Email Correspondence to Respondents

NDU ISMO Personal Information Collection Email Communication
Email #1 – Welcome Letter:
“Dear Rank LastName
Congratulations and welcome to the International Fellows Program! I would like to introduce myself as
your main POC here at NDU. My name is Laura Garvie, and I work in the International Student
Management Office (ISMO). My coworker Ms. Lizzy McCahon will also be able to assist you when I am
not available ([email protected]).
Our office will help you transition from your country into your year-long program here at NDU in
Washington, D.C. When you arrive here in D.C., ISMO staff will help you settle in the area and provide
briefings on many topics including health insurance, driving in the U.S., and American history and
political systems. These weeks before you start your courses at the Eisenhower School, the National War
College, the College of International Security Affairs, the Joint Forces Staff College, or the College of
Information and Cyberspace will ensure a smooth and comfortable transition for you.
In the meantime, I will be sending you regular emails asking for information about you as well as giving
you information about your stay here in D.C. If you have any questions along the way, do not hesitate to
contact me via email or phone. To better prepare you for the weeks to come, I have attached a PreArrival Task List for your reference. The materials required to complete the task list will accompany my
regular e-mails, sent in the following order:



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

Welcome Email and Personal Information Collection
Lodging and Country Mates
Academic Records and Master’s Degree Admission
IT Requirements
Post Arrival Task List
Arrival Process and Airport Pickup

Additionally, we would most appreciate if you followed the link below to fill out a form with your
biographical data. We will need this information to best prepare for your arrival in July. Questions
include: previous training you have completed in the United States, if you smoke, and your previous
assignments. The form is only 8 questions.
Link here: https://community.jten.mil/vovici/se/7FDA9EB0522E57C5
Please be aware that we cannot start making the necessary arrangements for your enrollment in the
National Defense University until we receive the information requested on this form from you, so we
greatly appreciate your expedience in completing it!
Do you feel like you have endless questions already? Feel free to flip through the IF Manual, located
here on our website: https://ismo.ndu.edu/Incoming-Students/International-Student-Handbook/

Wondering how the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 may impact your studies? See all coronavirus
updates here: https://ismo.ndu.edu/Coronavirus-Information/
Finally, I have attached a welcome letter from Ambassador Todd Robinson, the Director of ISMO. We
think you will have a fantastic year here at NDU, and look forward to working with you!
Best regards,”

Email #2 – Housing Allowance:
“Dear
Our records show that you will receive a Travel and Living Allowance (TLA) in order to support your
lodging costs for the duration of your training in the United States.
Please inform us by [DATE], if you would like to "opt-in" or "opt-out" of the ISMO housing program.
Details on the program are outlined below.
As a TLA recipient, you have the opportunity to "OPT-IN" to ISMO's housing program. If you opt-in, ISMO
will arrange your accommodations for you through a corporate housing provider: Suite Solutions. ISMO
does not own these accommodations; we simply facilitate your lodging so that your living situation is
settled immediately upon your arrival in the U.S. You will be responsible for signing your own lease postarrival.
If you “OPT-IN”, you will be assigned a fully-furnished apartment in the Crystal City/Pentagon City
neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. Sharon Roberts, President of Suite Solutions, will reach out to you
via the email you have provided us once your apartment has been assigned. If you have any concerns
regarding apartment size or location, you can direct them to Sharon at [email protected].
Suite Solutions has agreed to provide the following services in your lease package to ensure your year is
as stress-free as possible.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Airport greeting and assist in transport to lodging
Utilities (water, heating, electricity, cable, and internet)
Security deposit is waived
One parking space (with proof of vehicle ownership)
Fully furnished and accessorized apartment
Basic bi-weekly maid service
Monthly rent payments handled by ISMO

If you prefer to “OPT-OUT” of ISMO’s housing program, you will be responsible for securing your own
lodging. We will send you a list of housing providers we have worked with in the past, as well as
different websites you can use to help you find lodging. You are authorized up to the full lodging per
diem rate for the DC area. View fiscal year 2020 per diem rates here: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/planbook/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rateslookup/?action=perdiems_report&state=DC&fiscal_year=2020&zip=&city=

If you “opt-out”, you must provide a monthly invoice and a copy of your lease to the ISMO office, and
your reimbursement for lodging can only be processed after the month has finished. This means that
you may need to use personal funds to cover all initial lodging costs, including any security deposit, for
up to six weeks after your rent was due to your lodging provider. Reimbursement procedures may vary
depending on your individual lodging choices. Check with ISMO for what monthly expenses can or
cannot be reimbursed.
If you have any questions, please let me know.

Warm regards,”

Email #3 Accompanying Dependents:
“Dear Fellow,
We are pleased that your family will be accompanying you during your studies at NDU. This email covers
required insurance, schooling (specifically enrollment), and travel for your dependents.
It is most important that you understand the following: You are required to have medical insurance for
each dependent in order for them to be listed on your ITO. Review your selected policy in full before
purchasing – look at what is covered, what is not covered, and evaluate if that insurance will work for
your family members’ medical needs.
I have attached a memo that details the minimum insurance requirements that your policy must meet,
as well as some options for compliant policies and some general notes on the US healthcare system. I
encourage you to closely review the attached document and the medical section of the IF Manual,
located on our website here: https://ismo.ndu.edu/Incoming-Students/International-StudentHandbook/
If you are unsure if the policy you have purchased meets the minimum requirements, please feel free to
check with me or with your SCO, but please note that we are not the final approving authority. Once you
purchase compliant medical insurance, send your insurance documents to your SCO so they can upload
them into the system for final approval.
If your government covers all medical care for your family, you do not need to purchase an additional
insurance policy, but it MUST be stated on your ITO that your government will cover all costs for
dependent medical care. If you are unsure if your government covers your family's medical care, please
check with your SCO.
Please remember that ultimately, even with insurance, you are financially responsible for all of the
medical costs for your dependents.
A quick note on schools: if your school-aged dependents are accompanying you for the duration of the
training, please visit our website for relevant registration and enrollment information:

https://ismo.ndu.edu/Incoming-Students/Incoming-Student-Info/Dependent-Information/SchoolRequirements/.
Finally, we want to take a moment to clarify travel policy. You will be required to travel several times
during the school year. These Field Studies are mandatory, academic trips where you will not be able to
have accompanying dependents.
On [DATE], ISMO will execute the only Field Study where all dependents are welcome to join. We will be
spending the weekend in Philadelphia, PA. If you are attending CISA, ISMO will also execute a Field Study
to New York City in mid-December where dependents are welcome to join.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Kindly,”

Email #4 Academic Records:
“Dear
See below for some introductory information regarding possible admission to the Master’s Degree
programs. You will receive more information, including a formal brief with the Provost, after you arrive.
Admission to the Master’s Degrees Programs
Students must apply for admission into the Master’s Degree program; admission is not automatic. The
admissions review is holistic but there are two major criteria: 1) English proficiency – we use the TOEFL
for this purpose and 2) academic and/or career background comparable to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. You
will complete an admissions package to begin this process.
Admissions Packages will include:
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All academic transcripts and diplomas obtained after secondary school/high school
You are responsible for bringing them with you. We do not need original documents,
copies are fine. If they are not in English, we require copies in the original language and
English translations. Examples include: military academy transcripts and diplomas,
Command & Staff College transcripts and diplomas, transcripts and diplomas from
civilian universities, etc. You’ll need to determine what applies to you. See the
“Academic Records” section below for more information.

-

TOEFL score (if not exempted)
Official TOEFL score reports are sent directly from ETS to NDU- student copies are not
sufficient. You may log in to your account and order an official score report to be sent to
NDU using score code 3324. See the “English Proficiency” and “TOEFL Exemptions”
below for more information.

-

Application form
This will be completed at your appointment with the University Registrar’s Office.

-

Current resume/C.V.
Should detail your education and career assignments along with the major
responsibilities of each assignment. Must be presented in chronological order. Please
have at least a draft of this document prepared before you arrive to NDU.

Academic Records
During the summer orientation period, all international students must submit a package of documents
to the University Registrar’s Office that includes copies of their academic transcripts, diplomas, and
certificates in their original language. They should include the name of the institution, student name,
dates of study, and degrees awarded.
Academic documents should be presented in their original language and accompanied by translations
to English. Please note the English translation does not need to be done by a professional translator but
must reflect the complete document; unofficial translations are acceptable.
Documents will be submitted as a complete package. The University Registrar’s Office will not collect or
review documentation of military training so there is no need to bring those. Formal education typically
equates to a program being 6 months or more in length. Students typically present documents from
military academies, civilian undergraduate or graduate degrees, Command and Staff College, etc.
It is absolutely imperative that international students bring all academic documentation possible. We
will collect documentation for any formal education beyond secondary school/high school- both
undergraduate and graduate level programs. Please take the time before leaving for the U.S. to ensure
you have all academic documentation so that you are prepared to submit a complete package upon
arrival at NDU. Failure to bring this documentation may jeopardize your admission to the Master’s
Degree program.
English Proficiency
Admission to the Master’s Degree program also depends on the student’s English proficiency. NDU uses
the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to gauge the students English proficiency. Students
are encouraged to take the TOEFL in your country before arrival in the U.S. However, you may take
the TOEFL in the U.S. as long as you complete the test by [DATE] and have the official score report
submitted directly to NDU using score code 3324. If you have questions about obtaining an official
score report for NDU, please let us know.
After arrival to NDU, students will receive a voucher from NDU to cover the cost of one test attempt in
the U.S. (unfortunately, any tests taken in students’ home countries cannot be reimbursed). NDU will
provide instructions on how to register for the test, but students are responsible for selecting a time and
registering for the test themselves. Students will take the TOEFL shortly after arrival, so please take
some time to prepare before arrival. NDU requires a score of 83 or better on the internet-based TOEFL
to automatically meet the English proficiency requirement. TOEFL scores are valid for two years so if
students have previously taken the test, they will be asked to log in to their ETS accounts and order an
official score report to be sent to NDU.

TOEFL Exemptions
The only students exempt from taking the TOEFL are those from countries specifically exempted by
DSCA Memorandum 19-01, dated 16 January 2019, which include: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, Grenada, Guyana, India,
Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, St. Kitts, St.
Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and United Kingdom. Students from Austria, Germany, Kenya,
Pakistan and Switzerland are also exempt. Additionally, the TOEFL is not required for international
students who have earned a bachelor’s or master's degree from an accredited university in the United
States. If you have earned a degree from a university in the United States, you will be required to
provide an official transcript of that degree to NDU in order to be exempt. No other TOEFL exemptions
will be granted.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Kindly,”

Email #5 – IT Requirements:
“Dear
NDU provides students with access to the Internet, wireless networks, curricula, and research tools -- all
via DoD-owned, -managed, or -compliant information systems. These IT tools will all be critical to your
success at NDU.
Access is predicated on student compliance with DoD Information Assurance (IA) regulations and
requirements. No student will receive access to any NDU system until they have accurately and fully
completed these IA requirements. You will be sent a registration email for Joint Knowledge Online (JKO)
that will allow you to complete a CyberCertificate to satisfy IA regulations.
You should receive two separate emails from JKO to create an account, one containing your username
and another one containing your password creation token. Please note the token will only be valid for
24 hours until you complete your account. (If you miss the 24-hour window, please see steps 1-3 of the
“JKO Logon” attachment to retrieve a new token.) These emails will be sent to the email address you or
your SCO provided to our office. Please check your SPAM or other filters. See the attached examples. If
you have not received these emails in two weeks, please email me.
Once you receive your JKO username and password, please log into JKO complete the following training:
DOD-US1364-20

Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Awareness Challenge 2020 (1hr)

Confirm the course code and title are correct. We have had IMS mistakenly complete 10 hour trainings
due to similar course names. The course code and name should match exactly the above.
Once you complete the training, submit the attached System Authorization Access Request (SAAR) form
as well as the completion certificate to [email protected] and CC me. Please do not forget

to sign the SAAR on page 2. Digital or hand signatures are both acceptable. Save your SAAR with this
naming convention: AY21_ISMO_YourLastName_YourFirstName_2875
Step by step instructions can be found here: http://www.ndu.edu/Students/IACompliance/International-Students/
A summary of the IT requirements can be found here: https://www.ndu.edu/Students/IncomingStudent-Requirements/
All incoming IFs must complete these IT requirements before using NDU resources. We encourage you
to complete them ASAP.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
All the best,”

Email #6 – Post-Arrival Checklist
“Dear Incoming International Fellow,
Your arrival at NDU is fast approaching, and we are really looking forward to welcoming you to the
United States and to Washington, DC!
As you can imagine, there are quite a few administrative tasks that you will need to complete on your
own time once you arrive. Some of the tasks you will need to make time for include DMV-related issues,
TOEFL prep and execution, and ensuring you are settled into your lodging. I have attached a PDF version
of the first week of your tentative summer schedule to give you a better feel for what your summer will
look like. We will send weekly updates of the schedule for the week to follow. It's important to note that
the scheduled events at NDU are all mandatory - this is why we highly encourage you plan ahead to
schedule personal admin tasks as soon as possible. Please understand this schedule is still subject to
change.
In the attached memo, you will find a list of common tasks that International Fellows must complete
once they arrive in the US. Please read this memo carefully, understand what tasks do or do not apply to
you, schedule any appointments you can, and, most importantly, make sure to schedule these
appointments only outside of the timeframes indicated on the attached calendar. Additionally, please
note that you should not be scheduling appointments that require face-to-face interaction (for example,
trips to the DMV) until your 14-day self-quarantine is complete. For the latest on quarantine
requirements, please visit the following link: https://ismo.ndu.edu/Coronavirus-Information/
If your dependents are accompanying you, you have an additional load of orchestrating their arrival and
administrative transition. Please visit our website for relevant school registration and enrollment
information: https://ismo.ndu.edu/Incoming-Students/Incoming-Student-Info/DependentInformation/School-Requirements/.
We fully understand the limited availability and tight timeframe you will have between your arrival and
the start of your studies at NDU. ISMO is here to support in whatever way possible, and help assist

where feasible. Unfortunately, as stated above, all briefings and seminars in the attached schedule are
mandatory; we encourage you to capitalize on early afternoons dismissals as possible.
I hope this will help you to manage your time and ease some stress! Please let me know if you have any
questions or concerns.
Kind regards,”