New Visiting Scholars' Guide
From CSSS@OSU
Contact person for Visiting Scholars' Affairs at CSSS: Liu Xiaoyong.
Advice
- It is extremely important for you, especially when you come directly from Mainland China, to find a right person to guide you through the settling procedure.
- Follow the instruction below.
Note: CSSS staff have carefully designed the following instruction
for new visiting scholars. We are confident, but do not guarantee,
that this instruction may help you settle down efficiently. It is
at your own risk and may not be CSSS's responsibility if you have
trouble, encounter any inconvenience or bear any property or other
loss when following the instruction.
Step-by-step Instruction:
Read above note carefully before using this instruction!
- Interview with your supervisor and/or his secretary. Write down your office, lab, and emergency contact telephone numbers. Know how much help you can get from your supervisor.
- Register at the personnel office of your department. Sign a bunch of documents there and you will be assigned a temporary social security number (SSN). Your salary will start from the registration date.
- With your temporary SSN, you may apply for your Internet accounts of your department and the university. Usually you do not have to contact anybody. All you need to do is to go through the online procedures. For the university account, check the Office of Information Technology web www.oit.ohio-state.edu. For the department account, check the web of your department.
- You need a mailbox at your department. Some extremely important documents like social security card will be mailed to your box. So, be prepared. Talk to the mail person or secretary of your department.
- You also need a couple of keys to your department building, your office and your lab. Again, contact the department secretary.
- Regularly, the Office of International Education (OIE) provides orientation from 1:00 pm to 4:00 PM on Tuesday and Thursday. Bring your immigration documents. Your orientation will last an hour or so. Your OIE advisor will issue a document to help you get a permanent SSN and provide you with basic information on housing.
- Probably you are worried where to find a place to put yourself in. Go to the Office of Off Campus Student Services to get some help. It is located in Room 342, Ohio Union (check your OIE package, there is a campus map in it. You need to learn how to use this map as a guide!).
- Bring all your immigration documents and the OIE document for your Social Security Number (SSN), go to the Federal Building, which is located in 200 North High Street, Room 225, Columbus, OH 43215. The office hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. You may get your SSN in a couple of days and your social security card in two weeks.
- Go to Room 219, Lincoln Tower, for your Buck ID card. A document from the personnel office of your department and SSN required. Buck ID is required for establishing your library account and for checking out books from libraries.
- So, you have found a cozy apartment, and received your social security card. Now, you probably need to set up a bank account, buy a car, obtain a driver's license, and on and on. You might have got a lot of help around already. Start and enjoy a wonderful new life from now on. Good luck!
