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Graduate Student Handbook |
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Section Two
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The Escondido Family Fund was established in 1988 by gifts from anonymous donors to provide rent subsidies to student families with two or more children living in Escondido Village. Since funding is limited, those with the greatest need will be funded first. International students will not normally be eligible for funding in their first year of study, since their financial resources have been verified for visa purposes. Applications can be obtained from the Escondido Village Office or online (http://www.stanford.edu/group/glo/eff.html).
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The WorkLife Office
Main Quad, Bldg. 310 723-2660
The WorkLife Office assists graduate students in finding child care and other services they might need for their children. Staff are available to meet with parents to discuss child care options on campus and in nearby communities, as well as to share information and resources on parenting, special education, recreational opportunities, and other issues of interest.
Campus Child Care Centers
All of the centers offer well-balanced, developmentally appropriate educational programs, as well as nurturing care, for children ages 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten five-year-olds. Part-time and full-time enrollment schedules are available.
The centers vary in the programs they offer and in the opportunities for parental involvement offered or required. Tuition is paid on a monthly basis, and current tuition information is available from the WorkLife Office or the centers. Campus programs do maintain waiting lists, and advanced registration is required. Registration and enrollment information may be requested by calling each center directly, or accessed through the WorkLife Office website (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/ocr/worklife).
Children's Center of the Stanford Community
685 Pampas Lane
853-3090A full-time parent cooperative program with a non-participation component, CCSC is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. and offers a variety of schedules.
Stanford Arboretum Children's Center 215 Quarry Road
725-6322The center is open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m., with a variety of full- and part-time schedules.
Nursery Schools
Bing School
850 Escondido Road
723-4865A research and training laboratory school, Bing offers morning and afternoon classes for toddlers and preschoolers. Most classes are 3 1/2 hours long, 2 to 5 days a week.
Rainbow Nursery School
845 Escondido Road
723-0217A parent cooperative, Rainbow offers 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. schedules from 2 to 5 days a week for children 2 years 9 months to 5 years. Rainbow offers reduced fees for Escondido Village residents.
After-School Care
Peppertree After-School Program
845 Escondido Road
723-3646Peppertree offers after-school care for children in kindergarten through second grade. Peppertree offers reduced fees for Escondido Village residents.
Palo Alto Public Schools District Office
25 Churchill Road, Palo Alto
329-3700On-site after-school care for children in kindergarten through sixth grade is offered at all elementary schools. Contact the District office for more information.
Child Care Scholarship
The Dorothea K. Almond Scholarship Fund was established to provide child care subsidies to families with the greatest need. For more information, call 723-2660.
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Palo Alto Unified School District Office
25 Churchill Road, Palo Alto
329-3700
Public education is provided without charge for children from 5 to 18 years of age. Public schools open in early September and close in mid-June. Special instruction in English as a second language (ESL) is coordinated by the schools free of charge for children who need it. Families new to Stanford should call the District office to register.
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College Terrace Library
2300 Wellesley, Palo Alto
329-2298
http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/library/about/collegeterrace.html
Located a few blocks from campus in the area known as College Terrace, this lending library provides books, video tapes, and CDs for adults and children without charge. Hours are Monday-Wednesday; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Story hours for children are scheduled on Wednesday mornings. Verification of name and address allows campus residents to obtain a library card good at any Palo Alto city library (see the website above for a list of the branch libraries). Books not in stock may be ordered from the main library, which is located at 1213 Newell Road in Palo Alto.
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At Stanford University, a domestic partnership is defined as an established, long-term partnership with an exclusive mutual commitment in which the partners share the necessities of life and ongoing responsibility for their common welfare. Stanford's nondiscrimination policy makes services that have historically been available to married students available on an equal basis to students with a same-sex or opposite-sex domestic partner. For more information on Stanford's domestic partner policy, see the Stanford Bulletin.
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Identification cards allow spouses and domestic partners to use certain campus services. Spouses and domestic partners may request courtesy cards from the ID Card Office in Old Union in person or by calling 498-CARD. Spouses/partners must complete an application, provide the student's ID Card, a spouse/partner photo ID, and proof that the two of you reside at the same address. There is a $15 processing fee.
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Bechtel International Center
723-1831
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/icenterBechtel sponsors a wide variety of programs and informal classes and tours for the benefit of the Stanford community (international and American students, post-docs, visiting scholars, faculty) and their partners or family members. Programs include classes in English and other languages, international cuisines, health and exercise, cross-cultural topics, and tours that highlight local resources and California history, art, and ecology. Weekly Friday Coffees (from 10 a.m. - 12 noon) are open to all Stanford affiliates; pre-school children are also welcome.
An adviser serves as a liaison between international spouses/partners and the many resources of the local community. A Spouse Resource Library is being started to make available information to enrich the experience of family members, including information on continuing education, finding employment (for those eligible) or career-related volunteer work, various programs for learning English, and enrolling in local schools and recreation programs. Bechtel's Professional Liaison Program introduces international spouses to a local counterpart with similar career interests. The Spouse Education Fund provides modest grants to assist international spouses in furthering their career and educational goals while here.
General information on living in the Stanford area can be found in the Calendar; Bechtel class schedules are available in the Quarterly Classes & Programs. Both are available at the I-Center and online (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/icenter/families).
To receive regular notice of I-Center programs, subscribe to either or both of the following e-mail lists by sending e-mail to MAJORDOMO@LISTS.STANFORD.EDU with the following message text:
- subscribe icenter-social (for information on general programs for students, post-docs, films, dance classes, cultural presentations, etc.)
- subscribe icenter-spouseprograms (for information on programs for spouses/partners/family members)
Information on other aspects of Bechtel International Center can be found in later sections of this handbook.
Stanford Continuing Studies Program
Old Union, Building 590, Room 104
725-2650
http://continuingstudies.stanford.edu
http://mla.stanford.eduThe Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) offers 80 courses per quarter, principally in the liberal arts, for adult members of the community. These classes are held in the evening and on weekends. Although admission is discretionary, the Continuing Studies Program normally admits students who hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. CSP students are not matriculated Stanford University students. Tuition is $180 per unit, except for limited enrollment workshops, which are $200 per unit.
Continuing Studies also administers an interdisciplinary master's degree, the Master of Liberal Arts, which is a selective program with an annual admission cycle. For more information, call 725-0061 or visit their web site, http://mla.stanford.edu.
Palo Alto Adult School
50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
329-3752
http://www.paadultschool.orgThe Palo Alto Adult School offers hundreds of classes each year on subjects related to job development, arts and crafts, health and fitness, personal finance, and parent education. They offer many classes on English as a second language (ESL), including some which take place on campus at Escondido Village.
Foothill College
12345 S. El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills
949-7777
http://www.foothill.fhda.eduFoothill College is a nearby community college that offers a wide range of academic and vocational classes. Many students complete two years at Foothill and then transfer to a four-year institution.
Palo Alto Art Center
Newell at Embarcadero, Palo Alto
329-2366
http://www.paenjoy.orgFormerly the Palo Alto Cultural Center, the Palo Alto Art Center includes an art gallery, auditorium space, and classrooms. The gallery showcases work by regional artists, and offers seasonal displays such as the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch (in October). The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday from 1-5 p.m., and Thursday evenings from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. For information on classes offered at the Art Center, please see the website above.
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Funding for graduate students is not designed to cover the expenses of dependents, and many spouses want or need employment outside the home. Some find work on campus, either in offices or at home by providing child care for other families. Palo Alto is Stanford's nearest neighbor, and many seek work there with the hope of staying within biking distance. The following local agencies offer help finding jobs:
For employment at Stanford University:
Jobs @ Stanford
655 Serra Street
725-5627
http://jobs.stanford.edu
To provide child care in your home:
Child and Family Services
723-2660
For career counseling and job listings:
Career Development Center
563 Salvatierra Walk
723-3963
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CDC
See the "University Resources" section for hours, services, etc.
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Although Escondido Village is a friendly and supportive environment, here as at other universities graduate students and their families are apt to experience unaccustomed stress, especially during their first year. Couples and families with children frequently have less time and energy for one another because of the demands of academic work. Money is often a concern. Students and their families who have relocated leave behind their family and community support systems. Sometimes these circumstances create tensions and emotions that lead to violence at home.
In California it is a crime for any person to beat or sexually assault another person. Regardless of differing cultural values or norms about how spouses may treat one another, all families are subject to the state and federal laws on domestic violence.
In cases of immediate danger, call the police; dial 911 (from a University phone, dial 9-911).
Students who feel they are losing control of themselves, or who know someone who is danger, can find help at the following locations.
On-Campus Resources
Other resources are listed in the "Campus Safety: Self-Defense" and "Important University Policies: Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault" sections of this handbook.
Off-Campus Resources
Support Network for Battered Women
940-7855 or 800-572-2782Students and family members can call any time of the day or night and speak to someone in English, Spanish, Chinese, or Indian languages. The Network provides emergency shelter for battered women and their children.
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