Who We Are

VSM is a registered campus group at UC Davis seeking to serve visiting faculty members, researchers, post-docs, and graduate students to acquaint them with the UCD campus and community. To that end, we provide campus tours, English conversation groups, shopping trips to Target and Walmart, weekend outings, and friendship over home-cooked meals.

VSM Team Photo

Resources

  • A drone view of the UC Davis water tower on a university campus with trees and buildings in the background.

    Campus Tours

    We provide campus tours of UC Davis to help newly arrived visiting scholars to familiarize themselves with our campus. To schedule a tour, please express your interest on the signup form.

    i'm interested
  • English enrichment conversation with visiting scholars

    English Enrichment

    We provide English conversation enrichment workshops that meet on campus. At each meeting, we practice conversations over different thought-provoking topics and learn different tips to improve your conversational skills.

    i'm interested
  • English Cafe time with visiting scholars

    English Cafe

    We host English Cafe sessions on campus in which you get to practice English speaking in a small group setting. In each session, we learn practical American slangs and expressions, discuss different topics, and get to know one another over yummy food.

    I'm Interested
  • Grocery shopping cart

    Grocery Shopping Trips

    Need to shop for groceries and appliances but don't have a car? We offer shopping trips to local stores like Target, Walmart, and Ranch 99 to help newly arrived visiting scholars settle in.

    I'm Interested
  • Visiting Scholars Yosemite National Park photo

    Outings

    We host local and overnight outings to explore fun places around Davis and Northern California—past trips have included parks, museums, and nearby cities! Join us for our next adventure

    I'm Interested
  • Gospel of Mark Bible Camp for Visiting Scholars

    Explore Christianity

    Explore Christianity with us during your stay in Davis! We offer discussion based Bible studies every other week. We discuss thought-provoking topics ranging from beliefs to worldview and discuss what the Bible says about these topics.

    I’m Interested
  • Gather College Church attendance for the visiting scholars

    Sunday Gatherings

    If you are interested in checking out a church, we worship together at Gather College Church, which meets every Sunday on the UC Davis campus. All members of your family are welcome to join us.

    I'm interested

Join us for one-hour English conversation practice time!

  • April 10th

  • May 1st

  • May 22nd

Join us on April 17th Friday for free dinner and to hear thoughtful talks on life and faith from different PhD and JD speakers from UC Berkeley and UC Davis

A display table with USM Davis Visiting Scholars information, flyers, clipboards, small potted plants, a world map on a corkboard, and decorative items.
Three women celebrating, one of whom is holding a fruit-topped birthday cake. They are indoors, smiling and laughing.
Group of six friends sitting on the grass, smiling for a selfie at a park during a daytime outdoor gathering with many people, trees, and a playground in the background.
Group of diverse people, both men and women, standing together in a classroom for a photo, with a large screen in the background displaying 'CONVERSATION HELPERS'.
Three men standing outdoors at night, smiling, with a barbecue grill in front of them. One man is holding a spatula, and there are skewers of grilled food on the grill. The background has some bushes and a tree.
Group of 15 people posing outdoors with a mountain landscape including rock formations and waterfalls in the background.
Group of people forming a circle and looking down at the camera, with an ornate, honeycomb-patterned ceiling overhead.
Seven men sitting on a stone ledge in front of a lake, with a large classical building and trees in the background, during the daytime.
Three men are gathered around a dining table with a homemade meal, smiling at the camera. The table has a casserole dish with a baked dish, a bowl of chopped tomatoes and onions, and a few empty plates.
A classroom with seven students and a teacher during an English conversation hour. The teacher is standing and speaking, while students sit at desks engaged in discussion. A large screen displaying 'English Conversation Hour' is behind them.
A diverse group of people seated in a classroom, some with name tags, attending a seminar or workshop. One person is clapping, and another has a plate of grapes and a bottle of water on the desk.
A group of fifteen people, smiling and standing close together, posing for a photo inside a home with blue walls, decorative hanging lanterns, a wooden cabinet, a wall clock, and curtains.
A diverse group of people sitting around a table in a modern meeting room, engaging in conversation and eating food.
A classroom or conference room filled with students or participants seated at tables, engaged in discussions. The room has white walls, blue acoustical panels, large windows, and a ceiling fan.
Group of diverse people smiling and posing together in a classroom or conference room with a presentation screen behind them that reads 'CONVERSATION HELPERS'.
Table with various slow-cooked dishes, including beef stew and pot roast, along with side dishes, condiments, and toppings.
Four women smiling and gathered around a large pumpkin, with one holding a piece of pumpkin that they are about to carve.
Four women standing around a table with a large pumpkin, one woman is scooping out the pumpkin, all appear surprised or amused, in a room with large windows and blue wall panels, wearing casual clothing and name tags.
Three men carving pumpkins together at a table, smiling and enjoying the activity.
Group of people standing and talking in a conference room with food on a table in the foreground.
A classroom or conference room with students sitting at tables, listening to a speaker at the front. The speaker is standing near a large screen displaying a poster for a Thanksgiving celebration. There are notebooks, drinks, and snacks on the tables
Group of five women sitting at desks with notebooks, pens, and drinks, smiling at the camera in a classroom. A presentation slide with a Thanksgiving celebration poster is projected on a screen in the background.
A man stands beside a lectern in front of a classroom with a large projection screen displaying a PowerPoint slide titled "ACTIVE LISTENING: The Matching Principle". The slide lists three types of conversations: Practical, Emotional, Social. The man
A diverse group of adults and children sitting in a modern classroom, smiling at the camera, with some holding notebooks, water bottles, and snacks, during a workshop or seminar.
Six people sitting around a U-shaped arrangement of tables in a classroom, smiling at the camera, with notebooks, drinks, and supplies on the tables, classroom whiteboards and a clock in the background.
A group of 15 people celebrating in a living room with a decorated Christmas tree, holding various board games and gifts, smiling for a group photo.
Group of six people smiling and posing for a photo in a lush indoor botanical garden.
A group of people smiling and posing inside a living room with a decorated Christmas tree in the background.
A group of nine women sitting around a table at a restaurant, smiling at the camera, with various dishes and drinks on the table.
Group of people gathered around a table looking at numerous photographs.
Group of people gathered around a table looking at and arranging printed photographs, at a social event or gathering.
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