2024 NAFSA Region VII Conference

Conference Registration

Registration will open on July 23, 2024. Early Bird Deadline: October 1, 2024.

CLOSED - will open in July

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

All requests submitted by 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.

Region VII is delighted to host NAFSA CEP workshops again at the Jacksonville conference. Workshops will be an all-day preconference event on Sunday, November 10, 2024. Specific topics will be announced in the summer, and registration will open with conference registration in late July. 

The full Region VII Conference schedule will be available online in early September! Through the Online Planner you can view the time, room, presenters, descriptions, and learning objectives of the sessions. You can also star the events you're interested in and create your own conference agenda, to view on the mobile webpage at the conference! There is also information on Sponsors, Exhibitors, and more!

Newcomers Orientation: Monday, November 11th at 9:00AM

Are you new to NAFSA or the field of international education? Join us at this session to learn how to make the most of your conference, get an overview of all of the opportunities available to you through NAFSA, and meet your Region VII team.

"My Big, Bold Idea": New this year!

Region VII is diving in to the Shark Tank with the My Big, Bold Idea presentations. Participants will fill out the online form below to share your innovative idea(s) for supporting student and scholar success in our very first "Shark Tank" style conference session. If selected, each participant will give a 5 minute presentation with slides to convey their "Big, Bold, Idea" during a dedicated conference session block. After the presentation, conference attendees will have the opportunity to chat one-on-one with presenters as with poster sessions.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Enhanced Communication Strategies
• A specific program
• A service process
• An information presentation/workshop
• Examples of achieving sustainable development goals (SGD - United Nations)
• Internal Infrastructure Updates: organization collaboration, database/system use
• How you have implemented NAFSA's core competencies in your work.

Submit online form to participate: https://forms.gle/8h4GJ7TnqrHLLnXQA 

Mentorship Program: Now open!

The purpose of the NAFSA Region VII Mentorship program is to create a welcoming environment for new International Education professionals.

Mentors commit to four meetings with their mentees. Mentors should aim to meet with their mentee(s) twice virtually before the conference is held, once in person during the conference, and then one follow-up meeting post-conference. The mentor should have at least three years of experience in International Education, have knowledge of NAFSA and/or other professional resources, and have an interest in helping new professionals!

We understand that some members will not be attending the conference due to budget concerns, and we do not want this to interfere with your participation in the Mentorship Program. If you want to participate but will be unable to attend the conference, we encourage you to sign up! We want to be as inclusive as possible and help new professionals connect with seasoned practitioners.

Mentee sign up: >https://forms.gle/KGQDaCCn3xWHVhia6/a>

Mentor sign up: https://forms.gle/uGYwqDUj8PBiUh3t7

Questions can be directed to Chasity Drew, [email protected].

Resume Reviews: Coming soon!

NAFSA Region VII will be matching experienced international educators with those seeking feedback on their resume. Resume reviews will be assigned based on reviewer availability and knowledge community. This program will be taking place virtually following the fall conference. Please indicate in your conference registration if you would like to participate in this program as a reviewer or reviewee. Registration opens July 23.

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, September 11, 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, September 12, and two (2) weeks prior, September 25,  to the conference start date.

No refunds will be granted after September 25, 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.

NAFSA is committed to providing universal access to its products, services, digital content, and events and, in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs so we ask that requests for accommodations be made as early as possible, preferably at least three weeks in advance of the regional conference start date, through the registration process, if possible. Or, you can contact [email protected] for accommodation requests. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner, but services are subject to availability, and further, NAFSA may not be able to grant accommodations requests that place an undue burden on it or that fundamentally change the nature or structure of the goods or services.