Around the World and Back-fsaATLAS!
The International Program Office at Idaho State University serves the combined roles of providing intercultural and international student programming, time sensitive and immigration related processing for students, faculty, and scholars, and student advising—all while playing a critical role in international recruitment, enrollment and retention.
Current U.S immigration regulations as well as recent initiatives by the Department of Homeland Security have compelled international offices in colleges and universities around the country to improve record keeping in order to meet mandatory reporting requirements for international students, faculty and visiting scholars.
fsaATLAS, a software system provided by SunGard Higher Education that is being implemented this summer as a part of the TIGERi project, will accurately incorporate up–to–date immigration regulations governing international enrollment. The management functions incorporated in fsaATLAS will correctly analyze all relevant updates and changes to international records across campus, flagging each relevant event for reporting to SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System.)
The regulatory updates provided with fsaATLAS will also help alleviate concerns about compliance and create greater efficiency. This will help ISU remain competitive and will also help attract prospective international students, faculty, and scholars. “Attracting and retaining international students and scholars is an ongoing priority for many institutions that take pride in assembling diverse constituents. According to the 2007 IIE Open Doors Report, international students in the state of Idaho financially contributed $31.6 million dollars,” states Maria Fletcher, fsaATLAS team lead. For more information please visit: http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/page/113142.
In addition, “Our international population brings with them new ideas, and unique perspectives and opinions that are valuable to our state,” said Fletcher. “In order for international students, researchers and teachers to come here and maintain their legal status, we need a data management system that is efficient and complies with current regulations; fsaATLAS will support us with these efforts.” fsaATLAS is scheduled for production in fall 2008.
