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ISSO Glossary of Terms

CIP: The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is a taxonomy of academic disciplines at institutions of higher education in the United States. This taxonomy allows agencies to understand what academic programs and institutions offer despite the varied ways each institution titles their programs.

The CIP was developed in 1980 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Since then, it has been reviewed and updated every 10 years. The 2020 edition is the current revision of the taxonomy.

DSO: Designated School Official

EAD: Employment Authorization Document. U.S. employers must check to make sure all employees, regardless of citizenship or national origin, are allowed to work in the United States. Having an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766/EAD) is one way to prove that you are allowed to work in the United States for a specific time period.

F-1 Student Visa: Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a non-immigrant visa for a temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. You must have a student visa to study in the United States. Your course of study at Cooper Union requires an F-1 student visa.

G-1145: Use this form to request an electronic notification (e-notification) when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accepts your immigration application.

ISSO: International Students Services Office or International Students and Scholars Office.

I-20 Document: An I-20 is a U.S. government form that is issued by The Cooper Union to certify that you are eligible for the F-1 student status. The I-20, also known as the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) certifies that:

  • You've been fully admitted to The Cooper Union, and we expect that you will be attending as a full-time student towards a specific educational objective.
  • You have sufficient funding to study and live in the U.S. for the duration of your educational program.

I-765: Certain foreign nationals who are in the United States may file Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization, to request employment authorization and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Other foreign nationals whose immigration status authorizes them to work in the United States without restrictions may also use Form I-765 to apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for an EAD that shows such authorization.

I-94: The Arrival and Departure Record is the I-94, in either paper or electronic format, issued by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign visitors entering the United States. After April 30, 2013, most Arrival and /or Departure records will be created electronically upon arrival. Instead of a paper form, the visitor will be provided with an annotated stamp in their foreign passport. If provided a paper form, the admitting CBP Officer generally attaches the I-94 to the visitor's passport and stamps the departure date on the form. 

Form I-983: The I-983 is a formal training plan for STEM OPT students which must clearly articulate the STEM OPT student’s learning objectives and affirm the employer’s commitment to helping the student achieve those objectives. Students and their employers must complete and sign the I-983 form and submit it to the student’s DSO.

OPT: Optional Practical Training is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed or have been pursuing their degrees for one academic year are permitted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work for one year on a student visa towards getting practical training to complement their education.

SEVIS: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System is a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to maintain information on foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States in Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools.

Sprintax: A complete tax prep solution for international students, scholars, and non-resident professionals. File 1040NR online. Prepare 8843, state tax returns, and (a U.S. federal payroll tax) FICA.

STEM: “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”

Social Security: A U.S. government program established in 1935 to include old-age and survivor’s insurance, contributions to state unemployment insurance, and old-age assistance. Social Security is an insurance program. Workers pay into the program, typically through payroll withholding where they work. They can earn up to four credits each year.

USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.