January 2021 SISS Newsletter
Information and Updates
Guidelines for F-1 Students for Winter and Spring Quarters
Guidelines for F-1 Students for Winter and Spring QuartersLast month, the Department of Homeland Security extended guidance for F-1 students through winter and spring quarters. Please read our recent announcement for more information about this guidance.
Should you have any questions about your visa status or similar issues, please contact your SISS Advisor.
Resources for Addressing Stress During Uncertain Times
Resources for Addressing Stress During Uncertain TimesThe U.S. election and socio-political strife can be stressful on their own. Combined with current events, they may feel even more overwhelming. We encourage you to find healthy and supportive ways to communicate about and address your concerns, stress, and anxiety. Please remember that everyone at UC Davis wants you to succeed and achieve your goals.
For students
- UC Davis Counseling Services (may be limited to students inside the U.S. or California only)
- Tips for Managing Socio-political Stress, created for Aggies by Aggies
- Each Aggie Matters
- You Got This workshops
- Student Health and Counseling Services podcasts
- Healthy UC Davis: Resources for Health and Well-being (undergraduate students)
- Healthy UC Davis: Resources for Health and Well-being (graduate and professional program students)
- Academic Assistance and Tutoring
- Undergraduate academic advising
- Graduate academic advising
For scholars
- Academic and Staff Assistance Program
- Safety Services: Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being
- Healthy UC Davis: Work/Life Balance
- Healthy UC Davis: Resources for Health and Well-being
Protect Yourself From Scams
Shortly before winter break, a new scam was reported that offers to reserve COVID-19 vaccines. Please be aware of this and other various scam and fraud attempts that are out there at this time, including spoofed calls appearing to come from government agencies.
- Read more about protecting yourself from scams
- Read about new scam reports from UC Davis Police Department Crime Alerts
- Read UC Davis Police Department's Safety and Security Tips
- Watch the video
Loaner Laptops Available Through IET
Undergraduate students who do not have a laptop, have a laptop that is failing or no longer works, or do not have a laptop with the necessary features to support distance/online learning such as a webcam and sound, can request a loaner laptop.
As a limited number of laptops are available, please ensure you complete the online form on the IET ServiceHub. You must log in with CAS and you must bring your student with you to pick up.
Campus Ready Survey and Dashboard
Visit the Campus Ready website for the latest information about accessing campus, testing, and the daily COVID-19 symptom survey. UC Davis also reports weekly COVID-19 information for the campus on the COVID-19 Dashboard.
Planning Upcoming Travel
Many of you have questions about traveling. Based on the warnings from the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), University of California advises travelers to avoid all nonessential international and domestic travel, which includes a return home or vacation.
Please read the Travel Advisory from Global Affairs for updated information about the current travel climate.
COVID-19 and Campus Updates for International Students and Scholars
We encourage our international students and scholars to seek out campus resources to stay informed of campus operations and new information as it becomes available.
- UC Davis Campus Ready
- UC Davis campus information and campus news and updates
- SISS offers answers to questions for international students and scholars
- Student Affairs Student FAQs and Updates
- Global Affairs: Global Teaching and Learning Resources
- Keep Teaching website for online learning
- Student Health & Counseling Services: What You Need To Know About Novel Coronavirus
- Global Affairs: Travel Announcement: Novel Coronavirus
- UC Davis Health: Frequently Asked Questions
As always, advisors within Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) are available as resources if you have questions related to visa and immigration status. Find your SISS Advisor and schedule an appointment.
For more information about COVID, please visit Center for Disease Control.
Programs and Events
Scholar Coffee Break
We invite international scholars to connect with peers during the monthly SISS Scholar Coffee Break.
- Date and time: Jan. 14, 2021, 9–10 a.m. (PST)
LinkedIn: Maximizing Your Global Career Search
Join us for the next session in our LinkedIn Series, Maximizing Your Global Career Search, an interactive workshop with special guest Ellison Weeks from LinkedIn.
- Date and time: Jan. 27, 2021, 4 p.m. (PST)
Becoming a Global Learner Leadership Series
UC Davis and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) partner to offer undergraduate students across all majors the opportunity to explore concepts of culture, cultural values, identity, and power in five synchronous virtual workshops.
- Deadline: Jan. 20, 2021
Aggies Leading the Way! Undergraduate Leadership Conference
Join for a series of engaging speakers and interactive sessions that will explore topics and strategies related to personal wellness, strengthening relationships, and discovering your place in creating change.
- Dates: Feb. 4–6, 2021
32nd Annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities Conference
- Registration opens: Jan. 7, 2021
- Priority abstract deadline: Feb. 9, 2021, 11:59 p.m. (PST)
- Final abstract deadline: Feb. 16, 2021, 11:59 p.m. (PST)
- Conference dates: April 28–May 1, 2021
Opportunities and Announcements
Applications Open for Virtual Internship Opportunity with Global Affairs
Apply today for the Global Affairs Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Internship, a virtual internship open to undergraduate students.
- Due date: Jan. 15, 2021
Become a Mentor in the Global Ambassador Mentorship Program
Global Ambassador Mentorship Program is now recruiting mentors for 2021-22.
- Deadline: Jan. 25, 2021
Join Our Facebook Group
International students and scholars are invited to join the SISS Facebook Group for updates and to connect with peers. To request membership, follow the link below and answer the three membership questions.
Finding Your Global Community
Find your global community at UC Davis no matter where you are this winter.
Employment Workshops Now Available On-Demand Online
Interested in OPT or CPT? We have made F-1 Employment Workshops available online. Select your workshop to get started.
- CPT for Undergraduate F-1 Students
- OPT for Undergraduate F-1 Students
- OPT for Graduate F-1 Students
- STEM OPT Extension for F-1 Students
GoinGlobal Career Support Portal Now Live
GoinGlobal provides career and employment resources for more than 120 worldwide locations.
Slack Channel for International Scholars
International scholars can join a special channel on Slack to exchange information about international academia in the U.S., share helpful links, provide moral support to the community, and discuss issues and advocacy. All are welcome.
Student and Scholar Spotlight
Congratulations, Global Aggies!
Fellow students and staff submitted messages of congratulations to Fall 2020 graduating international students. This fall, the Class of 2020 proudly included more than 200 graduating international undergraduate, graduate, and professional graduate students representing more than 30 countries worldwide.
About Services for International Students and Scholars
Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS), within Global Affairs, is helping to build a campus community that includes students and scholars from over 140 countries and six continents. SISS serves more than 10,000 international students, faculty, and researchers and their accompanying family members who come to UC Davis each year. We welcome the world to UC Davis.
As a part of Global Affairs, Services for International Students and Scholars aims to inspire global curiosity, understanding, and engagement.