The ELI Weekly
Commencement Ceremony
Friday April 28th at 10:00am, Rion Ballroom in Reitz Union
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, April 28th at 10:00am in Rion Ballroom in the Reitz Union. Students, Language Assistants, teachers, administrators, family, and friends are welcome to this special occasion.
Last Day of ELI Classes
Thursday, April 27, is the final day of ELI classes this spring. Teachers will be submitting final grades and attendance reports on Wednesday, April 26. 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 April 24, 25, and 26 still count!!! You should not miss class these days!
We hope all ELI students will attend class on Thursday, April 27. 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, April 27, please inform your teacher by Tuesday, April 25. 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, April 28. We hope you will be there, too!
Certificates and Grades
Semester certificates will be available immediately after the Commencement Ceremony at the Rion Ballroom, and grade reports will be available in my.ELI by Monday, May 1st. 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 by Thursday, April 27th 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.
If you want to stay active with English study in your country, please contact our friends at EducationUSA. They have centers all over the world where they advise students about studying in the USA. https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center It is a great place for you to network, practice English, and help other students learn about your experience studying in Florida.
Notes from the Office
Out of the Office: Christine is out of the office from May 2-8, so plan around these days if you need to talk to her.
Gatorlink: If you are not returning to the ELI in the summer, you will not be able to access your ufl.edu email address, one.uf.edu, Canvas, or other Gatorlink service after the end of this semester. You will need to download any emails, assignments, or information that you want to keep.
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.
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.
Check your I-20s: If you are traveling during the break (for example, leaving the US and coming back), make sure your I-20 is signed. Also check the expiration date. You can make an appointment with Daryl to sign your I-20 or to renew your I-20 before it expires.
Financial Guarantees for Summer: Dear scholarship students, we hope to see you again in the Summer! Therefore, we have sent you an early reminder to request your new financial guarantee letter for the Summer semester, if you plan to return. If you need an enrollment letter or if you have any questions, please email Iman Vann at jvann@eli.ufl.edu.
Photo of the Week
Birthdays!
Students:
- Yamilia Morffa Tillan 5/1
- Janggeun Park 5/1
- Abdullah Bashmail 5/4
- Hui-Fang Tsai 5/4
- Danney Pamplona Cardenas 5/10
- Soeun Kim 5/15
- Fernando Barroso Moratinos 5/15
- Sultan Alshuaibi 5/16
- Zuhur Aloufi 5/17
- Geraldine Avila Sanchez 5/18
Staff:
- Daryl Bish 4/25
- Jen Ramos 5/3