VSPA Wellness
The VSPA invites you to join your fellow scholars for informal and fun activities during the year. Because we believe that wellness encompasses your physical, emotional, intellectual, and social lives, we have designed a series of offerings for you to join in, at a pace and schedule that is comfortable for you.
Please see below for details. Registration for these activities may be found on the VSPA Events Calendar.
VSPA Intercultural Courses and Coaching
International scholars and their partners are invited to participate in free classes courtesy of the VSPA to support their transition to life in the United States. These sessions help participants understand American values, navigate culture shock, strengthen coping strategies, and build confidence. Attendees will also gain networking tips and tools for redefining their sense of identity in a new place. Individual and group counseling is also available. Both resources are offered multiple times throughout the academic year. Sessions are remote, and the end-of-course get-together is in-person. The course facilitator is Rita Brown, an Integral Master Coach™ & Intercultural Trainer with specialities in cross-cultural communication, adaptation, and integration, and in expatriate families.
VSPA Feel Good Friday
Keep an eye on the VSPA newsletters and Event Calendar to join your peers for lunch or fun activities! Make new friends and reconnect with visiting researchers from all over the world. Past events have included free tickets to Oakland A's and Cal games, as well as the Alameda County Fair.
VSPA Visiting Researcher Fall Welcome Reception
Kick off the new academic year with a delicious breakfast provided by VSPA while connecting with fellow visiting researchers from across campus. The Fall Welcome Reception is held once each year and brings our community together over coffee, tea, breakfast treats, music, and raffle prizes.