Northern District

Welcome & Mission Statement

Welcome to the Region XII Northern District!

Our goal is to provide you with information throughout the year to keep you current on what's happening in international education in our district, region, nation, and world.

Connect with Us

To promote communication within the Northern District, we maintain an e-mail list to be able to reach out to you with important professional development and networking opportunities as well as NAFSA.news and updates throughout the year.

NAFSA membership is not required. Join the email list today! The past 20 issues of our newsletter are also available in our Newsletter Archive.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at international education events. If you have any suggestions or feedback on how the Northern District can better serve you, please feel free to contact us.

2026 Spring Conference: "Riding the Rapids: Harnessing Hope & Resistance"

We are excited to announce that the 2026 NAFSA Region XII Northern District Conference will be held on Monday, March 23, 2026 at UC Davis. This one-day, in-person conference will offer concurrent sessions and networking activities. This year’s theme, "Riding the Rapids: Harnessing Hope & Resistance," is all about how we navigate our field together. Our team is dedicated to creating a space where we can share best practices, spark new ideas, and—most importantly—reconnect with one another.

Visit our conference website for additional information.

Examples of Past Events

SEVP Updates and Q&A Webinar, March 2020

This webinar was hosted on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The NAFSA Northern District members are joined by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Northern California representatives Tiffany Coyne, Lamberto Glory, and Ron McPeak for SEVP updates and an open Q&A session.

View the recording of the webinar to gain insight on recent SEVP policy guidance, current program initiatives, seasonal reminders and helpful resources.

Online Orientation Panel

May 20, 2020 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. PST

BA-PIER and NAFSA Northern CA District hosted an interactive panel discussing the development, implementation, and execution of online orientation programs for incoming international students. During this webinar, we heard from international education professionals who have experience in coordinating online orientation at their institutions. The panelists shared their expertise, demonstrated their orientation models, and discussed in detail the process of developing the online program. Thank you to everyone who tuned in!

In case you missed it, watch the panel recording.

SEVP Updates and Q&A Webinar, August 2020

This webinar was hosted on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. The NAFSA Northern District members are joined by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Northern California representatives Tiffany Coyne and Lamberto Glory for insight on recent policy guidance, current program initiatives, seasonal reminders, and helpful resources, as well as a Q&A session with live questions.

View the recording of the webinar.

Beyond Zoom: Effective Virtual Engagement from ISSS, Study Abroad and Enrollment Perspectives

When: Thursday, December 10, 2:00 p.m.-3:20 p.m.
Join us for this interactive panel event, where international education professionals from a variety of backgrounds will share how they engage virtually with international students. Panelists will share their best practices from ISSS, Education Abroad, and Enrollment perspectives. Panelists include:

Aubrey Kuan Roderick, International Student Program Manager, College of San Mateo
Ziva Shachar, International Student Advisor, UC Berkeley Extension
Daniella Lubey, Study Abroad Adviser, University of San Francisco
Florentino Ubungen, International Outreach Advisor, San Francisco State University

View the event recording.

Knowledge Community Conversations

Join your peers from specific Knowledge Communities (KC) in round-table discussions on the state of the field. Discussions will be led by the Northern CA District KC Representative, and will include sharing best practices, discussing current challenges, and general networking. Come meet other international education professionals in your KC across Northern CA.

RSVP for the KC Conversations relevant to you:

International Student and Scholar KC
October 9, 11:00 a.m.
Education Abroad KC
October 22, 11:00 a.m.
International Enrollment Management KC
November 5, 11:00 a.m.
Teaching, Learning and Scholarship KC & International Education Leadership KC
November 17, 2:00 p.m.
Community College KC
December 4, 2:00 p.m.

Region XII