CEE students, especially international students:  

Please be aware, if you’re not already, that there have been various scam phone calls targeting international students recently.  Please scroll down and read below. It’s reported that there is a another version of the scam call from “the Chinese Consulate,” asking the receiver to provide private info in order to pick up a package or to support his or her legal status in the US.   Please beware!

Criminals Stealing Money from International Students by Phone

Be careful if you receive a call from someone who claims to be from the U.S. government or the police and demands money. These calls are fake, and are from criminals. They want to scare you and steal your money!

• Do not give payment information by phone to someone calling you with threats: credit card numbers, online account transfer information, or other personal financial information!
• Do not buy gift cards to pay someone calling or emailing you with threats!
• Do not give personal info to someone calling or emailing with threats: copies of your immigration documents, UW account info and password, social media info, etc.
• Do not agree to meet an unknown caller at a strange address (parking lot, grocery store, etc.)

The U.S. government and law enforcement agencies never demand money by phone. These types of calls are from professional thieves — they use computer software to make their caller ID appear real, but they are not real police officers or U.S. government workers. These are called “scams”–attempts to steal money by lying. Continue reading →

For the second year, the Accounting Department and United Way of King County are hosting a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site in Mackenzie Hall (Room 132)  from now through the tax filing deadline in mid-April.  The site will be staffed by UW MS Tax students, who will prepare free tax returns three days a week through the tax deadline in April.  The site will operate Mondays and Wednesdays 4pm – 7pm and Fridays 12pm – 3pm. All volunteers are certified by the IRS.  Anyone who earns less than $66,000 per year is eligible (although the site does turn away some people with especially complex tax issues).

Last year, in their inaugural 2017 on-campus VITA campaign, student volunteers provided tax assistance to 700 taxpayers in King County. In addition to receiving adept tax assistance, these taxpayers also received tax refunds of approximately $1 million. New this year, the UW site is equipped to prepare tax returns for international students. 

If you’d like to get your taxes done, stop by anytime with your social security card (or a copy of it) and any tax forms you’ve received. No appointment necessary!

Annual message on UW emergency alerts and communication

Dear Members of the University of Washington Community:

How will you know if there is an emergency on campus? From text alerts to outdoor speakers, the UW has a number of ways to notify the campus community about incidents when they occur. The most immediate way to receive these notices is to sign up for text and email alerts at uw.edu/alert.

Note: The UW Alert system will be tested on Thursday, Oct. 19, in conjunction with the Great ShakeOut 2017.

In the event of an emergency, a team that has been involved in crisis communications planning for the past 10 years convenes quickly to determine the type of message that should be sent. The team includes representatives from the UW Police Department, Emergency Management, Media Relations, Housing & Food Services and UW-IT, and collectively arrives at this decision within minutes of an incident occurring. Continue reading →

Apply now to join the Husky Experience Student Advisory Council

Help advance the Husky Seed Fund, an award that brings to life innovative ideas by students that are inclusive, impactful, and inventive to the UW. Gain valuable experience advancing and managing a program that will impact thousands of students at UW.

What types of student-led efforts would improve the overall Husky Experience? What would inspire students to create such a project and apply for funding?  You be the judge!

The Provost’s Office will provide the funding, basic structure and guidance for HESAC members to lead and advance the Husky Seed Fund. In work groups, members will:  gain program management, leadership, and financial management skills; help fellow Huskies by shaping how dollars impact their ideas; and receive coaching from Provost’s Office staff on how to include this experience on a resume, talk about it in person and apply lessons learned and skills gained going forward.

Apply here! 

Deadline: 5:00 p.m., October 31, 2017