Stanford Asian American Activities Center

After Dark Series

Success cannot be measured solely by academic and social achievement. Achievement must be balanced with happiness and well-being. To succeed at Stanford and beyond, it is important to optimize both physical and mental health through healthy lifestyle choices and habits. The purpose of the A³C After Dark Series is to provide the Stanford community an intimate and comfortable space in which students can discuss serious issues that affect student health and well-being. The series aims to dispel misconceptions, increase awareness, and introduce students to resources on campus.

Asian American Interactive Mentoring Program (AIM)

Founded in 1993, the AIM program matches Asian American sophomore undergraduates with Asian American faculty, staff, graduate students, and alumni for one-on-one mentoring experiences. AIM seeks to provide these students with mentors who are sensitive to cultural differences that may affect a student’s experience and success at Stanford.

API Leadership Retreats & Student Group Advising

The A³C hosts quarterly leadership retreats for the elected student officers of over thirty Asian American student organizations that regularly utilize the space and resources at the Asian American Activities Center. The objectives of the retreats are: 1) to educate students about the history of Asian Americans at Stanford and about present day national issues, 2) to provide the space for student leaders to interact, fostering collaborations, and 3) to provide leadership training, such as workshops on effective communication and conflict resolution.

The professional staff at the Asian American Activities Center also serve as advisors to the student organizations that utilize the Center.

Asian American Awards Ceremony

The annual Stanford Asian American Awards Ceremony is hosted by the Asian American Activities Center Advisory Board, in partnership with the Stanford Asian American Alumni Club and the Asian American Activities Center. This awards ceremony brings together members of the Stanford community to recognize individuals from the Asian American community for their tremendous service, achievements, and dedication to Stanford. Award recipients include faculty, staff, alumni, undergraduate and graduate students.

Asian American Graduation Celebration

The Asian American Graduation Celebration dinner brings together students, their families, faculty, staff, and other members of the Stanford community to recognize the achievements of graduating Asian American students. This event is one of the few where parents and families are recognized for their contributions to the success of the graduate. Graduates receive a gift and a red honor cord to wear during the Graduation ceremony.

Asian American Ph.D. Forum

The Asian American Ph.D. Forum seeks to create a supportive environment and a sense of academic community by bringing together doctoral students and faculty in the fields of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, and Business. Data from the registrar’s office indicates that it is in these fields that Asian American Ph.D. students are most isolated.

LEAD: Leading through Education, Activism, and Diversity

The A³C works with the Black Community Services Center, El Centro Chicano, and the Native American Cultural Center on the Leading through Education, Activism, and Diversity (LEAD) program. LEAD was launched in 1999-2000 as a two-quarter student leadership development program for emerging leaders of color. The goal of LEAD is to develop the ability of student leaders to work together across cultural and ethnic differences, to identify common concerns, and to learn to collaborate in achieving social change.

Publications

The Asian American Activities Center distributes two biannual publications, CommunicASIANS and The Source, to the Asian American community at Stanford. Both publications are organized and written by Stanford students. CommunicASIANS, distributed to all Asian American undergraduates, focuses on current issues and opinions affecting the Asian American community at Stanford and beyond. The Source, distributed to incoming freshman and transfer students, serves as a guide to the Asian American community at Stanford.

Feel free to peruse electronic versions of CommunicASIANS and The Source or drop by the A³C and read a paper copy.

Speaker Series

The A³C Speaker Series is a lunch series featuring faculty and staff speaking on such issues as academics, career options, and public service. Freshmen in particular benefit from the Series during the Fall because the speakers address topics about making a smooth transition into college life. The Series also provides students with an opportunity to meet various faculty and staff through informal lunchtime talks. Past topics have included: “How to Avoid Model-Minority Burn-Out”, “The Pre-Med Thing: Is it Really for Me?”, and “How to Work with Faculty”.

Speaker Series takes place every Thursday from Noon-1pm at the A³C throughout the academic year.