The ELI Weekly

Commencement Ceremony

Friday December 9^th at 10:00am

Congratulations on making it to the end of the semester! We hope you learned more English, made some wonderful friends and had some fun, as well. You should all be very proud of yourselves and we’d like to celebrate this accomplishment at our Commencement Ceremony on Friday. At the ceremony, we will recognize our scholarship and award winners and reflect back on this semester at the ELI.

The ELI Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, December 9^th at 10:00am in the University Auditorium. Students, Language Assistants, teachers, administrators, family, and friends are welcome to this special occasion.

Last Day of Classes

Thursday, December 8, is the final day of ELI classes this fall. Teachers will be submitting final grades and attendance reports on Wednesday, December 7.  If you are absent on Thursday, your absence will not be counted for immigration, class grades, or any petition you have submitted.  All absences on December 5, 6, 7 still count!!! You should not miss class these days!

We hope all ELI students will attend class on Thursday, December 8. Your teachers and LAs have fun and interesting lessons and activities planned. However, we know many ELI students are making preparations to leave Gainesville, so are very busy this last week. If you will not be attending class on Thursday, December 8, please inform your teacher by Tuesday, December 6.  Your teachers and LAs need to know how many students to plan for.

All of your teachers and LAs will be at the ELI Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 9^th. We hope you will be there, too!

Certificates and Grades

Semester certificates will be available immediately after the Commencement Ceremony at the University Auditorium, and grade reports will be available in my.ELI by Monday, December 12^th.  Certificates can also be picked up in the ELI Main Office after Commencement when the office re-opens at 2pm.  If you would like a friend or family member to pick up your certificate for you, please stop by the ELI office before December 9th to fill out a form so someone else can pick it up for you.

If you need a hard copy of your certificate sent to you to an international address by FedEx you should email your name, exact mailing address, and phone number to StudyEnglish@eli.ufl.edu. You will also have to pay a $25 certificate shipping fee.

Leaving the ELI

If you are leaving the ELI, we hope you will share your experiences with your friends and family. Also, please keep your email updated with us. When the ELI travels internationally for conferences and events, we invite alumni to join us.

If you are interested in acting as an ELI Ambassador to assist future Gators in your country apply to the ELI, please let Lia Brenneman know (lia@ufl.edu, MAT 220A).  If you are interested in becoming an Educational Consultant for the ELI, ask Lia for details. You are the best source of information about the ELI and Gainesville for new students.  We appreciate our alumni!  Also, the ELI’s 70th anniversary will be in 2024. We hope you will join us for a special homecoming celebration.

Notes from the Office

ELI main office hours: On Friday, December 9, the ELI main office will be closed during commencement, and then open in the afternoon from 2:00-4:30pm. Here is the schedule for the rest of the break between semesters:

• December 12 – December 16–9:00am-4:30pm
• December 19 – December 23–10:00am-3:00pm
• December 26 – January 2–Closed
• January 3 – January 6–10:00am-3:00pm
• January 9 – Normal hours resume (8:00am-4:30pm)

Out of the Office: Some of our important staff will be out of the office during the break. If you need to talk to them, please plan around these dates.

• 12/19-1/3 – Daryl is out
• 12/19-12/23 – Patricia is out
• 12/19-12/23 – Christine is out
• 1/6-1/10 – Jennifer Vann is out

Returning Students: Please remember that all returning students must check in online using my.ELI between January 9-13. If you do not check in, you are not guaranteed a space in the class and you will have to pay a $100 Late Check in Fee.  Remember, if your plans have changed for the spring, you should email Daryl at studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu to let him know.

Apartment Leases: As the semester draws to a close, keep in mind that your lease might be ending soon. It is important to know the exact date that your apartment lease ends so you can make plans. If you’re not sure when it ends, ask your apartment office.

If you need help finding a hotel to stay in short-term (you should ask your friends first!), someone to take over your lease, or a new apartment, talk to Christine in Matherly 223.

Charges Due: Every ELI student should log in to ONE.uf.edu  and look at the “Campus Finances (Bursar)” tile to see if they owe any fees to the university. For example, you may need to pay for services you received at the Student Health Care Center or printing in a library. If you have a scholarship, it will not pay these charges.

Gatorlink: Remember, if you are not returning to the ELI in the spring, you will not be able to access your ufl.edu email address, one.uf.edu, Canvas, or other Gatorlink services after January 25th.

Check your I20s: If your I-20 is expiring soon, make an appointment with Daryl in MAT 223 to renew your I-20 before it expires. If you are traveling during the holiday, make sure your I-20 is signed before you go.

Financial Guarantees for Spring: Dear scholarship students, we hope to see you again in the Spring! Therefore, we have sent you an early reminder to request your new financial guarantee letter for the Spring semester, if you plan to return. Most of your financial guarantees will expire this December, which means that you will need to submit a new financial guarantee by the tuition deadline of January 26^th for the Spring C semester to avoid owing a late fee. If you need an enrollment letter or if you have any questions, please email Jennifer Vann at jvann@eli.ufl.edu.

Birthdays!

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