Expanded Advising Programs (EAP)

EAP Program Overview:

Recognizing that good advice comes from a variety of sources, particularly peers, Expanded Advising Programs (EAP) provides several advising opportunities for first-year students. EAP is designed to smooth the transition to academic and social life at Stanford by providing ongoing introductions to campus academic resources and support networks, and by giving students the tools to make successful academic, social, and cultural connections.

EAP consists of two programs: Partners for Academic Excellence (PAE); and LGBT Community Academic Support & Advising (LGBT-CASA). Co-sponsored by campus Community Centers and university offices, PAE and LGBT-CASA offer the following experiences:

  • Access to a Graduate Student Mentor to provide direction in a variety of areas including monitoring, advising, and support on your academic and professional progress;
  • Access to an Undergraduate Student Mentor to provide information regarding campus resources and undergraduate life;
  • Community themed workshops and seminars, dinners, meetings and discussions designed to avail students of academic opportunities on campus and nationally including scholarships, internships, research, and overseas studies;
  • Dinners with distinguished Stanford faculty members;
  • Networking opportunities with local Stanford alumni.

Over the course of the Autumn and Winter quarters, PAE and LGBT-CASA provide mentor groups led (weekly or bi-weekly) by undergraduate and graduate students to create an optimal learning environment by facilitating a community support network among diverse groups of students. On average, participants commit 1-to-2 hours per week to activities.

Back to Top

EAP Program Mission

The Mission of Expanded Advising Programs (EAP) of the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Research is to augment the traditional first-year advising program through community-focused advising groups and increased access to Stanford community resources to promote the development of skills related to intellectual inquiry, reflection, and discourse.

With this Mission in mind, the goals of the Expanded Advising Programs are:

  • To help students fully examine the nature of study, the purpose of the university, and their role therein.
  • To provide students with mentor-led study groups which support and supplement in-class assignments and facilitate academic excellence.
  • To offer students quarterly co-curricular programming (workshops, tours, dinners) which facilitate intellectual stimulation outside the classroom.
  • To introduce students to faculty and alumni, as well as to graduate and undergraduate EAP mentors, and to provide social engagements for the exchange of information and ideas with those individuals.

Back to Top

Partners for Academic Excellence (PAE)

Participants in these programs are organized into small groups (e.g., five to ten first-year students) who meet regularly (e.g., every week or every two weeks) with assigned graduate and undergraduate student mentors. Mentors serve as guides, providing academic and career advice, support, direction, and encouragement from a student perspective. Within their respective groups, students explore and discuss topics such as available campus resources and student opportunities. Issues such as the transition to university life, and accessing university resources and academic opportunities are addressed in these sessions as well as in workshops with guests from campus departments and programs. Students also have opportunities to take part in educational excursions both on and off campus.

  • PAE I/ Ernest Houston Johnson Scholars Program : Co-sponsored by Black Community Services Center (BCSC); To introduce students to Black/African-American faculty and alumni, to facilitate small-group mentoring, and to examine the academic and research opportunities at Stanford.
  • PAE II: Co-sponsored by Stanford Athletics; To assist world-class student athletes in managing their demanding schedules and utilizing their limited free time efficiently to ensure academic excellence.
  • PAE IV: Co-sponsored by El Centro Chicano; To introduce students to Chicano/Latino faculty and alumni, to facilitate small-group mentoring, to expose students to academic and research opportunities at Stanford, and to familiarize participants with the intellectual heritage, history, and culture of our community.
  • PAE V: Co-sponsored by Native American Cultural Center; To introduce students to the diverse Native student communities, to facilitate small-group mentoring, and to introduce students to academic exploration and research opportunities.

Back to Top

LGBT Community Academic Support & Advising (LGBT-CASA)

LGBT-CASA focuses on creating a community of academic and social support for LGBT students and their straight allies. This program is designed to assist incoming students in building a comprehensive community support system to ensure an environment that promotes academic excellence. Groups are facilitated by an undergraduate student mentor and a graduate student mentor. Mentor-guided events include weekly lunch workshops, evening study sessions, dinners with LGBT faculty, and area field excursions.

  • LGBT-CASA: Co-sponsored by LGBT-Community Resources Center; To introduce students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and LGBT-friendly to LGBT faculty, to provide a community-based academic support network via small-group mentoring, and to provide full access to campus resources and support services.

Back to Top

How to Apply

Interested students will be able to enroll in UAR 56: Building a Successful Academic Career in Autumn and Winter.

Back to Top

EAP Program Co-Sponsors

For Questions:

Back to Top

Freshman Links: