December 2023 SISS Newsletter
Information and Updates
Scammers Are Getting Smarter
Scammers use new technology and new methods to trick people every day. As they get smarter, we need to get smarter too, and that starts with being alert.
Here are some signs that the person who emailed, called or texted you might be trying to scam you. End the conversation if the person:
- Threatens to suspend your Social Security number or visa (even if they have part or all of your information, such as part of your Social Security number)
- Warns or threatens arrest or legal action
- Demands or requests immediate payment
- Requires payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, internet currency or by mailing cash
- Pressures you for your personal information
- Offers you a job you didn't apply for
- Requests secrecy
- Threatens to seize your bank account
- Promises to increase your Social Security benefit
- Tries to gain your trust by providing fake documentation, false evidence, or by claiming to be a government official
Learn more about protecting yourself from scams
Travel Signature Required for Winter Travel
If you plan to travel outside the U.S. during the upcoming winter break, please review the travel requirements for students and scholars. In addition to the other requirements noted on these pages, F-1 students will need a valid travel signature on their I-20 form, and J-1 students and scholars will require a valid travel signature on their DS-2019 form.
Learn more about travel requirements
SISS Closed for Winter Holidays
The SISS office will be closed from Dec. 25, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2024. SISS closes early and services end at 2 p.m. on the business day before a long weekend or holiday. Please plan ahead to avoid delays.
Employment Workshops Available On-Demand
Are you interested in OPT or CPT? F-1 Employment Workshops are available online. Select your workshop to get started.
- CPT for Undergraduate F-1 Students
- OPT for F-1 Students (Part 1 of 3)
- STEM OPT Extension for F-1 Students
Ask An Advisor
Meredith Lucas, International Scholar Advisor
Q: Can my family visit me at UC Davis?
A: Yes, they can! During your program, if you invite your family from out of the country to visit, you can write an invitation letter yourself following a template created by SISS.
If you invite your family to visit for commencement: undergraduate students can request a letter when registering for commencement; graduate students should email their commencement coordinator; and professional students should contact their Dean's Office.
Contact SISS with questions: siss@ucdavis.edu
Programs and Events
International Graduate Student TAs: Navigating Challenges Together
Are you an international graduate student working as a Teaching Assistant at UC Davis? Do you often feel challenged to navigate the role of being a TA while also adapting to academic and cultural differences? Share your experience either through the survey link below or by joining a virtual event with other graduate students.
- Date and time: December 5, 2023, 4–5 p.m.
Scholar Coffee Break
We invite international scholars (visiting faculty and researchers) to connect at the monthly SISS Scholar Coffee Break. Whether you are new to campus or have been here for several months, international scholars are invited to join SISS in this welcoming and virtual space.
- Date and time: December 7, 2023, 9–10 a.m.
GoinGlobal International Student Visa Presentation
Sign up today to join the Internship and Career Center for a GoinGlobal virtual presentation designed for international students. Learn about how the tool can help as you look for internships and jobs all over the world.
- Date and time: December 19, 2023, 10–10:50 a.m.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Summer Programs Open!
This program offers pre- and post-doctoral researchers from the US, Canada and Europe the opportunity to spend two months of your summer conducting research at a Japanese university or research institution under the guidance of a host researcher.
- Application Deadline: January 4, 2024
SISS Scholar Evening Discussion: Discussing U.S. Values—Change, Competition and Action
Join Global Affairs staff and fellow visiting scholars for a virtual evening discussion about some of the U.S. culture’s overarching values: change and progress, competition and action. We will delve into what these values mean in U.S. culture, some of their history, and how you might see these values show up in your daily life. This is a great opportunity to connect with other scholars as well as UC Davis staff and to ask questions in a welcoming space. Topics are subject to change.
- Date and time: February 12, 2024, 5–6 p.m.
Opportunities and Announcements
Iyagi Hour - Come Practice Korean & English with Us!
We aim to encourage our members to learn and practice their goal language in a fun and welcoming environment! We connect speakers of Korean and English with students who want to learn either of these languages.
- Time: Thursdays 5–7 p.m.
- Location: Olson, 53A
Applications for Graduate Students of Color Mentoring Program are Open
The UC Davis Cross Cultural Center (CCC) invites all Graduate Students of Color AND all faculty/staff to apply to our Graduate Students of Color Mentoring Program. Our primary goal is to assist in the retention of historically marginalized graduate and professional students at UC Davis.
- Deadline: December 14, 2023
Calling all Global Learners: Submit poster for Global Learning Conference
The Global Learning Hub will host the Global Learning Conference on Saturday, April 6, 2024. During the conference, the Hub plans to highlight individual students’ global learning experiences through posters to showcase the variety of global learning opportunities available at UC Davis. If you are interested in being showcased, please submit this Google form by December 18th, 2023.
- Deadline: December 18, 2023
Welcome Dinner for Newly Arrived Visiting Scholars
Community Friends of Scholars is a local organization of volunteers sponsored by International Students, Inc. (ISI), with staff and volunteers from area churches. They hold monthly Welcome Dinners for newly arrived visiting scholars. At the dinners, scholars can sign up for other activities, like Zoom cooking classes and farm tours.
For more information, email Simon Zeigler with ISI at szeigler@isionline.org
Sign up for the I-House Newsletter
Looking to engage more with the international community in the city of Davis? Sign up to receive the International House (I-House) newsletter to learn more.
Sign up at the bottom of the I-House webpage
Student and Scholar Spotlight
International Scholar Developing Sugar Substitute
Professor Shota Atsumi, UC Davis Department of Chemistry, led a team that found a new way to coax microbes into making allulose, a potential substitute for table sugar. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Mars Advanced Research Institute.