISSO events and services, announces job and
travel opportunities, quickly communicates important news
about immigration matters, and serves as a bulletin board
for students. In addition, the ISSO has created over 70
informational handouts on topics such as banking options,
getting a driver's license, international mail, cultural
adjustment, tips for academic success, and immigration
regulations and benefits.
To advocate for student and scholar concerns and needs, the
ISSO is in regular contact with many agencies:
- Education officers at foreign embassies in the United
States
- Visa officers at U.S. Consulates overseas
- Scholarship and sponsoring agencies
- Social Security Administration
- Maryland 's Motor Vehicle Administration
- The three immigration bureaus of the Department of
Homeland Security: U.S. Citizenship & immigration Services,
Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Customs & Border
Protection
- U.S. Department of State
- Foreign student advisors at other universities and
colleges
- NAFSA: The Association of International Educators
- Members of the U.S. Congress, to advocate for
legislation favorable to international exchange
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Staff
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 Janene
Oettel, Director
joettel@towson.edu
- Sets policies for international students and
scholars
- Directs ISSO goals, programs and services
- Provides immigration services for
foreign-national faculty and visiting scholars
Janene 's interest in international education grew from an
undergraduate degree in international relations, the study
of foreign languages, a study abroad program, working in
ethnic restaurants, foreign roommates, and basic curiosity.
She taught English as a second language and obtained a
master's in English with the goal to work abroad.
After graduate school she went to northeast China to work
for the People's Bank, teaching American language and
culture in a training seminar for its employees, and
teaching English as a foreign language at Harbin Finance
College . Upon return to the U.S. , she continued teaching
ESL at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 1989 she
took a new direction by becoming the International Student
Advisor then eventually Assistant Director of the
International Students and Scholars Office at Cornell
University . Now at Towson University , she coordinates
foreign student and faculty services as Director of the
International Student and Scholar Office.
Janene enjoys cooking, skiing, dancing, swimming, folk and
"world" music, and foreign films.
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 Gail
Gibbs, Associate Director
ggibbs@towson.edu
- Lead staff
member on F-1 regulations and policy
- Point person
on F1/F2 SEVIS reporting
- Advises and supports international students on
immigration, academic, cultural adjustment, and
personal matters
Gail was
born and raised in the beautiful Caribbean country of
Trinidad and Tobago.
After high school, she moved to the United States to begin
college and a new exciting life in Baltimore.
After earning her Associate’s degree in Humanities at the
Community College of Baltimore, Liberty Campus, Gail earned
her Bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence (history of law) at
the University of Baltimore.
During her senior year at UB, Gail worked in the Center for
Student Involvement where she enjoyed working closely with
students, getting to know them, and contributing to an
important aspect of their college career.
Gail’s career goals began to change, and she decided to
devote her life’s work to higher education.
She went back to school for her Master’s degree in College
Student Personnel at the University of Rhode Island.
After earning her degree, Gail worked in Philadelphia for
six years as the Assistant Director at the international
student office at Drexel University.
Gail is thrilled to now be working at Towson University, and
fully embraces the opportunity to return to her second home.
She is looking forward to getting to know the wonderful
students at Towson University, and help them to be
successful in their studies and to make the most of their
time in the U.S.
In her spare time, Gail enjoys reading, watching movies,
traveling and meeting new people, and especially enjoys
trying various traditional cuisines.
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 Scott
Pierson, International Student Advisor
spierson@towson.edu
- Coordinates social and cultural programs
- Serves as liaison to Division of Student Affairs
- Advises and supports international students on
immigration, academic, cultural adjustment, and
personal matters
Scott grew up in Medford , New Jersey . He received a
bachelor's degree in rhetoric and communication studies,
with minors in business administration, Spanish, and studio
art, at the University of Richmond in 2001. While a student
at Richmond, Scott had the unique opportunity to study
abroad twice; he spent one summer in Costa Rica and another
in Ecuador . His interest in learning foreign languages and
interacting with people from different cultures began to
grow. During his senior year, Scott worked for the Office of
International Education as president of the Ambassador Club.
After graduation, Scott moved to Toyama-ken, Japan, where
he taught English to Japanese high school students on the
JET Program for two years. He returned to the United States
in August 2003, and began working for Towson University as
an International Student Advisor in January 2004. In
January 2009, Scott completed his master's degree in
business administration with a concentration in
international business management from Towson University &
the University of Baltimore.
In his free time, Scott enjoys traveling the world with his
wife and playing a variety of sports, including distance
running, soccer, tennis, skiing.
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 Sophia
Jeffrey, SEVIS Coordinator & Office Manager
sjeffrey@towson.edu
- Coordinates SEVIS processes & procedures for ISSO
- Manages office tasks & activities related to the
office budget, visa services, as well as to ISSO
programs and publications, using the office and
university information systems and desktop
publishing software.
Born and bred in Baltimore,
Sophia Jeffrey spent nearly 20 years in places both
near and far before returning to the Baltimore area
in 2007.
After completing high school, she studied abroad in
the Alsace-Lorraine region of France with the
Experiment in International Living. She then
attended Barnard College in New York where she
majored in American History.
While at Barnard, Sophia developed an
interest in Asian religions and cultures and lived
in Japan for four years after graduating, teaching
English through the Japan Exchange and Teaching
Programme. After returning from Japan, Sophia earned
her Master’s degree at American University’s School
of International Service in Washington, DC, focusing
on issues of cross cultural adaptation and
communication.
During her time at American University, Sophia
worked at the university’s law school counseling
international students on various aspects of US
life, with a focus on internships and employment.
She also tutored international students at Goucher
College and American University, and taught English
during a six month stay in Colombia.
Her time
living abroad and her experience advising
international students in the US made Sophia aware
of the various challenges, both cultural and
practical, that people face when outside the borders
of their own countries, and deepened her interest in
working with international populations.
While much of Sophia’s recent experience has been in
communications for international development
initiatives at the U.S. Agency for International
Development, she decided to return to a position
that would allow her to
more directly provide assistance and counsel to international students and
visitors. She
is excited to be re-joining the world of
international students
and to be working again in higher education.
When not in the office, Sophia loves
to be swimming in the ocean, exploring the streets
and architecture of cities around the world,
wandering through the countryside, scouting out new
types of cuisine to try, reading, watching movies or
going to the theatre.
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Sue Auzmendi , Administrative Assistant
sauzmendi@towson.edu
- Provides routine secretarial & clerical support
- Assists with specific tasks & activities related
to visa services, as well as to ISSO programs and
publications, using the office and university
information systems and desktop publishing software
Sue spent nearly half of her life growing up in
Bristol, Connecticut and graduated as a National
Honors Society Member with dreams of joining the
Peace Corps and becoming an
ambassador. However, falling in love with her soul
mate Eduardo, from Montevideo, Uruguay, changed all
those plans and was totally unexpected and
impulsive.
While my husband attended Old Dominion University in
Norfolk, Virginia, earning his BS in Civil
Engineering, Sue worked full-time at the Department
of Academic Counseling & Testing, attending classes
part time, majoring in Elementary Education and
Political Science. Eduardo's work took Sue and her
family to California, New Jersey and then finally to
Maryland where they settled. They are proud parents
of a daughter, Christina, a recent graduate of
Eastern University in St. David's, Pennsylvania,
with a BA in Elementary Education, and a son,
Christopher, a freshman attending the University of
Maryland majoring in Business/Finance. In the summer
of 2006 Sue and her husband celebrated their 25th
Wedding Anniversary cruising the Mediterranean.
Sue is so excited to be part of TU and the ISSO!
Each morning she hops on the beltway from
Reisterstown to TU. She enjoys traveling, arts &
crafts, music from around the world, and spending
time with my family. Being an advocate for
education, she looks forward to meeting Towson
University international students in order to
provide support and guidance so that they can obtain
all of their goals!
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Student Workers
Duc Ngoc Le,
Graduate Assistant
Maria Cordon, Help Desk Specialist
Yongkun (Shawn) Su , Help Desk Specialist
Truc (Melissa) Tran, Help Desk Specialist
Kangyi Kim, Publications Assistant
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