International Student Handbook - Office of International Affairs ...

TRANSPORTATION
5. TRANSPORTATION
Public Transportation
Tri-Met is the Portland public transportation
system and the least expensive way to travel
around the city. In fact, PSU is located in
Fareless Square, the downtown area where
you may ride the Streetcar and Max trains
for free. Note: buses are not free in Fareless
Square.
If you live where you will be taking the bus
regularly, it is less expensive to buy a quarterly
bus pass at the discounted student rate.
Bus passes can be purchased at the Information
Center, located at 506 SW Mill in the Urban Center. This office also
has bus route information, or you can go to the Tri-Met office in Pioneer
Courthouse Square. To get a discounted pass, you need to show your PSU
Student ID card. One-way tickets can be purchased on the bus starting
from $2.05, and you must have exact change.
Cars
If you are going to buy a car, you must have the following:
An Oregon driver’s license: If you intend to stay in Oregon for more than
six months (e.g., students enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students),
you may apply for an Oregon Driver’s License (ODL). Proof of residence
and two forms of identification are required. More information is available
at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/index.shtml
Liability insurance: The law requires that you have liability insurance on
your vehicle. This insurance covers physical or property damage you or your
car may do to another car and/or person in the event of an accident. Your
license will be suspended if you do not have liability insurance.
A parking permit: If you will be parking your car on campus, you will want
to purchase a parking permit from Portland State University.
Bicycles
Portland is a very bicycle-friendly city and bikes are another inexpensive
way to travel around Portland. Bike lanes and bike paths are marked
throughout the city. Bike theft can be problematic; therefore, it is important
to keep your bike well-secured. We also recommend that you pay a visit to
the Campus Public Safety office where you can use an engraver to engrave
an identification number on your bicycle. This helps identify it if it is stolen.
A good website to check out if you are interested in using your bicycle to
get around Portland is http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/
Grades
The following marks are acceptable as grades for course completion:
A, B, C, D, and P (Pass)
The following marks are not acceptable:
X No basis for grade
W Withdraw
AU Audit
The following grades may jeopardize your immigration status.
We recommend that you speak with an international student advisor as
soon as you know you may receive one so that your options can be explained
to you:
F Fail
I Incomplete
NP No pass
Co-Enrollment
YOUR LEGAL STATUS
International students may enroll simultaneously at 2 USCIS approved
institutions. This is called being co-enrolled. Portland State University’s
policy requires those students wishing to co-enroll to carry at least half of
their required credits at PSU (for undergraduate students, this means at least
6 credits, for graduate students, as least 5 credits). Your remaining credits
may be taken at another institution.
If you wish to co-enroll, you must do the following:
-You must bring proof of your enrollment at the other institution to East
Hall 101 (ISSS) before the beginning of the term in which you wish to co
-enroll
-You must bring an unofficial grade report to ISSS at the end of each term
you co-enroll. Please note: your co-enrollment at another institution may
not hinder your progress towards completing your degree in a timely
manner, in other words, the classes you are taking at other institutions
should count towards your graduation from PSU.
If you are interested in co-enrolling, you should speak to an advisor at
International Student and Scholar Services before doing so to ensure that
you understand clearly what is allowed and what is not.