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Dear Transfer or Visiting Student:

We hope your summer is going well. Florida International University’s College of Law is preparing for your arrival on Thursday, August 9th, 2012. The Day and Evening Orientation programs have been combined. I understand that this might pose a slight inconvenience for some of the evening students. However, this is a one-time altering of your normal school schedule. Transfer and Visiting students are expected to attend the one (1) day orientation program.  Check-in Transfer Student Orientation begins Thursday, August 9th, 2012 at 2pm. Please report to Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall which is located directly across the street from the U.S. Century Bank Arena.

Here are several reminders and some general information:

  1. Orientation Fee:    The College of Law requires that all incoming students pay a $75.00 Orientation Fee which covers, in part, the programming costs associated with the Orientation Program. The check should be made payable to Florida International University. Additionally, this check must be separate from your tuition payment and should be returned to: Ms. Virginie Illescas, Florida International University College of Law, RDB 1043, Modesto Maidique Campus, Miami, Florida 33199, by June 15, 2012. (Note: Please include your name in the memo portion of the check).
  2. Orientation Reading Assignments:   Thursday, August 9th, 2012, is the only day of mandatory attendance for transfer and visiting students. However, you are welcomed to attend any session that may be of interest to you during our two day orientation schedule. If you plan on attending the Professional Workshop offered on August 8, 2012, at 4:30pm (see item #3 below), please contact Ms. Alina Rivero at riveroa@fiu.edu.
  3. Professionalism Workshops:  The Professionalism Workshop I, scheduled for Wednesday, August 8th, 2012, will introduce you to various issues related to professionalism and ethics that students may encounter throughout their legal career. The second part of the Professionalism Series, Professionalism Workshop II, will be held early spring 2013 semester.

    PROFESSIONALISM MATERIALS

  4. Financial Aid:  If you have any questions about financial aid, please contact Ms. Michelle Pestaina, Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, at (305) 348-8006.
  5. Official Transcripts:  All students must submit official copies of their transcripts from all degree-granting institutions (undergraduate and graduate) showing the date(s) of degree conferral. These transcripts should be mailed directly to the Florida International University College of Law, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. The transcript sent with the LSDAS report is not an official transcript. If you want to check whether your transcripts have arrived, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at (305) 348-8006.
  6. Immunization:  As a pre-requisite to registration, the Florida International University requires all students born after December 31, 1956, to present documented proof of immunity to measles and rubella. This document must be signed by a physician (M.D. or D.O.), a nurse practitioner, or a registered nurse, and must be mailed, sent via fax (305-348-3336), or physically brought to the University Health Services Office on the Modesto Maidique Campus, by July 13, 2012. Phone calls from your physician are not acceptable. If you have any questions, call the FIU Health Care and Wellness Center Immunization Department, at (305) 348-2401, or refer to the website: http://studenthealth.fiu.edu/immunization/Pages/default.aspx. (Note: If you require additional immunization, this can be arranged through the University Health Services Office).
  7. Academic Calendar, Fall Class Schedule, Textbooks, and First Week Assignments
    Book list and Section Assignments: The day students are divided into two sections – Section A and B. The students are randomly assigned to a section, and all day students will receive an email from the College of Law Registrar, Donna Yff, by Monday, July 16, 2012, indicating the section to which you have been assigned. If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (305) 348-6296 or via email at yffd@fiu.edu.You will receive information regarding your Legal Skills and Values (LSV) section assignment on the first day of Orientation. However, you can purchase your LSV books now, as all LSV sections will use the same materials.Textbooks: Textbooks are available at the University Bookstore (http://fiu.bncollege.com/), or at Book Horizons (http://www.bookhorizons.com/), 1110 South Dixie Highway, Coral Gables. Classes begin on Monday, August 13, 2012.

    CLASS PREPARATION MATERIALS
    Academic Calendar
    Fall Class Schedule
    Final Exam Schedule
    Booklist
    First Week Assignments – To Be Announced

  8. Registration, Tuition, and Billing:  The University does not mail out tuition and billing information. Once you are registered your charges will be automatically reflected in the Student Financials area of Panthersoft. You will be registered by August 1, 2012, and we will send you an email confirmation when this occurs. If you do not get this, please call Ms. Ada Rueda-Wright, Coordinator of Registration and Records at (305) 348-6296, so that you will not miss the August 10, 2012, tuition payment deadline. If you have been awarded and have accepted enough financial aid to cover all your tuition and fee charges, there is no need to pay any out of pocket funds to cover these costs.(Note: If your email or mailing address has changed since you initially provided this information to our Admission Office, please contact them to update).
  9. Faculty/Peer Mentoring Program:  You will be matched with a faculty advisor and a current student mentor during the first two weeks of school. Their aim is to assist you with getting your law school career off to a solid and strong start as you acclimate to our community. The names of your faculty advisor and current student mentor will be included in your orientation packet, which will be distributed on August 9, 2012.
  10. Society of Parents and Partners:  FIU College of Law will host an informational session for parents and partners of the incoming 2012 class on Thursday, August 9th, 2012, at 5:30pm in the Law Library’s Grand Reading Room. This program will provide them with an opportunity to learn about the law school experience first-hand and to interact with College of Law Personnel. Please have your loved one complete the form and return to Ms. Virginie Illescas, Florida International University, College of Law, RDB Hall 1043, Modesto Maidique Campus, Miami, Florida 33199, by August 3, 2012.  Please email completed form to villeca@fiu.edu, fax to 305-348-2301 and/or RSVP here.
  11. Health Insurance:  The student health fee does not cover diagnostic therapeutic medical visits to outside physicians, clinics, or hospitals. Students are strongly encouraged to purchase supplemental health insurance. A health insurance policy is available for students at a low group rate. Go to: www. collegiaterisk.com, or contact the Health Care and Wellness Center for more information at (305) 348-2401.
  12. Disability Accommodations:  The University Disability Services Office, in conjunction with the College of Law’s Student Services Office, provides accommodations to those who provide valid documentation of a physical, mental, or learning disability. Students seeking accommodations are required to register with and submit complete documentation to the University Disability Resource Center, no later than the end of the second week of classes. The failure to submit documentation by the end of the second week of classes, will postpone review until the next semester. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Tesha Allison at (305) 348-7568 or via email at tallison@fiu.edu, or  the University Disability Resource Center at (305) 348-3532 (voice) or (800) 955-8771 (TDD http://law.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-2013-Disability-Resource-Guide.pdf
  13. Parking Decals:  All students are required to purchase a parking decal. In order to obtain it, you will need to provide a photo ID, current class schedule, and a valid vehicle registration for the automobile on which the decal will be displayed. For further information, contact the FIU Department of Parking and Transportation at (305) 348-3616, or visit their website at: http://parking.fiu.edu/
  14. Housing:  For on-campus housing, contact FIU Housing and Residential Life at (305) 348-4190, or visit their website at: http://www.housing.fiu.edu/. If you already obtained your Housing Agreement enclosed within are details about check in dates. For off-campus housing, contact FIU Orientation and Commuter Student Services at (305) 348-3828. You may also visit http://classifieds.fiu.edu/ for current off campus listings. For additional questions about housing, please contact Ms. Nicole Torres, Senior Secretary at (305) 348-4190.
  15. Student Identification:  All students are required to obtain a FIU One card. Students will have the opportunity to obtain their FIU One card during Orientation on Thursday August 9th, 2012 between 2pm- 6pm. Please bring a driver’s license or a similar form of identification. For further information, please contact the FIU One Card Station at (305) 348-3910.
  16. Information Technology:
    You are not required to purchase a notebook computer. If you would like to buy a new laptop for school, we recommend any of the ones from the sites below:http://www.govconnection.com/fiulaw for IBM Lenovo laptops*, or http://www.dell.com/fiulaw for DELL laptops, or http://store.apple.com/us_edu_381237 for Apple laptops.*The IBM Lenovo laptops are preloaded with our software image.  It includes MS Office 2010, McAfee Antivirus, the library printer drivers and other security applications and configurations.If you need any additional technical assistance to purchase computer hardware and software, please contact our Office of Information Technology, by emailing lawitsupport@fiu.edu, or calling (305) 348-8092.

Thank you for your attention to all of the above matters. If we can answer any questions or be of assistance prior to the start of school, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Allsion at (305) 348-7568 or me at (305) 348-2444. We look forward to seeing you in August. Enjoy your summer! Sincerely,

Michelle D. Mason
Sr. Associate Dean for Enrollment Management,
Student Development and Outreach, &
Interim Director for the Center for Professionalism
and Ethics.

Tesha Allison
Assistant Director,
Student Development and Programming