2023 NAFSA Region VIII Conference

Registration opens: August 15th

Early Bird Deadline: October 9th

Regular/Onsite Deadline: November 8th

To get to Roanoke, the Roanoke airport makes Air Travel convenient. The Amtrak Train station is just across the street from our conference hotel. There is also a Greyhound Bus stop only a 13 minute walk or 4 minute rideshare/taxi away from the hotel. If you are coming from Blacksburg, the Roanoke Valley Bus Line is available.

Exploring Roanoke while in town?

The local bus system is a great way to navigate Roanoke. For more options to get around town, check out the Trolly, Car Rental options, and information about Downtown Roanoke Parking. 

Check out ideas for what to do.

IFSA Travel Grant

The Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) is sponsoring two travel grants to support participation in this year's Regional Conference in Roanoke! Each grant will cover up to $500 in expenses for an education abroad professional to attend the Conference. The application period has ended. 

CLOSED

All attendees traveling to the US from abroad can request a visa letter of invitation via the link above. 

All requests submitted by the October 1st will be screened, but not all requests will be approved. Please allow one week from your date of submission for delivery. If approved, an invitation letter on official letterhead will be issued to you as a PDF document, and will be e-mailed to the address you provided.

Please check with your local U.S. consulate to allow sufficient time for visa processing. Your request for a letter of invitation to attend a NAFSA regional conference does not guarantee that you will receive a visa.

F-1 Beginners

A must-have training for the new Designated School Official (DSO) to jump-start their career. The workshop offers new advisers a key foundation for understanding the compliance role of the DSO.

J-1 Intermediate

The J-1 Advising for Beginners workshop goes deeply into grey areas of J advising. This workshop is designed to help you think through the development of policies, procedures, and practices necessary to maintain a healthy J program for your institution.

NAFSA is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. NAFSA does not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for the conference. Participants violating these rules may be asked to leave the conference at the sole discretion of NAFSA’s management. If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, or if you witness unacceptable behavior, please inform the Regional Conference Planner, who will inform NAFSA staff, so that we may resolve any concerns. If you or another event participant witnesses or is a party to imminent physical danger or distress, promptly alert the appropriate security, law enforcement, or emergency medical authorities. This Code applies to all NAFSA members and event attendees in all NAFSA meeting venues, including the regional conference, ancillary events and social gatherings, whether officially sponsored by NAFSA or not and whether held in-person or virtually.

Conference registration and/or workshop registration may be canceled with full refund less a 10% processing fee, any time up until four (4) weeks prior, October 9, to the conference start date.

A 50% refund is available for conference registration and/or workshop registration provided written notification is received between four (4) weeks, October 9, and two (2) weeks prior, October 23, to the conference start date.

No refunds will be granted after October 23, 2023. In the case of emergency/extenuating circumstances, special requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the regional leadership team following the conference.

NAFSA follows COVID-19 safety protocols as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and local ordinances in the conference location, which currently do not require proof of vaccination or masking. Should the mandates change, NAFSA reserves the right to adjust conference attendance policies accordingly.

NAFSA strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination and boosters, as vaccines are recommended as a proven way to prevent the threat of critical illness. Many attendees may still choose to wear masks indoors, and we ask that all attendees respect those who elect to do so. NAFSA recommends attendees self-test before leaving home for the conference. If you feel ill on-site, please remain in your hotel room and test to determine your health status.

By registering for this event, you agree to the collection of contact and demographic information in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy. This includes any information unique to you that is available in the individual's NAFSA profile. NAFSA will share limited information (name, title, organization, state, and country) in the official attendee list. NAFSA may further share your contact information according to your selected “Communication Preferences” in your MyNAFSA and in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy.

Your data will be collected and utilized for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, organizer of this event, to allow your access to the event as well as its digital platform, CadmiumCD. Additionally, you agree to the sharing of your contact information with the trainers, coaches, and other program participants for the purpose of fulfilling the program for which you have registered. As a condition to participation, attendees consent to be recorded.