2023 NAFSA Region II Conference

Registration will open on August 15, 2023. Early Bird Registration deadline is September 25^th.

Travel Grant

Region II has travel grants available for individuals working in Region II as professionals or volunteers in the field of international education. Click here for more information.

Getting to Lawrence

Lawrence is located approximately 50 miles from the Kansas City Airport (MCI). There are a few options for traveling from MCI to Lawrence:

• Ride Share: Approximately $70+ for a one-way ride visa Uber or Lyft.
• Shuttle: Arrival, JayRide and BATS transportation offer shuttle services from the airport to hotel. Expect to pay $100+ one-way.
• Rental Car: 20+ rental car companies are available at the MCI Airport. Daily rates start around $55/day and parking costs $15/day at the Oread Hotel.

CLOSED

All attendees traveling to the US from abroad can request a visa letter of invitation via the link above. 

All requests submitted by the October 1st will be screened, but not all requests will be approved. Please allow one week from your date of submission for delivery. If approved, an invitation letter on official letterhead will be issued to you as a PDF document, and will be e-mailed to the address you provided.

Please check with your local U.S. consulate to allow sufficient time for visa processing. Your request for a letter of invitation to attend a NAFSA regional conference does not guarantee that you will receive a visa.

Pre-Conference Workshops:

• F-1 Student Advising: Intermediate: October 23 (1pm - 5:30pm) and October 24 (8am - 12:30pm)

Knowledge Community Case Studies

The case studies are included for workshop attendees. $50 to attend for non-workshop attendees.

• International Enrollment & Admissions: International admissions and recruitment offices are often given extremely lofty goals when it comes to increasing international student enrollment at their institution. Using case studies, professionals will dissect and analyze scenarios facing recruiters and admission processing staff that make meeting these goals challenging. Topics may include, but are not limited to, high staff turnover, recruiting with political tension, increased tuition costs, visa denials, equity in admissions standards, scholarship plans, refugee support, and more.
• F-1 Visa Regulatory Case Study: A case study for P/DSOs who have been in the field any period of time. Presenters will cover the essential and beyond the basics of the F-1 regulations, offer case studies, and present resources for anyone interested in F-1 international student advising. Using case studies, attendees will dissect and analyze scenarios facing DSOs. Topics may include transfer policies, change of status applications, advising out-of-status students, travel and re-entry, on-campus employment and CPT, OPT, and OPT STEM extensions.

The full schedule will be available by September 12^th. The Region II Team is pleased to be offering more than 30 sessions in addition to government presentations, state meetings and a plenary. Through the Online Planner you can view the time, room, presenters, descriptions, and learning objectives of each sessions. You can also star the events you're interested in and create your own conference agenda, to view on the mobile webpage at the conference!

• Monday, October 23
  • Pre-Conference Workshop
• Tuesday, October 24
  • Pre-Conference Workshop
  • Case Studies (See Pre-Conference Workshop dropdown)
  • Opening Reception at Spencer Art Museum - Join us the evening of Tuesday, Oct 24 for great conversation, art and culture to kick off this year's conference. A short walk from the Oread hotel, conference attendees walk to the museum located on the University of Kansas campus. Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly for food and drinks. Those who RSVP will receive a drink coupon. A cash-only bar is also available.
• Wednesday, October 25
  • Sessions - To be announced soon
  • Exhibit Hall
  • Wednesday evening activities - optional (pay-on-your-own) excursions to choose from in downtown Lawrence, the costs are subsidized by Region II
    • Sunfire Ceramics: Opened in 1997 in a refurbished 1927 cottage-style gas station, offers painted pottery and fused glass. Come paint ceramics!
    • Waxman Candles: Originated from a $5 hobby kit ordered in 1969 by owner Bob Werts. Now, he offers facility tours and candle-making classes in his retail store. Construct an 8oz candle with the color/fragrance of your choice!
• Thursday, October 26
  • Burrito Stroll - Join us for the 2nd annual Region II Burrito Stroll. We will explore the University of Kansas on a morning walk and enjoy a delicious breakfast burrito. Coffee also provided.
  • Sessions - To be announced soon
  • Exhibit Hall
  • Restaurant Hop - Join colleagues for a lunch in downtown Lawrence. Attendees can sign up for a specific restaurant at the Region II table in the Expo Hall. This event is pay-on-your-own.
• Friday, October 27
  • Awards and Business Brunch - Join us as we celebrate this year's recipients of Regional awards, share updates with Region II, and enjoy a delicious breakfast. Please make sure to RSVP so we have an accurate food and beverage count.

NAFSA is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion. NAFSA does not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for the conference. Participants violating these rules may be asked to leave the conference at the sole discretion of NAFSA’s management. If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, or if you witness unacceptable behavior, please inform the Regional Conference Planner, who will inform NAFSA staff, so that we may resolve any concerns. If you or another event participant witnesses or is a party to imminent physical danger or distress, promptly alert the appropriate security, law enforcement, or emergency medical authorities. This Code applies to all NAFSA members and event attendees in all NAFSA meeting venues, including the regional conference, ancillary events and social gatherings, whether officially sponsored by NAFSA or not and whether held in-person or virtually.

Conference registration and/or workshop registration may be canceled with full refund less a 10% processing fee, any time up until four (4) weeks prior, September 25th, to the conference start date.

A 50% refund is available for conference registration and/or workshop registration provided written notification is received between four (4) weeks, September 25th, and two (2) weeks prior, October 9th, to the conference start date.

No refunds will be granted after October 9th, 2023. In the case of emergency/extenuating circumstances, special requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the regional leadership team following the conference.

NAFSA follows COVID-19 safety protocols as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and local ordinances in the conference location, which currently do not require proof of vaccination or masking. Should the mandates change, NAFSA reserves the right to adjust conference attendance policies accordingly.

NAFSA strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination and boosters, as vaccines are recommended as a proven way to prevent the threat of critical illness. Many attendees may still choose to wear masks indoors, and we ask that all attendees respect those who elect to do so. NAFSA recommends attendees self-test before leaving home for the conference. If you feel ill on-site, please remain in your hotel room and test to determine your health status.

By registering for this event, you agree to the collection of contact and demographic information in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy. This includes any information unique to you that is available in the individual's NAFSA profile. NAFSA will share limited information (name, title, organization, state, and country) in the official attendee list. NAFSA may further share your contact information according to your selected “Communication Preferences” in your MyNAFSA and in accordance with NAFSA’s Privacy Policy.

Your data will be collected and utilized for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, organizer of this event, to allow your access to the event as well as its digital platform, CadmiumCD. Additionally, you agree to the sharing of your contact information with the trainers, coaches, and other program participants for the purpose of fulfilling the program for which you have registered. As a condition to participation, attendees consent to be recorded.