J-WORLD J-WORLD
NEWSNEWS
Happy Fall 2023!
Greetings everyone! We have over 70 J-1 students and scholars from 25 countries this semester at UNT! I
extend a warm welcome to all of you! I trust that your semester is off to an excellent start. Fall is my favorite season in
Texas. Every year, I eagerly look forward to the Fall festivities and the cooler weather that comes with it. I encourage
each of you to make the most of the chance to participate in a wide range of social activities, both on and off campus,
this semester. Let me share with you some exciting on-campus events that await:
Homecoming 2023:
Homecoming will be celebrated from October 22 – 28. This year’s theme is Mean Green Scream! The campus
will feel festive, and you will see a lot of Mean Green spirit everywhere! There are daily events organized by the
Division of Student Affairs. Homecoming week culminates with the football game on October 28th when UNT will play
Memphis at the DATCU Stadium. Tickets to the game are available at https://meangreensports.com/sports/2018/7/25/
footballtickets.
International Education Week 2023:
International Affairs will celebrate International Education Week from November 13-17. Here is a list of programs
each day of the week. We encourage all of you to participate in as many programs as you can. My personal favorite
is the Parade of Nations which will be held on Monday, November 13th at noon. Come dressed in your national attire
and participate in the ag parade!
Monday, November 13 at Noon: Parade of Nations – parade starts outside Marquis Hall - sign-ups begin late-OCT
Tuesday, November 14 at 3:30 PM: Language Exchange at Marquis Hall, Room 130
Thursday, November 16 from 1- 4:00 PM: Swing by for a Holiday Pie at Marquis Hall, Room 130
Friday, November 17 at Noon: International Social Hour at Marquis Hall, Room 130
Please be on the lookout for emails from our ofce for more details on International Education Week as we get closer
to the event.
Fall 2023
J-1 Scholars and students pose for a group photo at the
International Affairs Fall Fulbright Luncheon.
Football is a huge pastime in Texas in the Fall and I encourage you to attend the UNT home games and may be
even check out the local high school games on Friday nights – Friday Night Lights is a real thing! If you have the
opportunity, you should go watch the Dallas Cowboys – America’s Team at the AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Your visit to Texas is not complete unless you visit the State Fair of Texas! The fair which is held at the historic Fair
Park grounds in Dallas, celebrates all things Texas and has taken place every year since 1886 except for World War
I & II and during the 2020 COVID pandemic. One of the biggest draws of the fair is its mascot Big Tex and the food
– funnel cakes, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, turkey legs, and all kinds of unique, award-winning fried foods. The state fair
will take place from September 29 – October 22 this year. Check out the ofcial fair website to plan your visit! You
can ride the train all the way from Denton to Fair Park via the DCTA and DART.
The Denton Arts and Jazz Festival will be held from October 6-8 in Denton’s Quaker Park. This event is free of
charge to the public and features several well-known local artists.
The Day of the Dead festival held on October 27 & 28 at the Denton Square is a super-interesting event. The
cofn races at the festival are a spectacular sight. Maybe you can sign-up and participate as well!
If Halloween is your thing, then be sure to check out the Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Texas - it is guaranteed to
be very thrilling!
My personal favorite Fall event is the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot held on Thanksgiving Day (November 23, 2023)
in downtown Dallas. You can do a casual 5K or a slightly more intense 8-mile walk/run with friends, family, and your
pets. It is a very lively and well attended even and it’s a great way to start your Thanksgiving Day and weekend.
The City of Denton also has its own Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. If you like bicycle rallies, then check out
the Denton Turkey Roll the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Check out more events on the International Programs webpage as well as the Discover Denton and Visit Dallas
websites.
Here are some off-campus events to consider:
First day of classes for Spring 2024 will be January 16, 2024.
Spring break which marks the mid-point of the semester will be from March 11-17.
Finals are scheduled from May 4-10.
View the Academic calendar here.
Spring Classes 2024:
Your Rights as a Nonimmigrant Visa Holder
Nonimmigrant Visa Holder Information
SCAM ALERT
The UNT Police Department has been made aware of several scams circulating through our community. You can learn
more about avoiding and reporting scams at consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts.
Please contact the UNT Police Department at 940-565-3000 or visit their webpage at police.unt.edu if you have any
questions.
Please know that if you are ever called by someone claiming to be an immigration ofcial, you can politely ask them for
a call back number then hang up and call ISSS or UNT PD for guidance. ISSS can be reached at 940-565-2195.
TRAVELING over the Fall or Winter Break?
• You must have a valid DS-2019 with a valid travel signature to re-enter the United States. Travel
signatures are valid for 1 year or the end of your DS-2019, whichever comes rst. If you need a travel
signature, contact [email protected] at least 14 days prior to travel date. We will provide you with an electronic
travel signature on your DS-2019 and email you the document which you must print, sign, and keep with you
while re-entering the US.
• You must have a valid J1 visa stamp to re-enter the United States (unless you are a citizen of Canada).
• You must have a valid passport that has more than 6 months remaining of its validity.
• Review immigration updates at https://international.unt.edu/content/immigration-updates
• DS-2019 Extensions should be submitted to [email protected] at least 14 days prior to current DS-2019 end
date. J-1 Students requiring an extension, must extend for a minimum of 1 year, unless the expected program
completion date is sooner.
Please be sure you contact the International Student and Scholar Services ofce if there are any changes to your J
program.
DS-2019 Extensions
DS-2019 Extensions should be submitted to [email protected] at least 30 days prior to current DS-2019 end date.
J-1 Students requiring an extension must extend for a minimum of 1 year unless the expected program completion
date is sooner.
EVP Emergency Hotline: 1-866-283-9090
Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all exchange visitors is the University of North Texas and
the Department of State’s highest priority.
To help safeguard the health, safety and welfare of all exchange
visitors, there is an Exchange Visitor Program Emergency Hotline.
This 24/7 toll-free phone number allows exchange visitors to directly contact the Department in emergency and urgent
situations. A Department representative is available 24 hours a day.
EVP EMERGENCY HOTLINE
J-1 SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Recep Cakir from Turkey!
Rekha Gopalakrishnan, Assistant Director [email protected]
Lauren Jacobsen-Bridges, Director [email protected]
Marquis Hall Rm 110, 1511 W. Mulberry St.
international.unt.edu/immigration
P: 940-565-2195
M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
@UNTInternational
@GlobalUNT
My name is Recep Cakir, and I am a Professor in the Instructional Technology Department at
Amasya University in Turkey. My research interests include instructional technology, open and
distance education, technology integration in education, and computational thinking. I have
several published articles addressing different issues in instructional technologies and
presented papers at several conferences. I am also an associate editor for a journal called
Participatory Educational Research (PER). I am a visiting professor under the direction of Dr.
J. Michael Spector at the Learning Technologies Department in UNT. My current research is
about faculty performance and professional development in online education.
In February 2023, I came to UNT as a visiting professor, accompanied by my wife, Esra. The
reason for my coming here was to meet and nd collaborative opportunities with respected
researchers in the eld of learning technology at UNT. In particular, the chance to work with
Dr. Michael Spector, a globally recognized and highly distinguished scholar, is a tremendous
opportunity for me.
When I rst arrived at UNT, I had the chance to explore the campus, and I was truly impressed.
I believe that the libraries, laboratories, UNT union, the clean campus, sports facilities, the
traditional events and so on offer students a great chance and opportunity. Additionally, as a
researcher, I had the privilege of meeting highly respected faculty members in my department
(Learning Technology), and benet from the collaboration, synergy, and shared exchange of
knowledge.
My wife and I have made wonderful friendships. We will leave here with great benets.
Denton is a clean, peaceful, well-organized city inhabited by friendly people, far from the chaos
like activities such as exploring new places, learning about different cultures, acquiring new
knowledge, and meeting new people outside of the work. We have had the opportunity to travel
around Texas in the last few months. We found plenty of activities to participate in and beautiful
places to visit, such as Dallas, NASA in Houston, the Riverwalk and the Alamo in San Antonio,
and Stockyards in Fort Worth.
J-1 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Fulbright scholar Sharon Lisseth Perez from Panama!
I started my adventure at UNT about a month ago, after spending the preceding seven months
“getting ready” by improving my English in University of Missouri, Columbia. They were months
lled with a lot of learning and challenges but passing them has made me feel very accom-
plished.
I chose UNT because they offered the “Information Science” degree program I wanted to
pursue, and the department has highly qualied instructors and experts in elds in a variety
of areas that interest me. I am condent that I will learn a lot from them. After I complete this
project, my intention is to go back to my home country and teach others what I’ve learned,
while working as a member of the academic community in Panamá at Technological University
of Panamá. Additionally, it is a promise I have made as a Fulbright scholar.
In my spare time, I enjoy going out to eat with friends. I’ve discovered to love cuisines like
Afghan and Korean that I never tasted before. I enjoy reading, going to the cinema, exploring
new locations, museums, and libraries, going both big and little cities, and going to national
parks. This country (US) is so diverse and enjoyable that I am hoping to get the chance to
discover more.
Being at UNT in Texas has been a special opportunity. Thanks to the people I’ve met and inter-
acted with, I’ve felt at home. The university is lovely and warmly friendly.
The importance given to institutional culture and diversity, people’s belief in collaboration, and the support provided by the institution’s resources are the
factors that has made my time at UNT most valuable. I am sure of one thing; I will return from here saying ‘I am glad I did it’!
Dr. Cakir and Sharon - thank you for participating in UNT’s Exchange Visitor Program. We are so happy that you are enjoying your time here!
