We welcome you to the United States, to the State of Wisconsin and especially to the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies and International Education Annual Conference at the Madison Marriott West Hotel, 1313 John Q. Hammonds Drive, Middleton, WI, Monday, March 16-Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The following information will make your time at the Conference more productive and convenient.

Website. Check the Conference website frequently since it is updated periodically:

Conference Homepage

Registration. The early registration fee is $140.00 (valid until February 16, 2009). After February 16 registration is $160.00. Please go to the website, click on "Registration," print out and complete the registration form. Student and Retired fees are not valid for overseas visitors.

Send the registration form with payment by postal mail or pre-paid courier to Professor Emeritus Dean Bowles, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706. Payment should be by international money order or bank cashier’s check payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank (NO personal or institutional checks, cash, purchase orders, or credit/debit cards). Make payable to “The International Education Annual Conference.”

Hotel Reservations. Reservations for lodging are made directly with the conference hotel: Madison Marriott West Hotel. The Conference website has links to “lodging” and to the Marriott webpage or you may connect directly at www.marriott.com or you may call directly to (608) 831-2000. Make reservations early. Mention the WCSS and IEC Conference to get the best rates. See lodging on the Conference website.

Flying to Madison or Chicago. You can fly to Madison directly or Chicago then coach to Madison. We recommend that you check and compare flight costs before making reservations.

• If you fly directly to Madison, the Madison Marriott West Hotel has a complimentary/free shuttle to the hotel about every hour from 0700-2200 (When you arrive at the airport call the hotel for the shuttle service.). Taxi from the airport is about $40.00.
• If you fly to Chicago, take the USA/VanGalder coach outside the International Terminal (#5) to Madison (about 3 hours and $26.00 one-way). The coach drops you off at the University. There is no hotel shuttle service from the University area. From the University, a taxi to the conference hotel is about $25.00.

Cash. After you arrive in Madison, the University of Wisconsin Credit Union will assist you with any banking needs from 0900-1700, Monday-Friday and 0900-1300 on Saturday.

Visas and Letters of Invitation. If you require a formal letter of invitation to obtain a visa or for institutional approval for funding, please adhere to the following:

• All requests for formal letters of invitation or any assistance in obtaining a visa or institutional approval or support to attend the International Education Conference (IEC) must be received by e-mail, post, or fax by January 16, 2009.
• The Conference will NOT process requests for letters of invitation until the person requesting the letter or assistance has registered and paid the Conference fee (See “Registration”). The registration fee is NON-refundable.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant and/or sponsoring institution to process all visa requests with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in their home country. The Conference will assist by sending a formal letter of invitation by air mail post.
• The Conference does not provide scholarships or financial assistance.
• The conference will communicate by e-mail, air mail post, and fax. However, the Conference will send only one letter of invitation by fax. We will not initiate long-distance telephone calls or send documents by courier.
• READ CAREFULLY. All requests for letters of invitation to the Conference should include the following information: (a) full name (indicate family and given name), (b) title or official status, (c) address with postal code, (d) sponsoring institution or affiliation, (e) passport country and number, (f) e-mail address to which correspondence may be sent, and (g) addressee name, title, affiliation, and postal address, e-mail, or fax to which letters of invitation or other correspondence should be sent. The name given to us should be the same as on the passport.
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. Name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail of the American Embassy or Consulate, including the name of a particular consular official if appropriate, to which you will be applying for a visa.

If you have any questions, please go to the Conference website or contact Dean Bowles, Emeritus Professor - bdbowles@wisc.edu or (608) 263-7880 or by post to Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706.

A copy of this document is avialable here.