Notice About the Democratic National Convention
Chicago will host the Democratic National Convention (DNC) Monday, Aug. 19 through Thursday, Aug. 22. This large-scale, multi-day event will culminate in the Democratic Party selecting their nominee for the U.S. presidential election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
The DNC will bring an estimated 80,000+ people into the city, including party delegates and conference attendees, media representatives, security personnel, and demonstrators. Activity will be centered primarily around the United Center and McCormick Place. The United Center, in particular, is located within a mile and a half of the UIC campus.
New and Returning Members of the International Community
Members of the UIC international community arriving and returning to Chicago and the UIC campus during the DNC should be aware that traffic into the city and around campus is expected to be significantly elevated during this time. Public transportation, such as CTA buses/trains and suburban Metra trains, may operate on altered schedules. Please confirm transportation availability and schedules in advance.
International students and scholars arriving to Chicago for the first time are strongly encouraged to secure temporary accommodation (hotel, hostel, etc.) well in advance as availability may be more limited than normal.
Office of International Services Operations
The Office of International Services will continue operations during the convention with a mix of in-person and virtual services. From Monday, Aug. 19, through Thursday, Aug. 22, our physical office in suite 2160 of the Student Services Building (SSB) will be open on a reduced schedule from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and for document pick up and drop off only (no advising). Visitors must enter SSB from the entrance at Harrison & Racine and may need to swipe a valid UIC ID to enter the building. Please carry your iCard with you if possible.
Members of the international community who would like to meet with an OIS advisor should schedule a virtual advising appointment. In-person advising will not be available during the week of the convention. As a reminder, most immigration requests can be submitted online through the myOIS immigration portal. This includes the mandatory Immigration Check-In with OIS for new members of the UIC international community.
Fall 2024 International Student Orientation
New international student orientation programming is planned as mix of in-person and virtual events. Please refer to the Fall 2024 International Student Orientation webpage for confirmation on which events will be held on-campus and which will be held via Zoom.
The New International Student Summit will take place in-person in the Illinois Room of Student Center East on Friday, Aug. 23. All international students new to UIC for the fall 2024 semester are strongly encouraged to attend this special UIC tradition!
Questions about this announcement can be sent to ois@uic.edu. Incoming international students should connect with the New International Student Team at newintl@uic.edu. Incoming scholars can email oisj1@uic.edu.