OISS ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.S. Based Mobile Service

Do You Need U.S. Based Mobile Phone Service?

Check out Campus SIMS (partnered with Mint Mobile)

Get a FREE SIM card at any OISS location

Find more information at campussims.com

Announcements from SEVIS Team

WINTER TERM DEADLINES

Saturday, March 14th* at 10:00 PM: Withdrawal Deadline. Do not withdraw from any of your classes without permission from the SEVIS Coordinator. See how and when to withdraw.

Saturday, March 14th, at 10:00 PM: Change Grade Option (Pass/No Pass) Deadline.

*If your class ends before March 14th, the withdrawal deadline is 10 pm on the day of the last class session.

TRAVEL SIGNATURES

If you leave the United States, you must have a travel signature no older than 6 months on your I-20 to re-enter the US as an F-1 student. Please complete the SEVIS Request Form if you need a new travel signature.

LATE DROPS/WITHDRAWAL

What is Withdrawal?

You can only drop a class until the drop deadline. After that, it’s called a “withdrawal,” and it has different consequences. Do not withdraw from a course without permission from the SEVIS Team. No refunds are available for withdrawn classes.

What happens when you withdraw?

If you withdraw from a course that brings you below 12 credits, or less than the required number of in-person credits, your SEVIS record will be terminated and your F-1 status canceled. In this case, you must depart the U.S. immediately to avoid any negative consequences.

What should you do instead?

Instead, you might be able to change a course grade option from letter grades (A-F) to Pass/No Pass (P/NP). If you have questions about P/NP grades, make an appointment with your academic advisor in Navigate 360. The deadline to make this change in MyPCC is Saturday, March 14, or the day of your last class, whichever is earlier.

OISS ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Winter TTC

We are excited to share our Winter Term Talk Time Cafe schedule with you! This is a fantastic chance to practice English, meet new friends, and connect with our amazing PCC community.

Take a look at the schedule above and please join us!

We would love to see you there!

Please check PantherHub regularly for event details and to sign up! We’ll also share updates in our newsletter and on our social media channels.

Don’t miss out on all the fun, learning, and community this winter!

Celebrate International Women’s Day:

Event Schedule

International Women's Day:

 DIY Candle Making

If you’re not sure what to give to the special women in your life, come join OISS and create a heartfelt gift! How about handcrafting a small scented candle just for them? Supplies are limited, so make sure to join us soon!

Wednesday, March 4th

11AM - 2PM

Rock Creek Campus

Building 3 Mall

Learn More & RSVP HERE

International Women's Day:

 Yoga & Wellness

Celebrate International Women’s Day with us through a relaxing Yoga Class at VS Yoga Flow Studio in Beaverton. This event focuses on wellness, mindfulness, and empowerment for our community. Students will participate in a guided yoga session, followed by a light and healthy refreshment to connect and unwind together.

Saturday, March 7th

9-11AM

VS Yoga Flow Studio Beaverton

Open for current PCC students. Mats Provided

 Food Provided (Small refreshment and snacks after the yoga session)

Learn more & RSVP HERE

International Women's Day:

Karaoke Night

Join us for a Karaoke Night and sing your favorite songs in a fun, supportive atmosphere. Whether you’re performing or cheering on friends, it’s a great way to relax, laugh, and connect.



Sunday, March 8th

4-7PM

Voice Box Karaoke SE

Learn More & RSVP HERE

How in the World?!

A collaborative monthly online session with selected guests. Guests will be invited to share a part of their personal or professional journeys and participants will be invited to share similar stories and ask questions.

Tuesday, March 10

Noon to 1PM

Learn more & RSVP HERE

OISS HEALTH INFORMATION

Scholastic Emergency Services

Scholastic Emergency Services (SES)

What is it?

Scholastic Emergency Services (SES) provides assistance during medical emergencies, including translation and transportation support for you or a loved one.

How does it work?

Students should share the SES contact information with trusted family members or close friends. In the event of an emergency, your designated contact is responsible for reaching out to SES for assistance.

Please make sure your loved ones have this information in case it is ever needed.

For any additional questions please email us at oiss.insurance@pcc.edu 

Visit PCC's health insurance webpage.

PCC EVENTS & RESOURCES

Recommend Books in Your Language

The Library wants you to recommend books in your language!

Most of the books in the PCC Libraries are in English. The Library is planning to buy more books in other languages to build a World Languages collection. You can help the Library choose which books to buy!

Click here and write down the names of books or writers you would like to read or recommend to a friend. You can write the titles in your first language!

We will try to find the books you recommend.

Thank you for your recommendations! 

36th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films

The 36th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films!

Free and open to the public, this year’s festival features a powerful selection of more than twenty films that reflect the continent’s artistic ingenuity and rich storytelling traditions. Curated around shared themes that connect films across genre, country, and era, the program explores stories on personal, communal, and national levels.

Many of the films examine migration, displacement, and reinvention, revealing the universal search for safety, purpose, and belonging. Women’s voices are especially prominent, offering intimate, bold, and deeply resonant portrayals of strength, vulnerability, and leadership. Across both fiction and documentary, filmmakers also engage with questions of authority, justice, societal expectations, and inequity inviting us to imagine new possibilities in the face of challenge.

The festival poster reflects this spirit, featuring a central figure whose hair transforms into film reels - a symbol of stories carried, protected, and amplified. Histories are braided together, memories unspooled, and narratives that are too often unseen are brought to light.

We invite you to immerse yourself in these films, take part in meaningful conversations, and experience Africa through African lenses. Thank you for supporting the longest-running African film festival in the United States.

Join us in celebrating the brilliance of African cinema and creating moments that resonate well beyond Black History Month.

February 6 - March 7

https://www.africanfilmfestival.org/

International Culture Corner

Come practice English, share your culture, play games, chat, and enjoy snacks and coffee - all while having fun together!



Every Monday

12-2 PM

WRC, SE MTH 148 &

Multicultural Center, SE MTH 150

All are welcome!



Learn more and RSVP HERE

Bachata Dominicana

Need a new hobby? Want to learn a new dance? Looking to meet new people? Come join us over at the Southeast Campus in learning Bachata and its roots in resistance, love, and community.

Every Monday

5-5:50 PM

SE, Mt Tabor Dance Studio



Learn more and RSVP HERE

Play without Borders

Join the Veterans Resource Center for a new event called Play Without Borders, held

every Tuesday at Noon.

Veterans come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and this multicultural game day is designed to bring students together through fun, friendly competition and shared experiences. The event celebrates the diverse cultures within the campus and community by featuring games from around the world.

Play Without Borders creates a safe, welcoming space where students and veterans can come together, share experiences, and learn games from different countries helping strengthen connections across the community.

Play, learn, and connect while enjoying good company and community spirit!

Learn more and RSVP HERE

Volume Up! A Women's History Month Karaoke Kickoff

Sing artists who inspire you. Celebrate the voices of women. Or just come hang.

First come, first sing!

Tuesday, March 3rd

Sylvania Women's Resource Center CC 232

12-3PM

Song choice must align with WRC guidelines. No hate speech or discriminatory language.

Learn more & RSVP HERE

Purim Party!

Purim celebration with a costume competition, food, and games!

 Food Provided (Pizzas, Snacks and canned sodas.)

Tuesday, March 3

Sylvania Cafeteria

4-6PM

Learn more & RSVP HERE

Mobile Health Clinic

The Student Basic Needs Center is proud to partner with the Multnomah County Community Health Center to bring free and low cost healthcare services to the PCC Southeast campus.

The Multnomah County Mobile Clinic will provide medical, dental, behavioral health, and case management services at the Southeast campus in the courtyard between the Mt. Tabor and Mt. Scott buildings.

Services are available to students, staff, and community members on a first-come, first-served basis; signups are located in front of the clinic van.

The mobile clinic accepts OHP and other insurance plans, but insurance is not required to receive services.The mobile clinic can provide healthcare to everyone living in Multnomah county, whether they are covered by insurance, paying what they can, or unable to pay. No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.

The winter term schedule for the Mobile Clinic is 11:00-2:00 on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month:

Tuesday, March 10

FREE PRODUCE WEDNESDAY

The Environmental Center serves as a community hub for PCC sustainability initiatives and volunteer opportunities, including being part of our beautiful Learning Garden. The E-Center is an active meeting place for students interested in sustainability issues and student-led projects. It offers updated resources on climate change, alternative transportation, energy conservation, and campus sustainability. Stop by Sylvania ST 213 or contact Peter Ritson to learn more!

Stop by after class and enjoy some free produce and fun learning opportunities!

Wednesdays

Sylvania CC Building

12-3 PM

Holi - Festival of Colors

Join us for the Holi celebration filled with joy, laughter, and vibrant colors!

Rock Creek, Event Center, Building 9/122

Thursday, March 5

1:30PM

Learn more & RSVP HERE

JOBS

Bridge to Queer & Trans Student Success

Exciting Job Opportunity!

Peer Mentor Positions with the Bridge to Queer & Trans Student Success Program

Strengthen your campus connections and get paid to engage with your peers as part of the brand new Bridge to Queer & Trans Student Success (BQTSS) Program! BQTSS Peer Mentors help program participants make the transition to college and succeed during their first year through outreach events, community building, and peer support. Mentors develop and implement a variety of engagement opportunities to support the personal and academic success of their mentees, who are assigned based on Academic & Career Pathways, lived experiences, and interests. The BQTSS Peer Mentor position will help you develop skills in leadership, collaboration, program planning, communication, and community building, and prepare you to enter the workforce with a social justice framework centered around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Application Deadline: Apply Immediately; interviews will begin once sufficient qualified applications have been received (application will remain open until positions are filled).

Department: Queer & Trans Student Success (QTSS)

Position Type: Student-Help (Non Work Study) 

Hours: Up to 6 hours per week

Compensation: $16.30

Location: Hybrid

Duration: Winter & Spring Term 2026

Application HERE

Bridge to Queer & Trans Student Success Peer Mentorship Program!

Email bqtss@pcc.edu for fore information.

RC Parking Enforcement Officer

Job Opportunity: Parking Enforcement Officer

The Parking Enforcement Officer enforces parking policies, rules, and regulations in outdoor campus areas. This position provides technical information and assistance to students, staff, and the public, boots scofflaw vehicles when necessary, and performs other related duties as assigned.

Position Details:

Shift Available: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Maximum Hours: 599 hours per school year

This is a great opportunity for someone who is responsible, observant, and comfortable interacting with the campus community.

For more information or to apply, please view here:

RC Parking Enforcement Officer 

SE Career Services, SE Peer Advisor Position with Career Services for 2026

Broaden your college experience and get paid to engage with your peers as part of PCC Career Services team! Peer Advisors are trained ot help current and prospective students with career and major exploration, scholarship search, general college information, identifying potential transfer universities, job search and more. Peers help students across educational and occupational information, and to effectively use academic career and campus resources. Other responsibilities may include planning and facilitating events and collaborating with other departments. The Career Services Peer Advisor position will help you develop skills in teamwork, organization, leadership, and communication, and prepare you to enter the workforce with a social justice framework center around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Application Deadline: March 2nd

For more information or to apply, please view HERE

HOUSING

Housing Submission Information

If you are looking for housing or have housing available and would like to share with other students, please complete the form below and we will include it in this newsletter for two weeks.

Share Your Photo with Us!

Do you love taking photos? We would love to feature your photography in our weekly newsletter!

Each week, we will highlight a photo taken by a PCC international student or staff member. Your photo can be about travel, culture, nature, campus life, or a special moment you want to share.

You can also include a short title or story (1–3 sentences) to tell us more about the photo (where it was taken, what it means to you, or why it’s special.)

How to submit:

Send your photo (and short story, if you would like) to Anna Gindlesperger anna.gindlesperger@pcc.edu with the subject line Photo Submission with your name.

We can’t wait to see the world through your lens! 

PCC Big Give Day 2026

Portland Community College’s Big Give Day will take place March 4-5, 2026!

This is an opportunity to raise awareness and support for international students facing urgent financial needs through the F-1 International Student Emergency Fund.

Contributions to this fund help students navigate unexpected challenges and continue their academic journey at PCC.

We encourage you to help spread the word about this important cause within your networks. Every donation - no matter the size - can make a big impact for PCC students.

Thank you for your support!