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How to Email Faculty Whether you're writing a professor to ask for an extension or to look for a research opportunity, your emails to faculty members should be clear, polite, and to the point. Below are some guidelines for how to make a good impression over email. Email Etiquette Keep your email professional If you're emailing a professor for the first time, it's better to err on the side of being too formal rather than too casual. Follow these rules of basic email etiquette: - Address your recipient by title and last name (Dear Professor Interesting) - Use full sentences and proper grammar, avoiding slang and emojis - Keep the tone of your email courteous - End with a concluding phrase and your name (Sincerely, Juan Pupil) - Give a useful subject line (Research on X) Stay brief and to the point Long emails often get ignored until the recipient has time to deal with them, and faculty are extremely busy. Your email should focus on a specific item, such as setting up a time to meet or informing your professor of an upcoming absence. If you need to talk about something more involved, it is probably better to meet in person unless your professor tells you otherwise. Reply in a timely fashion Your professors appreciate a prompt reply just as much as you do. If a faculty member asks you for something that will take some time (for example, a report on your progress in the lab), reply quickly to confirm that you’re working on the task and provide a timeline for completion. Emailing to Ask for Extensions, Exceptions, and Allowances Maybe you've been sick and have been missing class, or maybe you're dealing with an unexpected emergency. Whatever your circumstances, it's best to inform your instructors of your situation as soon as you can and ask if they can make allowances for you in accordance with their class and departmental policies. Briefly explain your situation-- you don't have to give details if it makes you uncomfortable. Ask specifically for whatever allowance you're seeking (for example, an extension on a paper, or an alternate exam time). And do mention any support you're getting, because your instructors are probably worried about you. For example: Dear Professor So-and-So, I'm Jane, a student in your X class. Because of a family emergency, I will be away from campus all of next week. I am writing to apologize for my absence from class and ask if I might have an extension on the paper due next Friday. Any allowance you can provide would be deeply appreciated. I have been talking with my Academic Advisor about my situation and have copied her on this message. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely, Jane Student In certain cases, there may be department policies or other logistical challenges that prevent an instructor from giving you the allowances you seek. But it's always worth letting your instructor know about your situation and asking if there's any way they can be flexible with you. Remember that your professors are human too, and may be very willing to help you so long as you keep the doors of communication open. Emailing a Potential Mentor for the First Time When you reach out to a new professor that you want to connect with, your goal should be to set up a time to meet and talk in person. Keep your email short and to the point. For example: Dear Professor So-and-So, I’m Jane, a prospective X major particularly interested in Y. I am writing you because I noticed that you teach classes in Y/ I read your paper on Y/ the Student Services Officer in your department suggested I reach out to you. I would love to get your advice on how I can get involved with research on Y during my time at Stanford. Could I come by your office hours? And if so, when are they? Sincerely, Jane Student If the professor doesn’t respond, don’t lose hope! The professor might be particularly busy that week, or out of town, or simply missed your message in a flood of other emails. Try to reach out again. You can send a follow up email, or you can stop by in person during the professor’s office hours to introduce yourself and ask if you can set up a time to meet later. Emailing With your Faculty Mentor As you develop relationships with particular professors, pay close attention to their communication styles. Especially if you are working with faculty on tangible outcomes (for example, an honors thesis or poster presentation), it’s a good idea to explicitly discuss communication preferences. Here are some questions you might consider when thinking about a professor’s communication style: - Does this professor respond to emails quickly or is it better to call or stop by office hours for quick responses? - How formal is the professor in written communication? - What sorts of questions or topics can be resolved by email and which require meeting in person? - Are there situations where a phone or video meeting might be preferable? Regardless of your mentor’s style, it will benefit you to be the active, responsible party in organizing one-on-one communication. Reach out, respond promptly, and remember to keep your emails short, specific, and courteous. No Response? If you haven't heard back from your faculty member in about a week, it is reasonable to reach out one more time. If you still get no response, you might check with the relevant department's Student Services Officer about the best way to get in touch with that faculty member.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_250
How Do I Enroll in a Course? Stanford students enroll in courses through Axess. Axess offers you two different options for course enrollment: SimpleEnroll and Enroll (Alternate). Check out the Registrar pages below for step by step instructions for each option. Registrar's guide to SimpleEnroll Registrar's guide to enrolling via Enroll (Alternate) Prior to enrollment, students are encouraged to peruse their options on Explore Courses or Navigate Classes. Read through the overall guide to Enrolling in Classes, as it answers a lot of common questions about how to use Axess. Even before you are able to enroll, you can use the Study List Planner in Axess or plan a schedule in SimpleEnroll to remember classes and consider what your week might look like. And don't forget to check the final exam schedule as you finalize your study list. Note that for almost all classes, you are the only person who can add, drop, or change your enrollment in Axess. Professors cannot do this for you, although you will sometimes need to request a permission number from them before you can enroll in certain classes. Your Academic Advisors cannot change your course enrollment either, although they can help talk you through your enrollment decisions. There are only a few courses whose enrollment you can't control yourself. The main exceptions you will encounter are PWR courses and COLLEGE courses, for which enrollment is administered by the PWR and COLLEGE offices, respectively. (See also: Can I change my COLLEGE or PWR course?) In addition, IntroSems require students to apply in advance for priority enrollment: if you are accepted, you will be automatically enrolled in the class. (You can then choose to drop the class yourself if you wish.) After priority enrollment ends, students can generally check the list of IntroSems with space available and add or drop an open IntroSem as they wish. Remember, you are responsible for knowing what courses are on your study list (your schedule of enrolled classes). Therefore, whenever you make a change to your study list, check again afterwards to make sure the change went through. And before an enrollment deadline (such as the Final Study List Deadline in Week 3 or the Course Withdrawal and Change of Grading Basis Deadline in Week 8) always, always double-check your study list to make sure that everything is as you think it is.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_251
Help, I have an enrollment hold! If you have an enrollment hold on your account, you won't be able to sign up for classes on Axess or make changes to your course schedule. Here's our advice on what to do if you should find yourself with an enrollment hold. Types of enrollment holds Some enrollment holds are placed by Academic Advising, and require you to meet with an Academic Advisor before the hold can be lifted. These include holds related to Academic Progress statuses and to undeclared Junior statuses. But not every hold is an Advising hold! Holds can be placed by other offices too. Student Financial Services may place an enrollment hold on your account if you have an unpaid university bill, for example. Or the Bechtel International Center may place a hold on your account if you are an international student who needs to update their SEVIS information. Vaden Health Center may place holds related to health information and vaccination status. Many different types of holds are possible, and require different actions to lift them. Note that your Academic Advisor cannot lift holds that have been placed by other offices. Be on the lookout for one hold in particular: the Student Information Update hold. This hold is placed on all students once a year by the Registrar's office. To lift the hold, all you have to do is update your student information on Axess. Only you can take this action-- your Academic Advisor cannot lift this hold for you! What to do if you have an enrollment hold - Check AXESS for more information about your hold. You can usually click on the hold to see what office has placed the hold, what steps you need to take, and whom to contact. - Reach out to the office or individual that has placed the hold and take any necessary actions to resolve it (e.g. paying your tuition bill, updating your student information, scheduling an advising meeting, etc). - Contact your Academic Advisor if the enrollment hold is preventing you from making any desired changes to your Study List by an enrollment deadline, such as the Week 3 Add/Drop deadline or the Week 8 Withdraw and Grading Basis deadline (Enrollment Deadlines). - Talk with your Academic Advisor to ask questions and get advice on next steps. For example, if you can't enroll in a class but intend to join, you may want to reach out to the instructor to let them know and to stay caught up on course work and announcements. Pay attention to financial holds If you have an unpaid amount on your university bill, this can result in a financial hold being placed on your account. Until it's resolved, a financial hold will prevent you from enrolling in classes, making enrollment changes to your current courses, or graduating with your diploma. If you are a financial aid student, you should make an appointment with the Financial Aid Office right away to discuss your financial aid package, or to explore taking out a loan if necessary. If you see charges you don’t recognize or think your university bill is incorrect, you should submit a HelpSU ticket to the Student Services Center. Financial holds have big consequences! Remember that if you’re not enrolled in classes, you aren’t eligible for financial aid or other university services, you can’t earn any course units, and you will be asked to leave campus housing as well as pay the bill for all the housing charges you have accrued so far. If it doesn't seem like you can resolve your financial hold quickly, you may want to consider taking a Leave of Absence. If you still want to enroll in classes, you must resolve any financial holds as soon as possible, while also attending any classes you may want to take, even though you’re not enrolled yet. It's very important that you don't fall behind-- keep attending, submitting assignments, and participating in your desired classes during this time! Below is a template email you can send to your instructors to help explain your situation and make sure you stay caught up in the class. Keep your instructors in the loop If you want to enroll in classes this quarter but can't yet because of an enrollment hold, it's important to communicate early with your instructors about your situation. Send them an email like the following: Dear Professor So-and-So, My name is [NAME] and due to an administrative issue I am currently unable to enroll in classes. I am connected with campus support resources and am actively working to resolve the issue. As soon as this matter is resolved, I intend to enroll in your class. Unless you object, I would like to attend class, and to complete and submit all class assignments. Will you please grant me access to the course Canvas site and other materials so that I do not fall behind? Sincerely, [NAME] (SUID#) CC: [UAD NAME], Undergraduate Advising Director Ask your UAD for help if you need it! We know that resolving an enrollment hold can be a confusing experience, especially if the quarter's already begun and you're not enrolled in classes. If you're feeling stuck or you're not sure what to do next, it's always a good idea to reach out to your Undergraduate Advising Director for support. Even if we can't lift the hold directly, we can help you figure out your options and what next steps you need to take. See also - Understanding Your Student Bill and Payment System - Bechtel International Center: Enrollment Holds & How to Remove Them - Vaden Health Services FAQ - Annual Student Information Update - Taking a Leave of Absence	common_crawl_stanford.edu_252
What are my graduation requirements and how do I check them? You must complete your General Education Requirements (GERs), your major requirements, and earn a minimum of 180 units before you can graduate. Be sure to consult the Student Services links below for official information on your undergraduate degree requirements. On this page, your Academic Advisors review what these requirements are and how to check your progress. If you are a returning student who matriculated prior to 2012, please read the relevant archived Stanford Bulletin from the year you began studying at Stanford to learn more about your graduation requirements. - Stanford Bulletin: Baccalaureate Degree Requirements - Stanford Bulletin: Undergraduate Majors - Stanford Bulletin: Undergraduate Minors - Stanford Bulletin: Undergraduate General Education Requirements - Archived Stanford Bulletins Basic Degree Requirements For students entering as first-years, the basic graduation requirements are as follows: - Earn at least 180 units (no more than 45 of these may be AP or transfer units) - Satisfy the requirements for a major - Satisfy your General Education Requirements (GERs) - A first-year Civic, Liberal, and Global Education (COLLEGE) requirement - Three Writing courses (PWR 1, PWR 2, and a Writing in the Major Course) - A Foreign Language requirement (or equivalent proficiency) - Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing Requirements (11 courses in 8 categories) No more than 8 activity units may count toward the 180 units needed for graduation, and only 36 units of CR or S grades (including the 8 activity units) can count. * Note that for Academic Year 2020-21, any courses taken for a CR or S grade did not count towards the 36 unit limit. Degree Requirements for Transfer Students For transfer students, the basic graduation requirements are as follows: - Earn at least 180 units (no more than 90 of these may be AP or transfer units) - Satisfy the requirements for a major - Satisfy your General Education Requirements (GERs) - Three Writing Courses (PWR 1 or equivalent from your prior institution, PWR 2, and a Writing in the Major Course) - A Foreign Language requirement (or equivalent proficiency) - Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing Requirements. For transfer students, the Ways requirement is proportional based on the number of units transferred in. This is noted on the Preliminary Evaluation of Transfer Credit. For transfer students, no more than 8 activity units may count toward the 180 units needed for graduation, and only 27 units of CR or S grades (including the 8 activity units) can count.* * Note that for Academic Year 2020-21, any courses taken for a CR or S grade did not count towards the 27 unit limit for transfer students. General Education Requirements (GERs) For more details on the General Education Requirements mentioned above, you may explore the following pages: - The COLLEGE requirement (choose from 4 options during your first year): - Two COLLEGE Courses - Education as Self Fashioning (ESF) plus a COLLEGE course - Immersion in the Arts, Living in Culture (ITALIC) - Structured Liberal Education (SLE) - Please note that if you matriculated prior to 2022-23, you may have satisfied the COLLEGE requirement with a Thinking Matters class. And if you matriculated prior to 2021-22, you needed to satisfy the Thinking Matters requirement, which was replaced by COLLEGE. If you have any questions about this, please see your Academic Advisor. - The Writing requirement: - PWR 1 (usually taken in the first year) - PWR 2 (usually taken in the second year) - Writing in the Major (WIM) course (usually taken in the third or fourth year) - The Foreign Language requirement: a first-year sequence or equivalent proficiency (can be taken in any year) - The Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing (11 courses across 8 broad areas) Your Academic Advisors have also written up a helpful guide to choosing courses to fulfill your GERs. What about DB and EC requirements? Returning students who originally matriculated prior to 2012 are subject to a different set of General Education Requirements, including the Disciplinary Breath (DB) requirement and the Education for Citizenship (EC) requirement. If you fall into this category, you may find information on these older requirements by consulting the relevant archived Stanford Bulletin from the year you began study at Stanford. For all other Stanford students, these represent a now-outdated set of requirements that do not apply to you. Check Your Degree Progress on Axess Note: To check your major requirements, you should always consult with your major department. Individual major requirements do not appear on Axess. Rather, your department keeps all records of your progress in the major and has the official last word on whether you've completed your major requirements. So make sure you've cleared everything with them! Checking Units On Your Transcript To see how many units you've earned, view your unofficial transcript on Axess. Visit your Student tab, and under the "Academics" section, open the "other academic" dropdown menu. Select "View Unofficial Transcript." At the end of your transcript, you will see a category called Units Completed Towards Undergraduate Degree. This is the total number of units you've earned that count towards graduation. This number includes both Stanford Total Undergraduate Units (also listed at the end of your transcript) as well as any AP or Transfer units you may have earned. Note that your transcript will also show you the maximum number of Activity Units and Satisfactory/Credit (S and CR) units that are allowed to count towards graduation, as well as how many of these units you have earned. Checking GERs on Your Degree Progress Report To view the General Education Requirements you have completed (COLLEGE, Ways, PWR, Language), check your Degree Progress Report on Axess. Visit your Student tab, and under the "Academics" section, open the "other academic" dropdown menu. Select “View Degree Progress.” The Degree Progress Report on Axess has five sections: COLLEGE This section shows whether your COLLEGE requirement is fulfilled, and which courses were used to fulfill it. Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing This section shows which Ways requirements you have fulfilled, and which courses were used to fulfill them. As you take Ways-certified classes, they are automatically allocated under unfulfilled Ways requirements in the Degree Progress Report. Keep in mind that while some courses are certified for multiple Ways, they can only be used to fulfill one Ways requirement. For example, a course that is certified for both Way-FR and Way-AQR can only be used for one or the other, not both. You may have taken more courses than you needed in a particular Way, or you may have taken courses that were certified for more than one Way. These are listed later on under the "Summary of Ways Eligible Courses" section. The way your courses are allocated under the Ways requirements isn't always optimized. It may be that if you reallocate a course from one Way to a different Way, you will be able to complete more of your university requirements. You can read about reallocating your Ways classes here. UG Writing Requirement This section shows whether your PWR 1 and PWR 2 writing requirements are fulfilled, and which courses were used to fulfill them. UG Language Requirement This section shows whether your foreign language requirement is fulfilled, and which course or alternate method was used to fulfill it. Summary of Ways Eligible Courses This section shows all the courses you have taken that could have fulfilled Ways requirements. For example, you might see both CS 106A and CS 107 under the "Formal Reasoning" category here, even though you only needed one of them to complete Way-FR. While the other categories in the Degree Progress Report show up as collapsed once they are fulfilled, the Summary of Ways Eligible Courses always shows up as a giant uncollapsed list. Note that the "Summary of Ways Eligible Courses" section will always display "Courses: 11 required, 0 taken, 11 needed." This is an artifact of the system and can be safely disregarded if you verify that your Ways are fulfilled under the preceding "Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing" section. Use MAP to Check Your Degree Progress In Academic Year 2024-2025, a new tool, My Academic Path, was introduced to help Stanford students like you keep track of their progress toward their degrees. Got Questions? Your Academic Advisor would be happy to meet with you to discuss your progress on your graduation requirements. You should reach out to your department’s Student Services Officer to inquire about your progress through the major.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_253
Asking for an Incomplete Sometimes you’re nearing the end of a course, but an unexpected situation makes it hard for you to finish on time. Is taking an Incomplete the right answer? Read on for our advice and considerations. Perhaps you’ve finished everything but that last paper, but you get sick and won’t be able to submit it on time. Or maybe a family emergency means you have to leave town right on the day of your final exam. In situations like these, it’s sometimes possible to take an Incomplete in the course—if the instructor is willing to grant you one. For the university's official policy statement on Incompletes, consult the Stanford Bulletin pages linked below. On this page your Academic Advisors explain how Incompletes work, and some important things to keep in mind before asking for one. Stanford Bulletin: Study Lists Stanford Bulletin: General University Grading Systems How It Works You don't so much take an Incomplete as ask for one. The procedure is pretty straightforward: you need to discuss the possibility with your instructor by the last day of class (in general the earlier the better). If your instructor is willing, then the two of you will work out a plan to complete your remaining work in the course. When you ask for an Incomplete, we recommend that you explain your situation to your instructor and then suggest a feasible, manageable timeline for finishing the rest of your work. Keep in mind that your instructors may have their own logistical considerations and their own departmental rules to follow. For example, just because you would like to take the final exam one week later doesn't mean that the instructor will be able to accommodate you. We strongly suggest that you and your instructor sign an Incomplete agreement form (linked below), to make it clear to both you and the instructor what work remains and your deadline for finishing it. Instead of submitting a grade for you, at the end of the current quarter the instructor will submit an Incomplete notation on your record. At this point, all you have to do is turn in your remaining work, or take the exam that you missed. Do NOT enroll in the course for a second time-- this is not the proper way to finish an Incomplete. Just finish your remaining work. If you can do this by the agreed-upon deadline, the instructor will then change the Incomplete on your record into a grade. Agreement for Completion of Remaining Work to Resolve an Incomplete Grade Things to Think About Check in with your Academic Advisor before asking for an Incomplete. Your Academic Advisor can help you think through your situation, consider whether an Incomplete is the best course of action, and inform you of any potential repercussions to your academic progress. If you feel intimidated by asking for an Incomplete, your Academic Advisor can coach you on how to write a courteous email request to your professor. Incompletes aren't an appropriate choice if you're missing a lot of work. Remember that Incompletes are meant to be granted only in situations where a substantial part of the course work has already been completed. And even if your instructor were willing to grant you an Incomplete when you have a lot of work left, remember that you will have to complete that work by a deadline, and that it will be hanging over your head even as you enter into the next quarter and begin a new set of classes and assignments. You may instead want to consider simply finishing the course as normal and getting whatever grade you receive, but perhaps retaking it fresh in a future quarter when you are better equipped to succeed. (See: Repeating a Course) Incompletes aren't an appropriate choice early in the quarter. As above, Incompletes are intended to help students get over a final unexpected hurdle to complete a class for which they have done the majority of the coursework. Generally, it is not possible to request an Incomplete prior to the withdrawal deadline at the end of Week Eight. If you are facing significant challenges prior to the end of Week Eight, withdrawing from the course might be the more appropriate decision. (See: Should I Withdraw from This Course?) Don't let unfinished Incompletes pile up. If you accumulate too many Incompletes, the extra workload can drag you down and cause you to fall behind in your current classes. This situation can easily snowball and make your current quarter unmanageable if you're not careful. Sign up for fewer units to keep your workload manageable. If you are working on your Incomplete during the academic year, remember that Incompletes are like invisible extra units added onto your course load. So doing a 15 unit quarter alongside your Incomplete might very well feel like a 20 unit quarter in terms of work! Take advantage of university resources. Did you know that Stanford offers Completion Coaching for students working on one or more Incompletes? Sign up to meet with an Academic Coach who can help you create a plan for breaking down your assignments into actionable tasks and serve as a supportive accountability partner in working toward your goals. Reach out to your instructor if you're having trouble. If you run into problems finishing your Incomplete, your instructor may be able to offer you support, extra resources, or other accommodations. Even if you cannot finish your Incomplete, in certain cases your instructor may still be willing to grant you a grade in the course based on the prior work you completed in the class. We recommend keeping the doors of communication open and seeing what's possible. Rules and Guidelines - One year is the maximum time that the university allows for a student to complete an Incomplete. For example, an Incomplete taken in Autumn Quarter this year must be completed by the end of Autumn Quarter next year. - HOWEVER, your instructor has the right to choose an earlier deadline for your Incomplete if they wish (for example, one week after initial grades are due, one month, one quarter, etc.). - For Incompletes involving missed exams, instructors will commonly ask the student to take the final exam the next time the course is offered (for example, in the following quarter). - Until the course is complete there will be an “I” notation recorded in the space usually reserved for a grade. “I” notations are not factored into your GPA calculation, though once they are replaced by a final grade that grade will be included in your GPA. - You do not earn the units for an Incomplete course until the class is completed successfully. This also means that if you do not meet your minimum academic progress requirements because of the Incomplete, you may become a candidate for academic notice (or a more elevated status if you are already on notice). - If the Incomplete is not resolved before the deadline, the Incomplete will revert to either an NP or an NC grade (depending on which grading basis you chose when you originally enrolled in the course). See also - Completion Coaching (Center for Teaching and Learning)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_254
What are my minimum academic progress requirements? Keep in mind the following minimum requirements for remaining in good academic standing, and contact an Academic Advisor if you have concerns about your academic performance. You can read more about the university's official academic progress policies on the Stanford Bulletin. Minimum Requirements To remain in good academic standing, undergraduate students must: - Earn at least 9 units each quarter - Earn at least total 36 units over the most recent three quarters - Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (C average) Please note that the conditions listed above may be impacted by accommodations from the Office of Accessible Education (for example, a Reduced Course Load). See your Academic Advisor if you have questions about your particular situation. Keep in mind that coterminal students have a different set of academic progress requirements, and that this can vary depending on your tuition group. Some students have additional requirements and restrictions that are not related to the requirements for academic progress: for example, international students, NCAA athletes, and students on outside fellowships usually cannot go below 12 units in a quarter. If you think you might earn fewer than 12 units, be sure to consult an Academic Advisor to discuss your individual case. Common Confusions Be aware of the difference between enrolling in units and earning units. All students need to enroll in at least 12 units at the beginning of every quarter (unless on an OAE approved Reduced Course Load). At the end of the quarter, when your transcript shows a passing grade for each course, then you have earned the units. You can earn units with any grade of D-minus or above, with a CR (Credit) grade, or with an S (Satisfactory) grade. NP (No Pass) and NC (No Credit) are failing grades that do not earn units. Be especially careful to consult an academic advisor about incompletes or repeating classes. Incompletes do not count as earned units until the final grade has been entered in Axess, and units not earned by the grade submission deadline do not count toward Academic Progress. Remember that Academic Progress is a snapshot in time. So anything completed after the final grade submission deadline for the quarter in question won't go into the calculation for that specific quarter, which is why an Incomplete completed after the grade submission deadline won't impact your Academic Progress for the quarter in question. However, this doesn't mean that your previous quarters don't count towards Academic Standing. Remember that one of your requirements is to earn 36 units over 3 consecutive quarters (unless modified by accomodations authorized by OAE). Repeating classes for which you have earned units within the span of three quarters can result in losing the previously earned units and bring you under the 36 units required. So please check with your Academic Advisor before repeating a course! Depending on your individual situation, there may be different rules about enrolling and earning units, so be sure to consult an Academic Advisor if you have questions. On Financial Aid? Financial Aid also has separate rules for Satisfactory Academic Progress that students on financial aid should understand.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_255
Can I Take This Course for Credit/No Credit? You're halfway through a class and you're starting to worry about your final grade. Should you take this class for Credit/No Credit? While your Academic Advisors usually recommend taking a class for a Letter grade and most requirements can only be fulfilled with a Letter, there may be certain limited situations in which it's okay to take a class for CR/NC or S/NC. Keep the following considerations in mind before making your choice. Credit/No Credit vs Satisfactory/No Credit Stanford has two pass/fail grading systems: Credit/No Credit (CR/NC), or Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC). The two systems differ based on whether or not a Letter grade is an option. If a class has a Letter grade option as well as a pass/fail option, the pass/fail option available is CR/NC. This means that if you receive a CR grade in the class, someone looking at your transcript will know that you had a Letter grade option available and chose not to take it. If a class does not offer a Letter grade option, then the pass/fail option available is S/NC. If you receive an S grade in a class, someone looking at your transcript will know that there was no Letter grade option available, and you could not have received a Letter grade even if you had wished to. Note that for both CR/NC and S/NC, there is no GPA impact regardless of whether you pass the class or not. Grading Basis Deadline If a class offers you both a Letter grade option and a Credit/No Credit option, you can change your grading basis (or even switch back and forth) up through the Grading Basis Deadline, which is usually the Friday of Week 8 of the Quarter at 5 pm. If you are interested in taking a class for Credit/No Credit, we would recommend starting with the Letter grade option (to track your progress) until later in the quarter. By the Week 8 deadline you will hopefully have a clearer idea of how you are doing in the class and can make an informed choice. Your Academic Advisors are always available to talk through your options with you. Keep in mind that not all classes will offer you multiple grading basis options. Some classes are only offered for a Letter grade, and some classes are only offered for Satisfactory/No Credit. In these cases, Axess will not allow you to change your grading basis for the class, even if it is before the Week 8 deadline. Even faculty are not able to change the grading options for their courses in progress. What counts as a passing grade? To receive a Credit (CR) or a Satisfactory (S) grade, you must receive the equivalent of a C- or better. Otherwise, you will receive a No Credit (NC). Note that in the Letter grade system, a passing grade is normally a D- or better. So if, for example, you're on track to receive a D in a class, you would pass the class if you remained in the Letter grade system, but fail the class if you switched to Credit/No Credit. Of course, the Letter grade option would have an impact on your GPA, whereas the CR/NC option would not (regardless of whether you pass or fail the class). Most Requirements Need a Letter Grade Keep in mind that most courses you are taking for university requirements, including General Education Requirements and major requirements, must be taken for a Letter grade. Any courses you are taking for pre-med requirements (if applicable) should also be taken for a Letter grade. Classes that fulfill COLLEGE, PWR, and Ways requirements must usually be taken for a Letter grade. (There are exceptions for certain Ways courses: if the Ways course is only offered for S/NC and there is no Letter grade option, it can be used to fulfill that Ways requirement.) Language is the only General Education Requirement that does not require a Letter grade. Language classes may be taken for CR/NC and will still fulfill your Language requirement if passed with a CR grade. If you are a pre-med student, you should plan to take all pre-med requirements for a Letter grade. Choosing to take a pre-med requirement for CR/NC will usually mean you will need to repeat the course for a Letter grade at a later point in time. As a general rule, most departments do not accept CR/NC courses for major requirements. If you take a major requirement for a CR grade, you will usually have to repeat the course for a Letter grade at a later point in time. There are certain rare exceptions: consult with your chosen department or program to inquire if you can use a CR grade in a particular course to fulfill a major requirement. If you're not sure whom to talk to in the department, the Student Services Officer is a great starting point! Pass/Fail Units and Graduation Requirements Students must complete 180 units to graduate with their Bachelor's degree, regardless of their major. Of these 180 units, only 36 can be pass/fail units (i.e. courses where you received either a CR or an S grade). If you take more than 36 units pass/fail, only 36 will count towards your 180 minimum units required for graduation. Special Exceptions for Academic Years 2019-20 and 2020-21 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stanford created a number of grading policy exceptions applicable to the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years only. During Spring quarter of 2019-20, all courses were offered for a mandatory Satisfactory/No Credit grading basis. No Letter grade options were allowed in any course. During this quarter, courses that earned S grades did not count against the 36 unit pass/fail limit. Courses that earned S grades during this quarter fulfilled THINK, PWR, and Ways requirements. In most cases, courses that earned S grades also fulfilled major requirements, though this was left at the discretion of each individual major department. During Academic Year 2020-21, all courses offered for a Letter grade were also required to offer a CR/NC option. Courses that earned CR or S grades did not count against the 36 unit pass/fail limit. During that year, courses that earned CR or S grades fulfilled THINK, PWR, and Ways requirements. In many (though not all) cases, courses that earned CR or S grades could also be used to fulfill major requirements, though this was left at the discretion of each major department. But what about my GPA? Sometimes you may be fairly confident you can pass the class, but you're worried about the GPA impact of the grade you will receive. In most cases, if you can pass with a C or better your Academic Advisors would recommend taking the Letter grade. For one thing, putting in exactly a CR worth of effort (no more, no less) is difficult for many students. In many cases, you may end up either not passing at all, or passing with what should have been a solid B or even an A. In addition, passing a class with a Letter grade (even an imperfect one) puts you in control of your requirements. Taking a required class for a CR grade means you will be forced to repeat the class someday. Taking a required class and earning a C means you can choose whether you want to repeat the class someday. You may find later in your Stanford career that the grade no longer matters as much to you: perhaps your GPA has improved even without repeating the course, or perhaps there are other courses or opportunities you wish to pursue that now take precedence. Keep in mind that any opportunities that might be interested in your GPA will likely also be interested in your transcript. This includes coterms, graduate schools, scholarship committees, and certain internships and jobs. To anyone looking at your transcript, a CR grade often looks as though you were not wholly invested in the course. Most people who see a CR grade on the transcript will assume that you got the lowest possible passing grade: that is, a C-. If you did better than this, it may be worth demonstrating that ability on your transcript. It's also worth noting that certain post-graduate opportunities (like Law Schools) may not like to see too many CR grades on the transcript: this can suggest a candidate who often takes the easy way out or is hesitant to challenge themselves. Remember too that your GPA is often less important than the narrative your transcript tells. A B+ (or even a B or B-) in a class tells a better story about your drive and work ethic than a CR grade does. And challenging yourself outside your comfort zone is an excellent demonstration of your adaptability. Admissions committees are also very interested in seeing how you improve over time. If you earn a C in your Chem 31A class but go on to earn better grades in later Chemistry classes, that tells a strong story about your resilience and your ability to overcome setbacks and thrive. Furthermore, over time, a single C or the like has a minimal impact on your overall GPA. With every future class you take, the GPA impact of that one "bad" class will diminish even further. If you want to see what sort of impact your expected grade will have on your quarterly or overall GPA, you may use this GPA calculator. So should I take this course for Credit/No Credit? It depends. If you need the course for a Ways requirement, for a COLLEGE or PWR requirement, for a major requirement, or for a pre-med requirement, you probably will want to take the course for a Letter grade, especially if you can earn a C or better. Switching to CR/NC means you will have to repeat the class at a later point in time, which can slow down your progress towards graduation. If you are fairly certain there is no chance you can pass the class, then you may want to switch to CR/NC. This will protect your GPA for the time being, but keep in mind that you will most likely have to repeat the class for a Letter grade at a later point in time. If you are feeling stressed this quarter and looking to relieve some pressure, you may want to consider Withdrawing from the course rather than switching to CR/NC. (See Should I Withdraw from this Course? for more advice on that topic.) Remember that even if you take the class CR/NC, you will likely have to put in some time and effort into passing the class. Whereas Withdrawing from a class often means you can redirect that time and energy into your other classes, or into other pursuits. If you are taking a class just for your own enrichment and you do not need it for any sort of requirement, you can probably take it for CR/NC if you wish. And if you're still not sure after reading all this, why not come talk to your Academic Advisor?	common_crawl_stanford.edu_256
Planning for an Honors Program Honors is a designation offered by academic programs to recognize outstanding independent student work that has met the highest scholarly standards for the relevant discipline. It usually involves good grades, a sequence of upper-division coursework, and the completion of an honors project. Stanford offers a variety of honors programs. Some are designed for majors and others allow students to work outside their major field. Considerations for Pursuing Honors Advantages to Pursuing Honors Pursuing Honors as an undergraduate offers many academic and personal benefits. It allows you to do the following: - Initiate in-depth research in a field you may continue to pursue in graduate school or throughout your career - Demonstrate to postgraduate programs or future employers that you can do independent, creative work - Participate in advanced original research in close, one-on-one consultation with a faculty member - Contribute to the knowledge of the world and perhaps discover your life’s intellectual passion - Develop skills that will be useful throughout life, in many different settings, such as: - Mental discipline - Intellectual judgment and independence - Capacity to pursue an area in depth - Self confidence - Mastery of the material - The ability to plan and implement a project and see it to its end - The ability to meet a challenge and succeed Additional Considerations Many qualified students decide not to pursue honors. Stanford students engage in a host of academic and extracurricular activities (public service, athletics, student government) that require serious time commitments. It’s simply not possible to do everything. Incidentally, pursuing honors is not the only means to engage deeply in a field of study that interests you. You can take advantage of a variety of opportunities to involve yourself in research before you decide to participate in an honors program. These can involve close collaboration with a faculty member or graduate student. Read more about getting started in research, and check out the Undergraduate Research website to learn more. Departmental Honors vs Interdisciplinary Honors Many students will choose to apply to the Honors program within their major department. But Stanford also offers several interdisciplinary programs that allow students to do an honors project in that field regardless of their major. The current Interdisciplinary Honors programs are: - Arts - Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity - Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) - Education - Ethics in Society - Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies - International Security Studies (CISAC) - Science, Technology, and Society Like departmental honors programs, Interdisciplinary honors programs generally require an application, a minimum GPA, and some selected classes, as well as the thesis or capstone project. Most application deadlines are in junior winter, but may range from sophomore spring to senior fall. Check the program website for the basics, look out for information sessions, and arrange to meet with program leaders for more information. Typical 4 year plan for Honors Frosh or Sophomore Year - Undertake a significant research experience through a class, internship or other opportunity that interests or excites you. - As you consider declaring a major, investigate the requirements for honors in your field and related fields. - In addition, explore Interdisciplinary Majors programs that might allow you to engage in an honors project outside your major. - If your project is in the humanities or qualitative social sciences, consider applying for a Chappell-Lougee grant as a sophomore to start doing research in your field. Junior Year - Find a Faculty Advisor, develop a research methodology and research plan. - Apply to the honors program in your department, or to an Interdisciplinary Honors program. Note that different programs have different application deadlines, so check ahead of time! - Start honors work or research. - In Spring quarter, plan to take a seminar within your honors program. - Consider writing a Major Grant proposal and applying for funding to support you while you do research on your topic over the summer between junior and senior years. - Apply for Bing Honors College. Summer between Junior and Senior Year - Conduct honors work or research. - In September, participate in Bing Honors College during the three weeks before Fall Quarter starts. Senior Year - Complete your research - Draft and write your honors thesis in close consultation with your Honors Advisor. Choosing an Honors Thesis Topic You do not necessarily need to have a topic already in mind when you decide to pursue honors. There are many different ways to help you decide upon an honors thesis topic. - Identify and reach out to a faculty member you'd like to work with. (See our tips for connecting with faculty here.) Faculty are often very open to helping you brainstorm thesis ideas, especially when they build on that professor’s area of expertise. - It's also possible to develop a topic on your own, before selecting a Faculty Honors Advisor. Think back to any final papers or projects in past classes that you particularly enjoyed. They could be the seed of an excellent honors thesis! - Brainstorm ideas with tutors affiliated with the Honors Writing Program at the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking. - Have a conversation with your Academic Advisor about your academic interests and goals. Working with a Faculty Honors Advisor Choosing a Faculty Honors Advisor and establishing a strong working relationship with that person is essential to having a positive experience in an honors program. Find more detailed advice about working with your Faculty Honors Advisor here.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_257
Repeating a Course Should you repeat a class if you didn't do so well in it the first time? Read through our helpful tips and considerations before making your choice. When you don't perform as well as you'd like in a course, we know it's tempting to seek a do-over. But repeating a course isn't a decision to make lightly. And it may not appear on your transcript the way you expect. Make sure to consider your motivations and understand the rules and repercussions before deciding to take a course for the second time. For the university's official policy statement on repeat courses, consult the Stanford Bulletin pages linked below. On this page, your Academic Advisors offer their explanation of the repeat course policy and some important things to keep in mind before deciding whether to repeat a course or not. Stanford Bulletin: Repeated Courses Stanford Bulletin: General University Grading Systems Know the Rules Most classes at Stanford are not repeatable for credit, meaning you can only earn the units for them once. You may choose to repeat the course a second time. But if you technically passed the class the first time around (i.e. earned either a Credit grade or a D- or better Letter Grade), you will not gain any additional units for taking the class again. If you choose to repeat a non-repeatable-for-credit class, the second grade will replace the first grade in your GPA calculation. The course will still show up on your transcript twice, but the first grade will be overwritten by the notation "RP," meaning "repeated." Note that this process is not instantaneous. Rather, the Registrar does a recurring check for repeat grades each quarter and updates each repeat grade manually. If you have a time-sensitive issue with repeat grades on your transcript, you may submit a Service Now ticket to the Registrar. If you have a 'W' notation for a course (meaning you Withdrew after the add/drop deadline), this is not considered a completed course grade. Therefore, a 'W' cannot be overwritten on your transcript by repeating the course. Generally, you cannot enroll in a non-repeatable-for-credit class for a third time. In most cases, this is only allowed when the class was failed the second time (i.e. you received an NP or an NC the second time you enrolled in the course). If you are considering taking a class for a third time, you will need to consult with your Academic Advisor on whether you are eligible and how to proceed if so, as you will have to file a request for exception in order to take the course a third time. Be aware that if your request is granted, the grade you received the second time around will remain on your record. It will NOT be overwritten by an "RP," and the grades you received for the second and third time will both factor into your GPA calculation as separate grades. Keep in mind that certain classes are designed to be repeated for credit, such as physical education classes, many creative writing classes, certain speaker series classes, and so forth. These special courses will be labeled “Repeatable for Credit” in ExploreCourses or under "Rules and Requisites" of the full details page of a course description in Navigate Classes. That will mean that you can earn additional units if you take the course again. Repeating one of these courses will not replace an earlier grade with a 'RP' (even if you want it to). Note that individual repeatable-for-credit courses may set a limit on the maximum number of times that you can repeat them. Some classes can only be repeated for credit twice; some could be taken every quarter of your undergraduate career! What's Your Reason for Repeating? If you want to increase your GPA, think carefully about why you need the GPA boost and what the best way might be to achieve it. We encourage you to talk with your major advisor and your Academic Advisor about how much GPA matters for your field and for your career plans. And do the math to see how much difference it will really make. Keep in mind, too, that the GPA impact of any single class diminishes the more classes you take, and that you can increase your GPA just by taking additional classes and doing well in them. If you are repeating to increase your GPA for med school or law school, be aware that these schools may calculate your GPA differently and may take even repeated grades into account. You may want to consult with a pre-med or pre-law advisor on how helpful repeating a class might actually be. If you need to fulfill a major requirement, check that you are acting on accurate information. Review policies in writing and ask your department if you’ve interpreted them correctly. Ask if the department allows for exceptions (for example, whether a required class you took for CR can count if the instructor passes along the letter grade you would have received). Departments have the last word on what fulfills their requirements, so it's always worth asking about your case! If you need to strengthen your knowledge of a particular area and your future classes or activities will build on that knowledge, then generally, yes, that’s a strong reason to repeat the course. To help create the best conditions for learning, we encourage you to retake the course in a quarter when you aren't overwhelmed with other difficult classes, and to take advantage of tutoring resources if they are available. Things to Consider Academic Progress Requirements and Graduation Remember that when you repeat a class where you have already earned the units once, you will not earn those units for a second time. (Technically speaking, the units get subtracted from your first course enrollment instance and added to your second course enrollment instance, so that there is no net gain in units.) This may put you at risk of not meeting your minimum requirements for satisfactory academic progress. Even if you remain in good academic standing, remember that you need to earn 180 units to graduate, and that repeating courses often means you are treading water rather than moving closer towards that goal. Classes Aren't Easier the Second Time Around Don’t assume that just because a class is a repeat, it’s going to be easier. And definitely don’t assume you’ll automatically get a higher grade! Maybe the class has changed-- professors regularly refresh their material even when teaching the same class, and if the instructor isn’t the same one you had before, the class may be even more different. Or maybe you understood the earlier material in the course, but then lost track. In this case, the course might feel easy at first, but will suddenly start taking more time and energy after the first few weeks. Keep in mind that when you repeat a class, the second grade will overwrite the first grade in your GPA calculation regardless of whether you do better or worse. Maximize Your Chances For Success If you are set on repeating a course, make strategic choices about when to repeat the class and what else you'll be taking on that quarter. You want to give yourself the best possible chance of doing well, so avoid repeating a class during a heavy quarter or during a time when you know you'll be tackling several very difficult classes!	common_crawl_stanford.edu_258
How Do I Get Started in Research? One major perk of being a Stanford student is that you will have opportunities to do original research with the Stanford faculty. Faculty across the university are engaged in research, and if you are interested in joining them in their pursuit, it will be up to you to get the ball rolling. Ways of doing research Generally speaking, there are two ways Stanford students can engage in research: - You can assist a faculty member with their research project - You can pursue your own independent research project (guided by a faculty mentor), where the research question and methodology are determined by you Some students just assist in faculty research and then decide that they are not interested in pursuing their own research project. Other students don’t get involved in research until the day they are ready to propose their own independent project. And some students will pursue both options: usually they assist a faculty member earlier in their Stanford career, and then engage in their own independent research project later on. How can I get involved with faculty research? Assisting a professor with their research project can teach you valuable new skills, help you determine whether or not you enjoy the research process, and prompt you to think about whether you may want to design your own research project someday. There are many ways you can get involved. Apply to a structured research program During the summer, many departments and centers have programs that provide financial support for students to do research with faculty members full-time during the summer.. Be sure to check the list of departments and centers that receive VPUE funding, as these are the most likely places to find such summer research programs. There are also some summer research programs that are not funded by VPUE, such as the NeURO Fellowship Program. The Stanford On & Off-Campus Learning Opportunities (SOLO) site is another place to search for research programs to apply to. Note that most summer research programs will have their application deadlines either late in Autumn quarter or during Winter quarter. In addition to these summer research programs, be aware that there are also structured research programs that happen at other times during the year. If you are interested in the Humanities, for example, check out the Humanities Research Intensive program, which happens over spring break (applications due in Autumn). And if you are interested in sciences and engineering, consider the ChEM-H Undergraduate Scholars Program, which runs from winter quarter through the following fall (applications due in Autumn). Check job ads on mailing lists, newsletters, SOLO, and Handshake Professors looking for research assistants often advertise over email (especially on their departmental mailing lists), on the weekly Academic Advising Newsletter, on SOLO, or on Handshake. If you’re not on any departmental mailing lists, ask the department’s Student Services Officer if you can be added to a mailing list for current or prospective majors. Job postings may happen during any quarter, and are usually for only one or two students for part-time work. Connect with a professor you already know There is no better place to start learning about research than chatting with a professor you may already know through classes or other connections. Rather than asking for a job up front, we recommend asking to meet during office hours to get advice on getting started in research. While it is possible your professor may have a research position open, you can still gain valuable tips and connections even if they have nothing available for you at the moment. Remember to ask what other faculty members your professor recommends that you reach out to if you are interested in doing research in this subject. Reach out to a professor you haven't met yet If you have a topic of interest, but don’t yet know any professors working in that field, your first step is to find out which faculty are working on that topic. - Visit the department webpage for departments most closely related to your topic of interest. Take a look at the Faculty Profiles to find information about the research interests of the faculty associated with these departments. - Visit the Student Services Officer in the departments most closely related to your topic of interest. The Student Services Officer can talk with you about your interests and try to help you identify one or more faculty whose research you may want to learn more about. Once you have identified the faculty whose research most interests you, visit their office hours or send them an email to request a meeting for further conversation about their research interests and your own. Again, rather than asking for a job up front, we recommend asking to meet during office hours to get advice on getting started in research. Remember to ask what other faculty members your professor recommends that you reach out to if you are interested in doing research in this subject. More Suggestions for Finding Faculty - How to Email Faculty - Connecting with Faculty (including our Networking with Faculty video presentation) Further Help If you are uncertain about any of these steps, go talk with your Academic Advisor! They guide students at all stages of the research process to help them identify faculty and future mentors, think about how to start the conversation, and more. They are also good people to turn to when interested in getting funding for an independent project. See Also - Undergrad Research at Stanford - What type of Student Grant is best for your needs? - Getting Started With Undergraduate Research: Options and Opportunities (video) - How do I pursue an independent project? - Research Gave Meaning to My Undergraduate Years (Todd Davies, Symbolic Systems) - Connecting with Faculty (including our Networking with Faculty video presentation)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_259
Taking a Leave of Absence Whatever your reasons for taking a break, Stanford encourages you to take the time you need. The university will still be here for you when you return. There are many reasons you may want to take a Leave of Absence. Perhaps there’s a professional opportunity you want to pursue. Or maybe you’ve been given the chance to volunteer for a cause that matters to you. In other cases, you may need time to deal with a family situation, or to attend to your own physical or mental health. And still other times you may be feeling burned out and need to recharge. Whatever your reason, Stanford has a simple process for taking a Leave and returning to your studies at a later date. Your Academic Advisors understand that taking a Leave can sometimes be a confusing and difficult decision, so read on for our explanation of the process and some considerations to keep in mind. For official information on Stanford’s Leave of Absence policy and procedure, consult the Student Services Policy pages and the Registrar's pages linked below. In case of any accidental discrepancies between this page and those resources, the Student Services and Registrar's sites take precedence. A note on terminology: Stanford uses the term "Leave of Absence" to refer to time off from the university. If you are looking for more information on any of Stanford's websites, be sure to search using the keyword "Leave of Absence," and not unofficial terms like "gap year." Stanford Bulletin: Voluntary Leaves of Absence for Undergraduate Students Stanford Bulletin: Voluntary Leaves of Absence for Coterminal Students Student Services: Leaves of Absence Student Services: Military Leaves of Absence Leaving, and Returning to Stanford Not sure where to begin? Academic Advising has published a booklet to help you prepare for your time away. In these pages you will find information about the University's leave and reinstatement policy, commonly asked questions, a checklist of things to address as you prepare for your time away, and resources available to you during that time as well as during your transition back to the University. Remember that life takes many different paths and that you are not alone. Click on the full screen icon to see a larger view, or read the Leaving, and Returning to Stanford booklet here. Leave of Absence Facts - Generally, for first-year students, a Leave of Absence lasts for the remainder of the current academic year. You can return to Stanford in Autumn of the following academic year. - After your first year, you can take a Leave of Absence for just one or two quarters, or up to one year at a time, which can then be extended to a second year if you desire. - You’re normally allowed 8 quarters of Leave total during your Stanford career. These can either be taken continuously or spread out over a period of time. - Are you a student on active duty taking a Leave of Absence for military reasons? In this case, your Leave can exceed one year, and any Leave quarters related to your military service will not subtract from your 8 total allowed quarters of Leave. - If you are taking a leave after the academic year has started (in Winter, Spring, or Summer - or part way through Autumn) and currently have Cardinal Care for your health insurance, you can use your insurance while on Leave. You will be covered through August 31 of the current academic year; see Vaden's Cardinal Care website for more details. - Your Stanford email will keep working during the duration of your Leave of Absence, as reported on this Stanford IT site. - So long as you return on the date indicated on your Leave of Absence form, there's no special process you have to go through to register for courses. Once Axess opens for enrollment for your return quarter, you should be able to enroll as normal. But keep in mind that you'll still have to apply for housing and for financial aid (if applicable), and that these processes have their own deadlines - which are generally much earlier than the date on which enrollment opens. - Need to take more time? If you are away from Stanford for more than 8 total quarters, technically your student status becomes Discontinued. But don’t be intimidated! Discontinued students are still welcome to return to the university after submitting a Request to Return and Register. The Process The Leave of Absence form is now an online Stanford eForm! To find it, log in to Axess, go to the "My Academics" dropdown menu, and navigate to “Student eForms.” Click on “Browse Available Forms” and search for "Leave of Absence for Undergraduates" or "Leave of Absence for Coterms" - whichever is appropriate for you! Note that submitting the form online is not enough! You will still need to meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your situation before they can endorse your eForm. The eForm may also require other electronic signatures, so make sure to leave yourself enough time to connect with each relevant office and for each office to review your situation. As you consider your Leave of Absence, you may want to consult the following people and offices: - Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your situation and any relevant academic ramifications. - If you are requesting a Military Leave of Absence, contact the VA Certification Officer at vabenefits@stanford.edu to provide documentation confirming your service requirement, including the start and end dates. (For international military service, your documentation must be in English.) The VA Certification Officer will provide you with a certification letter, which you will need to attach to your LOA eForm. - Connect with your Resident Director to seek guidance through the process and determine if there are any residential impacts. - If you would like to talk through your plan but you aren’t sure where to start, you can reach out to the Dean of Students office at deanofstudents@stanford.edu. Once you have decided to take a Leave of Absence you should: - Review the terms of a Leave of Absence and submit the eForm through Axess. - The Dean of Students office will send you an informative email, and may reach out to you regarding any support that may be helpful to your specific circumstances. You can also reach out to them. - Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your situation and get their endorsement on the Leave of Absence eForm. - If you are requesting a military Leave of Absence, be sure to attach the certification letter you receive from the VA Certification Officer to your eForm. - If you are an international student, you must also contact a Bechtel International Center advisor and get their endorsement on the eForm. This signature must be received before your Academic Advisor can sign off on your Leave of Absence request. - If you are a Coterm student with your undergraduate career still open, you must also contact your graduate major department and obtain a departmental endorsement on the eForm. If you have closed your undergraduate career, any leaves will be processed by your graduate department. - Follow up with Student Housing and Financial Aid and clear any related obligations. The Leave of Absence eForm is just one page, and does not require you to write lengthy personal statement. We strongly encourage you to talk with your Academic Advisor about your personal situation and how a Leave of Absence might fit into your Stanford career. Keep in mind that even after you submit your Leave of Absence form, you must cancel your housing contract through a separate process. If you are on Financial Aid, you should also inform the Financial Aid Office of your intent to leave. Consult with them about any potential considerations, especially if you are leaving mid-quarter or have student loans to repay. Cancelling Your Student Housing Financial Aid and Leaves of Absence Timing Your Leave of Absence Depending on when you take your Leave of Absence, different things happen with your tuition and with the classes recorded on your transcript. Here are some scenarios depending on when you submit the completed Leave of Absence form: On or before the first day of classes You will receive a full tuition refund for the quarter. No classes appear on your transcript for that quarter. After the first day of classes, but before the Add/Drop Deadline (end of week 3) You receive a pro-rated tuition refund. All courses you may have enrolled in are dropped, and no classes appear on your transcript that quarter. After the Add/Drop deadline (end of week 3) but before the Term Withdrawal deadline (usually week 7)* Please check the Academic Calendar for this quarter's Term Withdrawal deadline You receive a pro-rated refund. You will be Withdrawn from any classes you are enrolled in, and these courses will appear on your transcript with a “W” notation. After the Term Withdrawal deadline (usually week 7) *Please check the Academic Calendar for this quarter's Term Withdrawal deadline Leaves of Absence can sometimes be taken after the Term Withdrawal deadline in exceptional circumstances. Be sure to check in with your Academic Advisor to discuss your situation. If your Leave is approved, no tuition refund can be given. You will be Withdrawn from any classes you are enrolled in, and these courses will appear on your transcript with a “W” notation. While this list may make it seem like filing for a Leave of Absence early in the quarter is the “best” scenario, we understand that life takes unexpected twists and turns. If you need to take a Leave late in the quarter, your Academic Advisors are here to help you. We can talk you through these options, and explain what certain consequences (like W’s on your transcript) really mean or don’t mean. Extending Your Leave of Absence What if you need more time after your original Leave of Absence? To extend your Leave, just submit another Leave of Absence eForm. Remember that you will still need to get the required signatures on your form, and the same timeline outlined above applies to your tuition refund. If you are away from campus, you can sign up for a phone or video meeting with your Academic Advisor. Keep in mind that you are allowed to take up to 8 quarters of Leave before becoming Discontinued. This should not necessarily stop you from taking more time if you need it, but we strongly recommend you contact an Academic Advisor to talk through all potential considerations. Help, I've Been Discontinued! If your Leave of Absence has expired, or you left the university without ever filing for a Leave of Absence, your student status becomes Discontinued. If you just became Discontinued this quarter, you may still request a Leave of Absence for Discontinued Students up through the Term Withdrawal deadline of the current quarter (usually in Week 7, but check the academic calendar for details). To find the eForm, visit https://eforms.stanford.edu. Click on “Browse Available Forms” and search for "Leave of Absence for Discontinued Students." The form and process are very similar to the standard LOA process described above, and will require a meeting with your Academic Advisor and other relevant offices. Once approved, this will change your student status from Discontinued to an active Leave of Absence. Please note that if you became Discontinued in a previous quarter, you can no longer request a Leave of Absence. When you wish to re-enroll in the university, you must instead go through a special return process called the Request to Return and Register. Special exceptions for Academic Year 2020-21 Special exceptions to Leave of Absence policy that were in place for the past Academic Year 2020-2021 are no longer active. If you took a leave in 2020-2021 and have questions, reach out to your Academic Advisor. For the Academic Year 2020-21 only, a Leave of Absence taken in Autumn, Winter, Spring or Summer quarter did not count towards the eight-quarter maximum for undergraduates. For the Academic Year 2020-2021 only, first-year students were allowed to take Leaves just like continuing students, and were not required to delay their return until the following Autumn. For the Academic Year 2020-21 only, the university announced a new policy about "Flex Terms," which were a different category of time away from Stanford only available during that year. For more details on these past special exceptions, please refer to the 2020-21 Bulletin: Returning to Stanford Ready to return to the university, or looking ahead and curious about what you’ll need to do? Head on over to our Returning After a Leave of Absence page to get our breakdown of the process!	common_crawl_stanford.edu_260
Should I Withdraw from This Course? It's the middle of the quarter and things are starting to get rough. Should you withdraw from that class you're struggling in? Read on to learn more about what a W really is (and what it isn't) and some considerations to help you decide. What is a W (Withdraw)? If you drop a course before the week 3 Final Study List deadline, it disappears cleanly from your transcript as though you had never been enrolled. However, after week 3 you no longer have the option to drop a course completely from your record. Instead, you may choose to withdraw from a course up through the Course Withdrawal Deadline on the Friday of week 8. In this case, the class remains on your record and a notation of “W” (for Withdraw) is recorded on your transcript for that course in place of a grade. Note that a W is not considered a completed course grade. Therefore, a 'W' cannot be overwritten on your transcript by repeating the course. How does a W look on my transcript? Though many students worry about Ws on their transcript, in truth a W offers very little information. It merely reflects that sometime between the third and eighth week of the quarter you decided not to continue with the class. A W is not a “black mark,” and it says nothing about your performance in the class up to that point. It reveals much less than an NP (No Pass), or an RP (Repeated) notation on your transcript. A W also has no GPA impact. And a class from which you have withdrawn is not considered "complete," and therefore does not count toward the limited number of times you may repeat a course. Withdrawing from a class will also allow you to take that time back and dedicate it to your remaining classes and to your other activities, which could even improve your GPA for the quarter. An occasional W on your transcript is a fairly common occurrence, and nothing that will jeopardize your future career or your plans for graduate school, professional school, etc. Someone looking at your transcript is not likely to notice your individual Ws unless they start to suggest a frequent and recurring pattern: if, for example, your transcript shows that you always ambitiously enroll in a high number of units every quarter and then always have to withdraw every quarter because you've overextended yourself. If you find yourself falling into these repeated habits, now may be a good time to come talk to your Academic Advisor! But if your Ws are infrequent and do not suggest a pattern, they are not a major cause for concern. What if withdrawing drops me below 12 Units? If withdrawing would drop you below 12 units, we recommend talking to your Academic Advisor before taking any action. We describe certain special situations and considerations below, but don’t hesitate to come in for a meeting if you have questions! Special Eligibility Categories There are certain cases where you may not want to withdraw from a course if it will drop you below 12 units. For example, dropping below 12 units can affect situations such as: - International Student Visa Status - Eligibility status for NCAA student-athletes - Eligibility status for certain scholarships (particularly non-Stanford external scholarships) Talk to your Academic Advisor first if you are affected by one of these categories and are considering withdrawing from a course. In these cases, you may want to consider alternatives such as changing your grading basis to CR/NC so that you can still maintain your eligibility. Academic Progress Requirements If none of the special eligibility categories above apply to you, then the main issue to consider is whether withdrawing from the course will stop you from meeting your minimum academic progress requirements. To remain in good academic standing, you must successfully complete 9 units in any single quarter, and 36 units over the most recent three quarters. If you are already on an academic progress status such as academic notice or academic probation, keep in mind that you must complete 12 units every quarter for three consecutive enrolled quarters. If you can meet these requirements even after withdrawing from a course, then dropping below 12 units for the quarter may not have any immediate negative consequences. If you’re not sure whether you can meet these requirements or not, come talk to your Academic Advisor! I should be fine on eligibility issues and minimum requirements. Should I withdraw? Here in Academic Advising, we often like to say that a W stands for “Wise.” In many cases, withdrawing when you’re feeling overwhelmed can be the right choice. If you find yourself struggling in a class to the point where it's dragging down your performance in your other courses, sometimes letting go is the strategic move. Remember that it's often better to drop down to a manageable workload and do well in it rather than stretching yourself too thin and doing poorly in everything! Whether you’ve found your schedule to be too demanding, or you are dealing with an unexpected life challenge, or you’re simply no longer invested in a course, withdrawing can be a way to take back some time and energy for yourself. That time and energy can then be spent on other classes, obligations, opportunities, or personal needs. In these cases, a W can show that you took both initiative and responsibility, and made a decision to protect your time and your work in your remaining classes. A wise move indeed!	common_crawl_stanford.edu_261
Choosing Courses We hope the following resources will help you develop a personally coherent, meaningful education from Stanford's diverse course offerings. Frosh-Friendly Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses allow students to explore a field of study early in their Stanford careers, generally with minimal or no prerequisites. Courses for your General Education Requirements (GERs) Learn how to select courses for your COLLEGE, writing, foreign language, and Ways requirements. Your Questions Answered For more advice on choosing your courses, check out the Advising Student Handbook, and particularly the following pages: - How many classes should I take? - How do I research a course? - Understanding the course catalog - What does it mean when a course has variable units (3-5, etc)? - Should I "shop" more classes than I expect to enroll in? - What are my graduation requirements? Additional Resources for Choosing Courses Exploring Your Stanford Courses Unsure how to navigate among all your course choices? This video presentation by your Academic Advisors will help you get started! Incredible Introsems Introductory Seminars (IntroSems) offer small-group courses taught by esteemed faculty to frosh and sophomores. Class sizes are small, with priority given to those who apply in advance. Stanford Syllabus Project Want to learn more about a particular course? This archive allows you to read past and present course syllabuses posted by faculty. Take Classes with Award-Winning Teachers Explore courses taught by award-winning faculty from departments across campus. Stanford honors faculty, staff, and students for outstanding service and commitment to the University’s mission through a variety of University Awards. Gateway Courses in the Humanities Interested in studying the humanities and arts, but don't know where to begin? Browse our list of Gateway Courses in the Humanities. You can also find humanities courses by typing the special tag HUMSCI::humanities directly in the search bar of ExploreCourses. The Humanities Core Explore traditions, texts, ideas, intellectual and literary history around the world. STEM Roadmap This interactive tool from the School of Engineering shows some common pathways to starting different majors in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Oral Communication Courses Check out courses that will teach you the fundamental principles of public speaking.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_262
Choosing Courses For Your Major Each major or field of study is structured differently. Whether you have already declared a major or are exploring various possibilities, it is helpful to learn about the requirements for that major as you begin to choose courses for upcoming quarters. Exploring Majors Not sure yet what you want to major in? The majors.stanford.edu page can be a great place to start! Here you can find a quick synopsis of each major. Each department also has its own website with details about the major if you'd like to do a deeper dive. Keep in mind that you don’t have to settle on a major until the end of sophomore year. But if you already have a strong interest in a particular field, you can start taking a look at major requirements. Finding Out Your Major Requirements To find requirements for a particular major, visit the Stanford Bulletin and click on "Explore Programs". In the search bar, type in the name of the major (e.g. “Sociology”). You will see several different degree options for that field of study. Click on either the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) option, then scroll down to "Degree Requirements" to see the requirements for that major. In addition to the Bulletin, you can also find major requirements listed in other places. Individual department websites often list their major requirements on one of their subpages. The School of Engineering has also gathered information on all of its majors into an online resource called the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook. The requirements should be the same across all these sites, but are sometimes explained in a more accessible way in one place versus another. Not sure how to interpret these requirements? You can discuss this in a meeting with your Academic Advisor! Sequencing your courses For some majors (not all), sequencing is important: you may have to take certain courses in order, or complete certain courses first as a prerequisite for more advanced courses. This can vary a lot depending on what major you've chosen. To find out if you need to take courses in a certain order, look up individual required courses in ExploreCourses or Navigate Classes and read the course description carefully. If the course has prerequisites, they will be noted there. You may want to draft a tentative four-year plan so that you can map out how you will approach your major requirements. Drafting a four-year plan is often a necessary part of the major declaration process, and can help you see what future quarters will look like. See also our presentation on Four Year Planning (Note you need to be logged into your Stanford Account to access the presentation). Not all course are offered every quarter, and some courses may not be offered this year. Be sure to check ExploreCourses or Navigate Classes, and talk to the department's Student Services Officer if you have questions. Additional Considerations - Once you've declared a major, you will also have a major advisor (some departments assign major advisors and some ask you to find your own major advisor during the declaration process). While you will continue to work with your Academic Advisor on general academic issues and overall progress towards graduation, it's worth meeting with your major advisor regularly to get detailed guidance about major requirements and courses within the department. See our page on Connecting with Faculty. - You may even want to consider taking classes with your major advisor to help build a strong working relationship. - The Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Student Services Officer, and the peer advisors in your major department can also be very helpful. They can advise you about how best to shape the major according to your interests. - As you progress within the major, it's worth reading faculty profiles on the department website to explore faculty research and find professors who teach classes that coincide with your interests. - If you intend to participate in a professor's research project, or to do your own independent project, honors thesis, or senior capstone project, prepare yourself by selecting classes that give background knowledge and can teach you the necessary methodology and research skills.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_263
How to Declare: Majors, Minors and Notations The process of declaring a major varies by department. For many majors, you will be asked to fill out a Program Sheet that charts the courses you will take to complete the major. You then have that program sheet approved by your faculty Major Advisor in a meeting, and then finalize your declaration in Axess. You can find general advice about declaring here in the Advising Student Handbook. Some departments have alternative—or additional—requirements for declaration; for example, they may have you write a reflective essay, or meet with a peer advisor. Select a tile below to see the specific declaration process for that major, and be aware: selecting a major in Axess is often the smallest and least important step in this process! Click here to jump to Notation programs. Middle Eastern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Middle Eastern Languages, Literatures, and CulturesSee also - Learn how other students have navigated declaration by reading My Stanford Story: Majors and Major Decisions - CareerEd Resources that can help you refine your interests and incorporate professional interests and goals into your academic journey including events and also events especially for frosh/sophomores. - Engaging with Faculty - Connecting with Faculty - Emailing Faculty (emailing a potential mentor for the first time) - Double Majors, Secondary Majors, and Dual Degrees	common_crawl_stanford.edu_264
If you can't find your niche at Stanford, go and build it Looking back at my four years on the Farm, there are many things I remember fondly - lazy afternoons fountain hopping, late night PSET brainstorms, sunset bike rides back from the lab. With the sheer amount of experiences that Stanford allows you to have, your undergraduate years fly by with enough memories/memorabilia that you alone could probably fill all of the time capsules in Memorial Church. I felt that way on graduation day, and I still do today. Of all my experiences though, the one I appreciate most doesn't involve a course or even an event. The experience I'll never forget involved a student organization and the people in it. My starting and expanding of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Association (SURA) gave me meaning beyond academics and allowed me to build something that would persist beyond my four years at Stanford. As an undergraduate, I had a variety of interests. I wanted to learn about entrepreneurship and how to succeed in the startup world; at the same time, I had a penchant for biological and computational research. For the prior, it was easy to get involved and meet other students with similar interests; I simply joined the Business Association for Stanford Entrepreneurial Students (BASES), a group dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship on campus. With the latter though, I learned Stanford was a mass of unconnected resources with no central hub for students wanting to pursue research during their time in college. Undergraduate researchers like myself were in silos, with no way to learn or network with each other in an organic manner. During my junior year, my frustrations hit a tipping point, and I decided that I would do something to help the undergraduate research community at Stanford. I decided to use my experiences in other organizations such as BASES, to build SURA as a resource for researchers, by researchers. So I gathered a small group of people passionate about that idea and launched SURA in the fall of 2014. I learned how to recruit new members, led a team of ~20 people, and found new ways to get funding, all while constantly expanding the organization. And thankfully, it worked. In its first year, SURA grew from 10 members to >350 members, had the third-highest approval rating for student fees, and hosted a national undergraduate research conference for students across the United States. Our team was relentless, consisting of the most amazing co-founders I could ask for. Through everything we did, I discovered so many others like me, and SURA was a way in which we could all come together that hadn't existed before. Every midnight meeting with the leadership team and hour spent prepping for our events, I gladly did because I knew we were making a real difference for the research community and building something that could last. Overall, with the founding of SURA, I was able to combine an interest in entrepreneurship with my research background to build an organization from the ground up. Along the way, Stanford helped tremendously, and SURA would not exist today if not for the resources Stanford offers new student organizations. I also know other students who did something similar. They never accepted the status quo, and went out to build their own communities and groups, each of which have contributed to Stanford and impacted countless students. Many of these communities came from disparate interests and experiences, and all it took was for someone to put them together. As an incoming frosh, embrace every interest you have because they might come together in beautiful ways you could never expect. And know Stanford will help you along the way. An Luong Engineering, Biomedical Computation Class of 2015 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_265
Unpacking My Suitcase I hated the shape of my nose. Why do I have weirdly shaped jaws? I felt left out since I can’t drink. And what the f*** is love? When I moved into my freshman dorm, I felt like I brought in more than just bedsheets and clothes. Yes, I brought in happy memories of my childhood and that mix of excitement and fear for college, but I also brought a suitcase full of issues that needed to be unpacked. Coming into Stanford, I wanted to turn away from everything; I couldn’t even begin to think of liking my body, coming to terms with my medical circumstances, and most painful of all, accepting the way I love. Here’s the thing, young freshman – everyone at Stanford will seem perfect. Everyone is an international champion or CEO or author, everyone is beyond intelligent, and everyone is so, so, so hot (everyone is at the height of their youthful attractiveness, it’s literally the worst). And at first, that really scared me. No one else had these suitcases, these godforsaken suitcases, these horrible, terrible, invisible suitcases that can never be emptied. Right? Wrong. At one time or another during freshman year, hopefully you’ll do something called a spotlight – you’ll have some time to talk about anything you want without interruption, from your family history to your childhood to the challenges you’ve faced over the years. And afterward, your audience has the chance to ask you questions. That description above seems trivial – no written description can do justice to the experience. And that is just one example of what sets Stanford apart: vulnerability. People are willing to show you all those horrible, terrible, invisible suitcases they brought to Stanford. It may be a spotlight. It may be a conversation with your RA at 2 in the morning. It may be in the dining hall or in your room or on Meyer Green or Dink or MemChu or who knows where. By knowing how other people overcame their struggles, you’ll learn how to overcome yours. By seeing other people’s life stories, you’ll gain perspective on your own. It doesn’t all happen in one day. It is a few sentences here, a few hugs there. A spotlight on top, some tears below. That crazy concoction somehow worked; people saw me not as the 4.0 GPA got-into-Stanford Amit, but as the crying, yelling, farting, caring, human Amit. My suitcase is not yet fully unpacked. I still have some ways to go. I’ll soon realize that my nose is a piece of art, like a chocolate water slide. I’ll see my jaws as pretty cool – I can eat noodles without opening them. I’ll understand that alcohol is not everything at Stanford. And eventually, I will be happy to love whomever I want. And that includes me. Amit Pasupathy Mathematical and Computational Science Class of 2019 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_266
Create Your Stanford Tapestry I love helping students discover their Stanford. The alchemy of weaving a unique tapestry of coursework and co-curricular experiences is at the heart of what it means to be a Stanford student. Throughout your time here, you’ll navigate this place by setting goals, making choices, and reflecting on your path not just once, but in many iterations as you learn and grow. It’s transformational, and it doesn’t end at graduation. Your relationships--the ones that become a part of you—are a vital part of your Stanford. I manage the Stanford Newcomer Guides program. I recruit, develop, and support the faculty and staff volunteers who are here to help you on your journey. They do this by getting to know you and by having an ongoing conversation with you. This conversation is a good place to start setting those goals, weighing those choices, and reflecting on your experience. Your Newcomer Guide is one—perhaps one of the first, here at Stanford—of those people who will help you along the way. When I was an undergrad, I really struggled with distinguishing my own interests from other people’s expectations, and from my own ideas of who I thought I was supposed to be. I found it difficult to make decisions about my future that were based on my values, interests, and strengths because I was still figuring out what those were. I think that’s one reason why I love my job so much. I have a lot of empathy for students who are grappling with that process, and I know that connecting with people who care about you and want to help you thrive can take you to places you might never have imagined. Alice Petty Associate Dean for Residential Academic Advising, Undergraduate Advising and Research If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_267
Stories Courts Tell: Human rights minor reflects on pathway to honors thesis (Alina Utrata, '17) Human Rights Minor Alina Utrata, '17, recently completed her honors thesis through the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law entitled "Stories Courts Tell: The Problematic History of the Yugoslav Tribunal in Bosnia and Herzegovina." Utrata's thesis examines the impact that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) had on Bosnia. She argues that international courts, like the Yugoslav Tribunal, craft a collective narrative about the past in order to shape a transition from conflict to peace. "When I first started researching the Yugoslav Tribunal while working for Professor Norman Naimark my freshman year, it was shocking how negatively most Bosnians perceived the court," Utrata said. "No one in the country really accepted the court's rulings, and I wondered why. Through researching over the past few years, I came to the conclusion that facts often don't really matter to people—stories matter. So what was the story the ICTY was telling?" Utrata credits Handa Center Director David Cohen's class, "Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and International Criminal Tribunals," with providing much of the academic background for her thesis. "Professor Cohen's class really helped me solidify my understanding of the history of transitional justice, which contextualized my argument about the ICTY within the larger history of international trials," Utrata said. "Professor Cohen is such a wealth of knowledge about all of the intrigues and background of these courts. And, of course, he introduced me to the Handa Center, which has been such an incredible resource and support to me throughout this entire process." During the summer of 2015, Utrata traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina through a Stanford Global Studies internship at the Balkan Institute for Conflict Resolution, Responsibility and Reconciliation in Sarajevo. She also received a Research/Travel grant from the Center for Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) to conduct research. "It was really an amazing experience because I actually got to be in Bosnia, to go to places like Srebrenica, and talk to Bosnians about how they felt about the court," Utrata said. "Through the generous support of CREEES, I was also able to travel to The Hague and see the Ratko Mladić trial at the ICTY. The Handa Center also introduced me to several officials at the Tribunal, who I was able to interview." Utrata was a Handa Center summer intern during the summer of 2016, where she worked as part of the trial monitoring team at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). "Being in Cambodia really impressed upon me the uniqueness of the Yugoslav Tribunal case," Utrata explained. "The ECCC has been received very differently by Cambodians than the ICTY was by Bosnians, and it's filling a different role in the country. I use a lot of comparative examples between Cambodia and Bosnia in my thesis." In the fall of 2016, Utrata was the first undergraduate student to declare a human rights minor through the Handa Center's new academic program. She is also the Student Assistant at the Handa Center for the 2016-2017 academic year. "The Handa Center was so supportive and helpful throughout this year," Utrata said. "Several times, I would rush in, normally in a panic, and Penelope [van Tuyl], the Associate Director of the Center, would sit and talk to me about my thesis, or recommend books or articles that would help, or I would even just sit and work in the Center. It was so wonderful to have an academic home at the Handa Center." Next year, Utrata will be pursuing a Master's Degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen's University Belfast as a 2017 Marshall Scholar. A full version of her thesis is available through the Stanford library here. Alina Utrata History and the Law Major Human Rights Minor Class of 2017 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_268
Why I Teach Underclassmen I instruct underclassmen because I value being a part of the crucial discoveries and choices that students make in their first years of college. Together with my wife Caroline Hoxby (Professor of Economics), I teach Education as Self-Fashioning: The Active, Inquiring, and Beautiful Life, a seminar that introduces freshmen to the ideals of a liberal arts education while inviting them to consider how they can make the best use of their time at Stanford to craft a life that is at once personally fulfilling and socially useful. We focus on the lives of intellectuals who have put their education to use in the public sphere. From the Roman emperors Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius we progress to the likes of Thomas Jefferson, J. S. Mill, and W. E. B. Dubois. Along the way, we ask questions that are crucial to freshmen. Should they pursue a vocational or a liberal arts education? What role should love and the cultivation of beauty play in a well-crafted life? How can you balance the claims of action and contemplation? In my freshmen seminar Theatrical Wonders from Shakespeare to Mozart, I introduce students to the joy and mystery of live performance, whether it be in the theater or the opera house. I ask students to analyze theatrical scenes, to review performances, and even to perform themselves. Attending the theater, the opera, and the ballet, is one of the great and abiding pleasures of life, and I want to make sure that any Stanford student, regardless of major, can be a knowledgeable and enthusiastic theater-goer. An acquaintance with the major works of literature and philosophy in some cultural tradition is also an aid to living a rich life. That's why I look forward to co-teaching the second quarter of the "European" track of the new Humanities Core with Marisa Galvez (Assistant Professor of French). We will lead students through some of the major documents of western civilization, from Dante's Inferno to Milton's Paradise Lost, from Martin Luther's Theses to Descartes' Meditations. How did a re-encounter with antiquity produce the flowering of civilization known as the Renaissance? How did the first encounters between the Old World and the New World change history? Did our modern sense of what it is to be human emerge during this era? What are the origins of social contract theory and international law? To answer any of these questions, we must return to the transition from the "Middle Ages" to "Early Modernity." I well remember the most important courses I took as an underclassman. In the Medieval Imagination, my professor Dante Della Terza introduced me to some of the major texts of western civilization from St. Augustine to Dante, along the way reciting in his beautiful Old French, Provençal, and Italian. That class is the reason I became a professor of literature. Stephen Jay Gould's class on geology and evolutionary biology is the reason I almost became a geologist. In both cases, I remember both the thrill of learning new things and the repeated experience of thinking I had crossed the Alps, only to see many peaks in the distance. It puts me in mind of Alexander Pope's description of what it is like to read and re-read the classics: In fearless Youth we tempt the Heights of Arts, While from the bounded Level of our Mind, Short Views we take, nor see the lengths behind, But more advanc'd, behold with strange Surprize New, distant Scenes of endless Science rise! So pleas'd at first, the towring Alps we try, Mount o'er the Vales, and seem to tread the Sky; Th' Eternal Snows appear already past, And the first Clouds and Mountains seem the last: But those attain'd, we tremble to survey The growing Labours of the lengthen'd Way, Th' increasing Prospect tires our wandering Eyes, Hills peep o'er Hills, and Alps on Alps arise! It is always a pleasure to share that journey with freshmen. Blair Hoxby Professor of English If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_269
Recovering from Academic Setbacks "I had to learn to adjust to Stanford’s course pace and difficulty; had to find the best method for me to succeed academically. " - Chris Fleming, '17 How have you recovered from Academic Setbacks or surprises? "Whenever I got a test grade that was lower than expected during the beginning of my freshman year I was immediately hard on myself but I quickly learned that that wasn’t a good approach. It wasn’t the right way to make sure it didn’t happen again. I had to learn to adjust to Stanford’s course pace and difficulty; had to find the best method for me to succeed academically. After talking to my AD I tailored my next two quarters to be a lot more manageable for me. I also found that I worked a lot more productively when I had a dependable study group to work with before a big test. If I ever found myself in another academic setback I would try another new method of studying until something worked because, as I learned, the same method doesn’t always work for different classes." Chris Fleming Materials Science Class of 2017 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_270
Transitioning Well An incoming freshman and her mother entered the Asian American Activities Center (A3C) Ballroom, looking tentative. The student turned to speak to her mother. I caught what sounded like Toisanese, a dialect of Cantonese spoken by early immigrants from Guangdong, China. The same dialect I speak. It was freshman orientation and I was hosting the A3C’s Community Welcome. I greeted the student and her mother in Toisanese. The mother, who did not speak English, smiled broadly and immediately began talking to me in our native language. They were from New York City and she was both proud and anxious to be dropping her daughter off so far from home. I found out later that the mother had never flown before and had been uncomfortable attending orientation events that were culturally and linguistically alien to her. Her daughter became part of the A3C community, thrived at Stanford, and is now a public interest lawyer. I share this story for many reasons. First, no matter what your background, you earned your spot at Stanford, whether you are the first in your family to attend college or you come from a family of college graduates. Key to thriving at Stanford are: - Community: Finding a community where you feel a sense of belonging is critical. You can find community at one of the community centers, in your dorm, or through a student organization. - Resources: Know and take advantage of the many resources that exist at Stanford, including faculty office hours, tutoring, academic and personal advising. Never be afraid to ask for help and never believe that you are the only student who needs help. The A3C Fall Speaker Series features speakers on these and other freshman transition topics. All are welcome. - Mental health and well-being: The transition to college, being away from home, making new friends can be stressful. Managing stress, anxiety, imposter syndrome and other issues before they become severe is important. Many community centers have Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff on site such as CAPS at the A3C or mental health and wellness programing like iLive. - Peer Support: Upperclassmen can provide valuable peer advice. Meet upperclassmen by joining a student organization or attending programs. Many community centers offer peer support programs like AASIB. - Mentors: Mentors can be staff, faculty, or alumni. If you meet someone who you feel a connection to, who you are comfortable talking to, don’t be shy about asking them to be a mentor. The Stanford community is an incredibly supportive one. Make connections and ask for help when you need it and your four years here will be rich, rewarding and memorable. If you don’t know how or where to get started, start with me, come to my office hours. I would love to meet you. Cindy Ng Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Asian American Activities Center If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_271
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy First Year Courses and Reflections Main navigation Skip Secondary Navigation Secondary Navigation Academic Policy Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Advising Student Handbook Choosing Courses Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations Main content start Site Pages Against Wind and Tide The Best Life Coach: Theater My PWR Story: Victoria White My ITALIC Story: Nikki Tran My ITALIC Story: Tori Testa My Favorite Course Freshman Year: Selby Sturzenegger Why I Teach an Introsem: Bert Patenaude My SLE Story: Gianna Nino My Favorite Course Freshman Year: Clara Meister My PWR Story: Toamatapu Lohe My ITALIC Story: Amber Levine My SLE Story: Gabby Levikow My PWR Story: Grace Klein Why I Teach an Introsem: Martin Kay My PWR Story: Diego Hernandez My ITALIC Story: Gloria Chua Why I Teach an Introsem: Joel Beinin My SLE Story: Arnelle Ansong My Student Athlete Story: Aria Fischer Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_272
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy FLI at Stanford Main navigation Skip Secondary Navigation Secondary Navigation Academic Policy Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Advising Student Handbook Choosing Courses Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations Main content start Site Pages Finding Out I Belong Here Making a Difference Survive and Thrive My First-Gen Story: Gianna Nino My Major is Not My Career: Greg Beale Embrace the Uncertainty, Follow your Curiosity My Major is Not My Career: Dontae Rayford Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_273
My Major is Not My Career: Greg Beale My goal was law. I was a Political Science major at Stanford, while playing football at the same time. That was not an easy thing to do then, fifty years ago, and is not an easy thing to do now. I know that the demands of football at Stanford now are more than what we had to do then, with year round training, summer workouts, etc., etc. We had the same demands, but weren’t kept on campus during the summer. I don’t know how they do it. And to carry a 3.5 GPA with all that was not easy either. Then it came time to do the law thing. I took the LSAT and about half way through it, when a question was posed about how to legally handle a rear end car collision, I decided that it wasn’t for me. So I enrolled in CSU Sacramento in the teacher credential program, with an aim to be a civics teacher and football coach. And that is exactly what I did, for 15 years. Then, the coaching thing ran out finally. After 25 years of my 35 year old life centered around 100 yards of green grass, I stopped. I moved into administration, the bastion of failed coaches. And I found my calling. The improvement of education K-16 was my passion. I also became very active with school accreditation, lower socioeconomic student achievement a major motivating factor. I used to tell my students that life is not a straight linear line. It is a start, restart, adapt, fail, then try again, or change direction, sometimes for good, sometimes not... but never quit. I learned that resilience on the football field. I learned that in life. Serve others and never quit... Greg Beale Political Science Class of 1969 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_274
Reflecting on Freshman Year This is the story of how a class with the simple goal of reflection helped me feel like I belonged at Stanford. To set the scene, my first quarter of freshman year felt like one long transition. It was kind of hard. At the beginning of winter quarter, I was more than ready to start “getting the most of Stanford,” whatever that meant, and to stop feeling like I was lost or missing out. So I tried to sign up for Designing Your Stanford, a class for freshman and sophomores that focuses on tools for designing a thoughtful and individualized Stanford experience. I thought that class was what I needed to find my path here on campus. Unfortunately, it didn’t work with my schedule that winter. Disappointed, I decided to enroll in a First Year Reflections Seminar instead. This choice changed my outlook on freshman year and gave me the little push I needed to figure out what I wanted. From the moment I walked into the seminar room on the second floor of Sweet Hall, I liked the class. The space was more like a lounge than a classroom, with snacks on a coffee table, and the seminar student leaders smiled a lot. But I was struck most by the number of other freshman there. They all seemed just as interested in reflecting on the year as I was. Everyone will tell you that the best part of Stanford is the people. Well, I think it’s true because the positive experience I had in that seminar was a result of practicing reflection within a larger group of my peers. Each of them faced common freshman year problems but brought a unique perspective to share. If I’d done our class activities on my own, it could have been somewhat helpful, but reflecting as a group made me see my personal vision in a different way and also allowed me to make new friends. We even made a Stanford bucket list all together. The seminar only met three times during the quarter, but I looked forward to every session. Life at Stanford moves pretty fast, and this one class made me finally stop to think about the things that are important to me. With the space to think and a little encouragement, I could refocus my time and energy on the things that matter instead of worrying about missed opportunities. On the last day of the class, I walked outside to Meyer Green and felt the contentment that had been missing. I finally felt like a part of Stanford. Hayden Payne Undeclared Class of 2019 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_275
My Stanford Story Index Main content start Exploring and Getting the Most Out of Stanford - Create Your Stanford Tapestry (Alice Petty, Associate Dean for Residential Academic Advising) - Experiences Outside of the Classroom (Brandon Powell, Class of 2014) - How Stanford Brought Me To Italy (Lucio Mondavi, Class of 2015) - If You Can't Find Your Niche at Stanford, Go and Build it (An Luong, Class of 2015) - Learning by Doing (Tommy Tobin, Class of 2010) - Recovering from Academic Setbacks (Chris Fleming, Class of 2017) - Research Gave Meaning to My Undergraduate Years (Todd Davies, Lecturer and Associate Director of Symbolic Systems) - Research Out of Left Field (Lauren Selden, Class of 2023) - Stories Courts Tell: Human rights minor reflects on pathway to honors thesis (Alina Utrata, Class of 2017) - Talk to Your Advisor (Melissa Stevenson, Lead Academic Advising Director) - Taking a Course Outside My Field of Study (Patrick Crowley, Class of 2018) - Taking a Course Outside My Field of Study (Alvin Kim, Class of 2017) - This Magical Place (Imee Diego Dubose, Administrative Associate, Knight-Hennessy Scholars) - To Be of Greater Service (Raga Ayyagari, Class of 2017) - What Are Office Hours? Why Go? (Alice Stavely, Lecturer in English) - Why Students Should Come to Office Hours (James Hamilton, Hearst Professor of Communication) First Year Courses and Reflections - Against Wind and Tide (Mirelys Mendez-Pons, Class of 2025) - The Best Life Coach: Theater (Jennifer Lauren Hamad, Class of 2025) - My Favorite Course Freshman Year (Clara Meister, Class of 2017) - My Favorite Course Freshman Year (Selby Sturzenegger, Class of 2018) - My ITALIC Story (Amber Levine, Class of 2018) - My ITALIC Story (Gloria Chua, Class of 2017) - My ITALIC Story (Nikki Tran, Class of 2018) - My ITALIC Story (Tori Testa, Class of 2018) - My PWR Story (Diego Hernandez, Class of 2017) - My PWR Story (Grace Klein, Class of 2018) - My PWR Story (Toamatapu Lohe, Class of 2016) - My PWR Story (Victoria White, Class of 2018) - My SLE Story (Arnelle Ansong, Class of 2018) - My SLE Story (Gabby Levikow, Class of 2018) - My SLE Story (Gianna Nino, Class of 2018) - My Student Athlete Story (Aria Fischer, Class of 2021) - Why I Teach an Introsem (Bert Patenaude, Lecturer in History and International Relations) - Why I Teach an Introsem (Joel Beinin, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History) - Why I Teach an Introsem (Martin Kay, Professor of Linguistics) FLI at Stanford - Finding Out I Belong Here (Nathalie Sarai Garcia, Class of 2024) - Making a Difference (Rodolph Lapointe, Class of 2023) - Embrace the Uncertainty, Follow your Curiosity (Linda Nguyen, Class of 2016) - My First-Gen Story (Gianna Nino, Class of 2018) - My Major is Not My Career (Dontae Rayford, Class of 2007) - My Major is Not My Career (Greg Beale, Class of 1969) - Survive and Thrive (Ian Macato, Class of 2019) Frosh Reflections - Advice to my Frosh Self (Kimiko Hirota, Class of 2020) - Communiqué (Sienna White, Class of 2019) - First Year Challenges (Luis Bernabe, Class of 2017) - Flooded Washing Machines & Great Conversations: Capturing the Spirit of Stanford (Joe Bosetti, Class of 2020) - How I Became The Parable (Sienna White, Class of 2019) - Reflecting on Freshman Year (Hayden Payne, Class of 2019) - Through the Seasons (Hannah Llorin, Class of 2019) - Transitioning Well (Cindy Ng, Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Asian American Activities Center) - Unpacking My Suitcase (Amit Pasupathy, Class of 2019) - What I Wish I Had Known as a First-Year Student (Karen Lum, Class of 2011) I Am Stanford - I Am Stanford (Matthew Mettias, Class of 2023) - I Am Stanford (Zoe Barley, Class of 2023) - I Am Stanford (Nico Lozano-Landinez, Class of 2018) - I Am Stanford (Rosie La Puma, Class of 2017) - I Am Stanford (Selby Sturzenegger, Class of 2018) - To My Fellow Stanfordians (Persiana Saffari, Class of 2019) - What Surprised Me Most About Stanford (Nico Lozano-Landinez, Class of 2018) - Why I Love Undergraduate Advising (Louis Newman, former Director of Academic Advising) - You Belong (Remy Gordon, Class of 2020) Majors and Major Decisions - My CS Story: How I learned my Path Wasn’t Set (Kate Elizabeth Stanton Baker, Class of 2025) - Finding My Major (Austin Bargmann, Class of 2019) - Finding My Major (Clara Meister, Class of 2017) - Finding My Major (Rosie La Puma, Class of 2017) - Finding My Way (Isaiah Drummond, Class of 2020) - How I Chose Aero/Astro (Isaiah Colobong, Class of 2023) - My Senior Thesis (Jonathan Levin, Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business) - Planning, But Not Paining (Courtney Gao, Class of 2020) - Why I Chose the MCS Major (Zach Robinson, Class of 2016) - Why I Chose Theater Instead of Science (Jane Casamajor, Production Manager in Theater and Performance Studies) - Why I'm An Urban Studies Major (Sean Volavong, Class of 2019) Stanford Identities and Finding Communities - Welcome to Gaeities (Sarah Lewis, Class of 2024) - My Experience as a Non-Resident Alien (Ruru Hoong, Class of 2019) - My Student Athlete Story (Melissa Lord, Class of 2019) - My Student Athlete Story (Meredith Kalinowski, Class of 2015) - Rediscovering Myself in College (Selby Sturzenegger, Class of 2018) Wellness Stories - Finding My Place (Julia Raven, Class of 2018) - My Unexpected Stanford Community (Kate Frimet, Class of 2022) Why I Teach - Why I Teach Research Methods (Katrin Wheeler, Student Services Manager, Department of Communications) - From Namaste to Nirvana (Sonia Taneja, Lecturer in Hindi) - How I Came to Love Teaching Microeconomic Theory (Chris Makler, Lecturer in Economics) - Teaching is Personal (John Barton, Director of the Architectural Design Program) - Why I Teach Archaeology (Krish Seetah, Assistant Professor of Anthropology) - Why I Teach California Policy & Politics (David Crane, Lecturer in Public Policy) - Why I Teach History (Jonathan Gienapp, Assistant Professor of History) - Why I Teach the Literature of Adoption (Peggy Phelan, Ann O'Day Maples Professor in the Arts and Professor of English) - Why I Teach and Play the Harp (Marjorie Chauvel, Lecturer in Music) - Why I Teach Theatre and Performance Studies (Janice Ross, Professor (Teaching) of Theater and Performance Studies) - Why I Teach Underclassmen (Blair Hoxby, Associate Professor of English) - Why I Teach Using "Big Data" to Solve Social Problems (Raj Chetty, Professor of Economics) - Why We Teach Thinking Matters (Cari Costanzo, Ph.D Anthropology & Abraham Verghese, M.D.)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_276
Flooded Washing Machines & Great Conversations: Capturing the Spirit of Stanford Freshman year at Stanford is packed to the brim with excitement. From the moment my car-- laden with clothes, bed sheets, photos, and my trusty mug--rolled onto campus for New Student Orientation, I realized that I had made the jump into a whole new world. Diving into a college as rigorous as Stanford was a big transition. I came from a small community that primarily centered around farming. Suddenly, I found myself swimming in a sea where common conversation topics included the risks and benefits of Artificial Intelligence and how the Italian Renaissance impacted art in Northern Europe. Making the switch from the world of high school to that of college is a lot like learning to run faster while juggling bowling pins, writing a research paper, and discovering your interests. The simple fact is you are going to drop pins along the way, maybe stay up way too late writing some papers, and get confused about what your interests really are. The key is not to worry about making mistakes. Admitting you do not know, are confused, or are uncertain opens you up to a whole new world of learning and growth. I think I switched my intended major, learned more about the implications of A.I. for humanity than I ever imagined over dinner, and realized that the name of the Stanford dance group Dv8 is a play on the word “deviate” all from conversations I had in one day. Sometimes I was the one entertaining my friends at the dinner table by sharing my big, Italian family’s ritual of Sunday night dinners, or my passion for sustainable design, or my story of the time I entered a gelato-making contest on a whim. But most nights I was listening and laughing as my friends recounted crazy tales and dazzled me with insightful thoughts on current events, science, art, and history. Your friends will give you so much and will cause you to alter your perspective again and again. For the times when dinner is too far away just know that there are amazing people like the Resident Assistants, Resident Fellows, and Academic Advising Directors who will meet with you whenever they can.Their forces combined cast a light on all life’s big questions like good classes to take for a major and what to do when the washing machine floods with your clothes still in it--and everything in between. As a small-town kid who learned to navigate the world of Stanford, I am confident you can triumph over any challenge college life throws at you. I want you to know that there are people who have your back, and I encourage you to keep an open mind. The spirit of Stanford lives in all the great conversations that have happened, and those that are just waiting to get started. Go out there, learn, and join in the spirit of Stanford. Joe Bosetti Undeclared Class of 2020 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_277
Advice to My Frosh Self Hi slightly-younger-yet-totally-different Kimiko, I’m imagining you & Mom & Dad waiting in line at Bed Bath & Beyond in Mountain View exactly one year ago. It was the first day you all began the move-in process after flying in early that morning. Behind you are other families with Stanford gear on, making similar purchases -- shower caddy, hangers, sheets. Everyone is eyeing one another, certain each group has a 2020 kid in it, but no one is actually talking. This will be the first and last time you don’t make friends with anyone, old and young, who loves the same place you do. Believe it or not, here you are, the summer after your frosh year, and you didn’t flunk out. In fact, you are smiling as you write this because all of your worries seem ridiculously silly now. So let me assure you -- everything will work out. Here is what I wish you had known as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed / completely terrified mess of a frosh: - I can promise you that you are about to experience a million different experiences that will change you for good. Do you remember Mom telling you that you’ll never be the same person as you are now, just as you were about to leave home? She’s right. - Some of your fondest moments will end up being so stereotypically college, like eating Top Ramen and drinking Redbulls with your roommate and calling it ‘lunch’. Others will be so ridiculously extraordinary, like shaking hands with Albert Bandura. The beautiful thing is that soon you will learn to appreciate both memories so dearly, falling in love with the commonplace and the exceptional. - Don’t even pretend like you have it all figured out. Watch your friends build their 4 Year Plans™ and giggle. Instead, take some time to breathe and explore. Your biggest challenges stem from your biggest overreactions, so chill. - ...but do be prepared: to fall in and out of love; to call home when it doesn’t feel necessary (it is); to walk into a class completely unprepared and certain you’re the least intelligent one in the room... & more! It will be okay, I swear. - Listen to your body and sleep. I repeat, SLEEP. Your grades aren’t worth your mental and physical health a million times over. - Remember that the world is still continuing and bursting all around you as you are sucked into midterms and parties and the new. And remember, the world will continue and burst all around you when you leave this place, too, so don’t forget everything--and everyone--who kept you afloat before you became a Stanford Student™ absorbed by the Stanford Bubble™ (you’ll learn more about this later). - You’re more than enough, even when you fail. Learn from it instead of getting hung up on it. - Let your frustrated tears, heartbroken tears, and happy tears fall; they’re inevitable. - Finally, remember that you’re eighteen in your prime. Every stumble, trip, crash and burn is going to hurt, yet during this next year you’ll get back up every time. Everything ahead of you is everything your future self is grateful for, so let it happen. With love, Kimiko Kimiko Hirota Undeclared Class of 2020 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_278
What I Wish I Had Known as a First-Year Student I grew up in Oakland, CA, where I was a good student, but never planned on applying for Stanford. Why? Because the application fee was $60. "No point in wasting money when I'm not even going to get in," I told my father. The funny thing was at that time, I had already won an Emmy Award and had my short film screen in 40+ film festivals around the world. I couldn't internalize my success. I felt I was a fluke. "It's only a youth Emmy award." "The competition was weak." Whenever I achieve anything, I'm genuinely surprised. Truly shocked! Last year, the STS program surprised me with an award for the first ever STS Alum of the Year. I was confused because I didn't apply for this award. "Do they realize there are so many famous STS alumni? Why me?" This is called the Imposter Syndrome, "a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud," and strangely more common amongst women. I teach UX design at a school called General Assembly, where countless young women have come to me for career advice. I constantly get questions like, "I just got a job offer I'm not qualified for. How do I turn it down, respectfully?" "There's a guy at work who's a lot better than me. What can I do to improve myself?" In turn, I give them advice they weren't expecting. I tell them, "Stop looking to your left and right, and stay in your lane." When I was a freshman, I felt so incredibly unqualified for Stanford. I was from Oakland, went to a low-performing public high school, and never even heard of "critical thinking." I struggled in the most fundamental of classes - IHUM, PWR, Math 41. I couldn't get into the dance group I yearned for. I spent the majority of my Stanford years constantly comparing myself to others, and wishing I was someone that I wasn't. The reality is that as students, you're not supposed to have already "made it." You're there to learn. To stretch your perspective. To venture into spaces that you don't currently occupy. But it's really hard to do this when you think you're supposed to copy the person next to you, and somehow be better. No, Stanford is not an even playing field. Of course, some people come with major advantages. But as students, we are all seeds. Some may seem to grow faster than others, but comparing yourself to others is a fruitless, toxic activity. Be comfortable with who you are, and who you sincerely want to be. Don't give into what all of your friends are doing even if it makes six figures right out of college and sounds impressive on paper. My dance teacher kept a sign on our studio wall that said "The world doesn't need more lawyers or doctors. The world needs more good people." I like to think that the career you pursue is just a different outfit, but who you are is what matters. Don't worry about being the best at some prescribed path everyone seems to be following. Believe in the special gifts you have to offer. Nobody can be an imposter when they are simply being themselves. Karen Lum Science, Technology, and Society Class of 2011 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_279
First Year Challenges "You come in with a preexisting set of strategies or study habits, and you find that you have to adapt relatively quickly." - Luis Bernabe, '17 What did you find challenging about your first year at Stanford? "Freshman year was difficult in that it took time to figure out what to expect from different classes and how things worked. This is really general, but it’s so true! You come in with a preexisting set of strategies or study habits, and you find that you have to adapt relatively quickly. Sometimes what you used to do simply won’t cut it or maybe it’s great but you need to amp it up. You learn a lot about yourself because you realize what you personally need to do to complete that weekly problem set without stressing or realize that you should probably start the CS assignment right away because you have no idea how long it will take or the fact that there are certain readings you really don’t have to do, even if, like me, you first couldn’t stand the idea of not doing everything a class required. The quarter system and the class types all push you in different ways, and freshman year really forces you to rethink and adapt. You learn what to prioritize and how to schedule your life in a way that works for you. But you need to start this early. Fighting change will only get you in trouble, and using your resources will only help you make a smoother transition. I asked teachers, upperclassmen and friends who had taken the classes I was considering, and mentors and faculty when I felt I needed advice. If you’re quick to realize what you have to do, and aren’t afraid of putting yourself out there and seeking help, you’ll make your success at Stanford that much more tangible." Luis Bernabe Linguistics Class of 2017 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_280
Research Out of Left Field An early class and a little bit too much coffee can sometimes be a recipe for disaster: jittery hands, bouncing knees, and a mind that not only wanders, but sprints in the opposite direction of the lecture material. I made this mistake towards the end of the fall quarter of my freshman year, but, as luck would have it, the extra caffeine in my system happened to bounce an idea into my head: what if I could go on pilgrimage for research? This idea sounds like it came unexpectedly from left field, without context: however, in high school, I went on a 560-mile hike along a portion of the Camino de Santiago, an 1100-year-old Catholic pilgrimage path, in France with a group of students and teachers from my school. This was not a religious trip for any of my peers; for me, it was a chance to experience history in a way I never had before. Those five weeks changed my life, inspiring my love for medieval history and allowing me to make lifelong friends with people I had never talked to before. I knew the second that my group arrived in our stopping place of Roncesvalles that my pilgrimage had not ended. I wanted to go back and walk again. I took my shell of an idea to my wonderful undergraduate advising director, Melissa Stevenson, who helped me navigate Stanford’s resources for undergraduates interested in research. Over winter break, while exploring the grant application opportunities offered to students, I found the perfect match: the Beagle II Undergraduate Research Award. The Beagle II is for students for whom travel is indispensable to their research, and you cannot effectively write about a walking pilgrimage without actually walking it! The deadline was fast approaching, so I sent off an email to Melissa asking for advice on the grant proposal process, and started writing. It took a few weeks of constant writing, many emails to Melissa, and support from the Undergraduate research office to put together my grant proposal. I also had multiple academic mentors during this process: not only my trip leader from my high school pilgrimage, but my major advisor, Professor Como, who wrote me a letter of recommendation on short notice and helped me shape my research ideas. After an interview with the Beagle II committee, I had the privilege of being chosen for the grant. I was on my way to walking again during the summer of 2020! And then the pandemic came. Already sent home from Stanford for spring quarter, I received an email from the research office telling me to cancel my flights. I was devastated, but thankfully, my project was not over. The Beagle II committee decided to fund remote research related to my pilgrimage this summer as well as my actual trip, which will now hopefully happen during the summer of 2021. The moral of my story is not to overload on coffee in hope of inspiration nor that everything you try to accomplish will work out. The moral is that Stanford is made up of a million opportunities, as well as many people who will work as hard as they can to help you get there. You just have to find the perfect ones for you! Lauren Selden History Class of 2023 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_281
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Majors and Major Decisions Main navigation Skip Secondary Navigation Secondary Navigation Academic Policy Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Advising Student Handbook Choosing Courses Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations Main content start Site Pages My CS Story: How I learned my Path Wasn’t Set My Senior Thesis Why I'm An Urban Studies Major Why I Chose the MCS Major Finding My Major: Clara Meister Finding My Major: Rosie La Puma Planning, But Not Paining Finding My Way How I Chose Aero/Astro Why I Chose Theater Instead of Science Finding My Major: Austin Bargmann Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_282
Talk to Your Advisor Once upon a time, I was a Stanford undergraduate. I was the first in my family to go to a four-year college (I jokingly referred to it as “sleep away college”), I understood very little about university culture (what are office hours anyway?), and was baffled by the rules, regulations, and norms that everyone else seemed to just effortlessly know off hand. I spent a lot of time trying not to be found out. I had a vague notion that if my professors or my peers discovered that I felt like I didn’t fit in, they would throw me out (I imagined an Invasion of the Body Snatchers sort of scene). Eventually, I earned my degree, went on to complete a PhD, worked at other Universities, and then returned to Stanford, first as a teaching fellow and then as an advisor. My time in academia and across different institutions has given me the sort of institutional knowledge and cultural capital that undergraduate me definitely didn’t have. Now I spend a lot of my time trying to help students, both those with backgrounds similar to mine and those with entirely different stories, make the most of their time at Stanford. I want to guide students in forging their own unique paths through their undergraduate experiences, to help them find the opportunities and options that are right for them, and to assist them in identifying the resources and communities that can make this place not only a foundation for the rest of their lives, but also a home in and of itself. I endeavor to meet with each and every student where he, she, or they are and aid them in finding their way to the places they want to go. When I first meet with my incoming frosh over the summer, I tell them to think of me as their one stop shop for questions about navigating Stanford. I assure them that I either have the answer, know who does, or will be very excited to discover something new with them. I am here for students in all sorts of situations. I am here for students with questions about how the university works. I am here for students with questions about how to talk to a faculty member. I am here for students who are so excited about a topic they need to tell someone. I am here for students who are so frustrated that they just need to talk. I am here for the students who are struggling with a class or with a major life choice (which may or may not be about choosing a major). I am here for the students who are thriving and want to know how to do even more, whether it is research, independent study, or study abroad. And I am here to assure all of my students that very often the students who are struggling and the students who are thriving are the very same students, just at different places in their experiences. My colleagues and I in Academic Advising all took different paths to this place in our lives and careers, but we are all here for the same reason. We want to help you make Stanford your own in any way we can. So come see us. I cannot promise you that you will never see a consonant on your transcript or that you will reach all the goals you aim for. But I can promise that you are not alone here as you discover the myriad possibilities within both the university and yourself. Melissa Stevenson Lead Undergraduate Advising Director with Academic Advising If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_283
Taking a Course Outside My Field of Study Coming into my first year at Stanford, I wanted to focus solely on engineering requirements and mandatory freshman year classes. For some reason, I thought that if I loaded my plate with math, science and engineering classes, I would be able to decide on which exact major I was most interested in more quickly. Despite these intentions, I had a little bit of space in my schedule winter quarter. I decided to look around on ExploreCourses to see if any classes really interested me. After some searching, I found a fascinating class, History 1B, which covered early modernity. The class was taught by Professor David Como, a brilliant lecturer with numerous teaching awards, and I decided on a whim to take it. From the first lecture, Professor Como weaved an intricate story of the importance of climate on past civilizations and particularly focused on Africa and Asia, areas which I had studied very little in the past. Professor Como chose intriguing readings that creatively interspersed historical facts with speculation. Such a style of writing made it much easier to consume the weekly books. For the final paper of the class, Professor Como gave us free rein to choose any topic touched upon in the class and research it. Venice and its rise to power during the early modern era truly fascinated me, so I thoroughly researched it and found enough fascinating information for five essays. Professor Como and the teaching staff presented a wealth of captivating material and made each class fly by. History was one of my favorite subjects during my time in high school, but I did not believe that I would be able to carve out any time for it at Stanford. This assumption proved to be very wrong; after taking History 1B, I have vowed to myself to take at least 2 history classes per year. In addition, I hope to minor in history with a focus on early modern Europe. This newfound interest directly stemmed from my incredible experience in History 1B and research project on Venice. Although I originally had no intention of taking history classes at Stanford, I had space in my schedule and decided to give it a shot. Without a doubt, History 1B was easily my favorite class winter quarter and piqued my interest in a field that I had moved away from. Taking a class outside of my comfort zone seemed daunting at first, but the new experiences and perspective capped off my freshman year. Patrick Crowley Undeclared Class of 2018 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_284
Rediscovering Myself in College In high school, middle school, and elementary school, I was a swimmer. Obviously I was more than an athlete, but swimming was a big part of who I was. It was how many others defined me, and in truth, it was a large part of how I defined myself. I thought long and hard about swimming in college at a varsity level and began the recruiting process at a few NCAA Division I schools. During my junior year of high school, however, I started questioning whether to pursue swimming in college. I ultimately decided to apply early to Stanford, knowing that if I was accepted, I would give up the possibility of competing at the collegiate level. After completing my last high school swim season in the spring, I hung up my cap and goggles. Or so I thought. When I arrived on campus in the fall, I began to realize how much I missed swimming. I was constantly asked, “Are you an athlete?” (swimmer shoulders don’t go away overnight), and always answered, “No, but I used to be.” I did not know what else to say. After a few weeks of this, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I wondered if I had made the wrong decision, questioning my choice to go to Stanford instead of swimming at a different university. My frequent trips to the gym weren’t cutting it, unable to help me de-stress like a workout in the pool. As I looked for something that could replace swimming, I kept coming back to the Club Swimming flyer I had picked up on a whim at the Activities Fair. I decided to go to a practice and see how it felt to get back in the pool. Whoosh. I dove in and began to warm up with the team. Immediately, I felt so much better. I continued to practice with Club Swimming for the rest of year, appreciating the fact that it is much more relaxed than the swimming environment I had been in for the previous decade. Club Swimming has turned out to be the perfect fit for me; it allows me to keep swimming and make friends with people who I otherwise would not have met while giving me time to explore new things in college. The experience has helped me realize that I probably wouldn’t have been happy at a different university on a varsity team, as it could have limited my ability to try other extracurricular activities. While it took some time to adjust to the idea of not being an ultra-competitive swimmer, I’ve accepted my decision. Now, when people ask me if I’m an athlete, I don’t feel disappointed in my answer, replying, “Not varsity, but I’m on the Club Swim Team, and it’s awesome.” Selby Sturzenegger Undeclared Class of 2018 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_285
Communiqué I’m not a huge texter, but if I could text myself, back in the day, I’d say: SIENNA! IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! It’s probably best to start with the catalyst of my epiphany-- my father-- whose unique communiqué paints a fairly accurate portrait. Texts from my Dad are about as predictable as Old Faithful. They arrive on a near daily basis. They include abbreviations which have yet to achieve colloquial adaptation. And usually, they involve some sort of information hand off, a fact or tidbit which I call or email in in order to receive the same response fifteen minutes later: Got it. Tx- Which, if you are curious, I have come to realize stands for Thanks-- not, as I once assumed, Text. Here’s a list of typical texts I got from my Dad throughout freshmen year: Pls email this photo to me- no rush. Tx- As In: He does not know how to transfer photos on his phone to the computer and is requesting my assistance. Hi! I am driving home now; please call and we can discuss your game plan for June. Tx- As In: He wants to know when my finals are so he can text me day of to wish me luck. Hope yr mtg with Jill goes well; look forward to hearing what you discussed. What was her last name again? As In: He wants to look up the professor I talked to so he can ask more detailed questions about our discussion. I’ve got to say, I felt pretty good about staying in touch with my parents this year. I called my mom twice a week and would always give my Dad whatever he asked for—a last name, a test assessment, description of the weather—whenever he asked for it. I figured fall would be the worst of the homesickness, and after Christmas, I was feeling really, really good. I’d made friends. The sun was out. And Boise felt so far away, so snowy and cold and distant. One day in January, right on schedule, I got a text from my Dad around 10am. Pls call; important. Tx- After scouring my brain during lunch for anything significant I’d done recently—no tests, no meetings, no events—I called in, curious what he wanted an update on now. “Your grandfather—my father—died last night,” he said. “I thought you’d want to know.” I felt it then: homesickness, the real kind. The kind where you’d give anything in that moment to go home, to be home, in your real, actual home with your parents and sister and that stupid dog which you hated so much but would welcome so warmly now—come here, Penny, you hound dog! I’d only met my Granddad twice. He’d worked at a dairy factory most of his life, and when my Dad left Georgia for Idaho he’d never come to visit. The loss of “Grandpa Paul,” as we called him, felt transient and uncomfortable. I’d never understood nor knew him, and now I never would. What scared me most was that realization (which all freshmen have— I was very late to the game) that this world doesn’t stop when you go to Stanford. That there is no crazy Interstellar time warp protecting your home from meteorites and tragedy. It’s so easy when you come here for the universe to become Stanford. Everything seems to orbit this beautiful, magical, amazing place. But I wish someone had told me—I wish I’d understood—that when you leave home, you really do leave. What I’d tell myself, if I could go back, is to carry that love for your family with you when you come here. It makes you who you are. And don’t forget your family needs you just as much as you need them. It’s not all about Stanford. It’s not all about you. It took loss for me to realize the depth of my Dad’s love. I can see him now, pulling out his reading glasses, fumbling with his phone in order to talk to me in this sterile form of communication I’d deemed best. That all he wanted was to talk to his daughter, so far away, in this sunny paradise he’d dreamed his kids could achieve. I wish freshman me would take the clue, or at least call a little more. A text is a pretty dumb way to talk to your parents, after all. And your parents love you, so much! And you do too, more than you realize. So call them, ok. It’s not all about you. And Dad: Tx for everything. Sienna White Atmospheric/Energy Engineering Class of 2019 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_286
How I Became The Parable Here’s a story we all hear: In high school, I had all A’s. But during my freshman year at Stanford, I actually failed a test for the first time and got my first B. At first I thought I was a failure! But then, in the end I realized it was okay, and yada yada yada etc. BORING, as I like to say. My first week at NSO I heard this story so many times I could write you the storyboard, usually concluding in some midnight soul-searching on Main Quad, staring up into the fractured abyss of MemChu and seeing the universe for what it is—messy and flawed, full of failure and triumph. But that’s not my story, of course. I wasn’t like the others. Academics for me were a different matter altogether. Hell, I was riding straight out of Boise, Idaho like a champion. As I rolled up to Soto in my mom’s blue Prius listening to St. Elmo’s Fire, I knew something special was going down. Stanford would never be the same. Fall quarter—killed it. Close enough at least. All was well. Winter quarter I loaded up. You never get stronger if you don’t lift, after all. Didn’t Michael Jordan say that? Maybe? I decided to take all STEM classes. Math, stats, physics, engineering. Let’s DO this!! I remember shouting as I clicked enroll on Coursework. Here we GOOOOOO. Here is a tip no one will tell you that, at least in my opinion, works flawlessly for academic self-confidence. When receiving a test grade, instead of a percentage, imagine a dollar sign. Then imagine how you’d feel receiving that sum of money. 87% on the Math 53 final becomes $87. Amazing! What a steal! That’s a double cappuccino in Palo Alto! The point is, free money is always amazing. For every point I scraped off on those tests, I felt a victory somewhere. 57% on my Stats midterm became $57. Amazing! Perfect! There was room for improvement, of course, but still—I’ll take $57 any day of the week. Clearly, as you can see, I proved immune to academic disappointment. Kind of. Well, not really. To be honest, when I saw 57%, I made this weird little noise that sounded like swallowing a grape. I checked again. I willed the digits to switch. I considered emailing the TAs. There’d been a mistake, of course. They’d meant to say 85. Or 95. Woohoo! Maybe I’d actually aced it and this was a funny little joke. A clever, “surprise, be the TA next year” kind of initiation. I could chum it off with them, pass off my sweat as a sprinkler bike-through-- good one guys! But I knew somewhere that was that. Unlike the AP Physics exam, where the point is to swim in an abyss of confusion, this midterm was designed to be straightforward and computable. No sweeping curves. A fair, mathematical test of knowledge. The average is usually a B+, the prof had said. It’s a comprehensive, honest test. It was also a test I’d failed by a decent margin. What was the cutoff for an F again? 60? These were parameters I’d never considered before. What was even below a 60? Mordor?? All my optimism and confidence fractured in that gut-splitting moment of F. For a second, I thought I was going to cry—okay, fine, I teared up-- which was so silly-- there were tourists walking by!-- and there was no stupid excuse I could summon for a 57% or for my tears. There’s a happy ending to this story: I didn’t fail the class. Walking out of that final knowing I’d passed felt like headlining a parade. Biking back to the dorm with my best friend and eating pineapple cake with our RFs felt like a celebration, a miracle, a blessing. My freshmen year soldiered on, full of adventures and sand and stars. Everything was beautiful, and very few things hurt. But if I could tell you any story from freshmen year, I’d tell you about the time I failed that test. It turns out the reason upperclassmen tell this story over and over is because it has a point. There really is something we’re trying (desperately) to get across. Originally, I completely misinterpreted the whole matter, because I thought the point of the First B story was that it’s okay to fail. That’s not the point. Okay, first of all, a B is not a failure. A B IS A GREAT GRADE. I think you could have Obama yelling that off Hoover Tower and Stanford kids would still tear up over an A-, but let’s be honest: a B is a really, really good grade. Part of graduating high school/becoming a mature student is coming to terms with the spectrum of success and how you define it. There is no perfect GPA. You do what you can do, and it works out in the end. It really does. I think that’s the point of the First B story. You have to find a way to be proud of what you do. This is so important. This is so, so important! You will always find a way to disappoint yourself. That’s not necessarily terrible. That’s part of how you got here. That’s part of the drive that kept you awake at 2 am, finishing that paper; that’s part of the determination which kept you at the gym, the computer, the library, the lab until it was perfect, better than perfect: up to your standards. But that drive to do better, to do bigger, will mean every now and then, you will decide where you are isn’t good or big enough. You will decide that you have failed. Find a balance. Find a way to push harder. But perhaps more importantly, find a way to be proud. You are killing it. You are going to do great. Don’t get deluded otherwise. Would you rather have $0 or $57 is the real question. I would rather have $100, but for now, I’ll take $57 and aim for more next time. That pineapple cake is going to taste amazing either way. Sienna White Atmospheric/Energy Engineering Class of 2019 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_287
My ITALIC Story: Tori Testa As I exited the ITALIC Lecture Theater (a bright, acoustic space which just so happened to be mere steps from my dorm room) for the first time, I remember feeling an absolute sense of bewilderment. For the first day, each ITALIC professor and section leader had taken the stage to discuss a piece of art that was particularly meaningful to them and how it helped them answer the question: “What is art?” From comics and classic musicals to quartets and cognition, each piece seemed to stand for a different but no less important artistic interpretation and definition. In only an hour and fifteen minutes, I felt so utterly astounded and thoroughly challenged that I couldn’t stop grinning, a constant phenomenon in ITALIC. I studied vocal music at LaGuardia Arts High School where I discovered my love of opera and classical music. I was thrilled when I first heard we were going on a trip to see La Boheme by Puccini at the San Francisco Opera. I was awash with excitement as we posed for an obligatory photo on the regal theater steps. My classmates seemed excited, yet some were clearly skeptical about such an old art form. However, each took the new artistic experience in stride, and I simply dazzled at the astounding opportunity to witness such a thrilling creative triumph. I laughed, I cried, I (quietly) sang along. All with my fellow classmates, artist, and friends by my side. It was a truly magical moment only heightened by the lively conversation on the bus ride back and the frequent singing of Musetta’s Waltz. After every ITALIC lecture (either hosted by our wonderful faculty or a phenomenal guest lecturer), all ITALIC students, professors, and guests meet at the Burbank lunch tables to further discuss the topics of our readings, lectures, or other artistic ideas. It was truly marvelous having such frequent access to the wonderful minds behind the ITALIC program. Even after our lunch hours, conversations among students about topics ranging from mimetic tendencies in art to the art of burlesque occurred daily. The questions surrounding art, what it means to society, why we do it, and endless other conversations are blissfully unanswerable. It was incredibly vital to my freshman experience to feel truly limitless in the my creativity and philosophies. A wise director once told me that we perform plays so that we can play. ITALIC reminded me that for all the philosophy and strife art can be filled with fun and that fun can truly change the world. ITALIC has been an integral part of my Stanford experience. After four years at a performing arts high school in New York City, I was worried about my move to Silicon Valley. However, with ITALIC on my course list, I felt as though I never left. My fellow classmates astounded me with their creativity everyday, whether in incredibly well-fashioned (and fun) final projects or during impromptu jam sessions in the cafeteria. ITALIC taught me that art is infinite and indescribable, an entity transcending words. Yet, if I had to choose one to sum up my ITALIC experience, it would be home. Tori Testa Undeclared Class of 2018 If you have a Stanford Story you would like to share, contact melissas@stanford.edu.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_288
Resources for Specific Student Populations The Office of Academic Advising is here to support all students as you shape your Stanford education. We understand that certain student groups may face unique requirements and challenges. If you are a FLI student, international student, student-athlete, returning student, or transfer student, you may be interested in the additional resources gathered below. First-Gen and/or Low-Income (FLI) Students Explore our guide to advising and academic support available to you at Stanford, as well as important community, wellness, career, and financial resources. Returning Students Discover more about the return process, find advising and resources available to returning students, and read our guide on returning after time away. Additional Resources FLI Office The FLI Office aims to provide holistic support for First Generation and/or Low Income (FLI) students at Stanford. This includes providing them with critical resources, networks, and services that set them up for success. Bechtel International Center The Bechtel International Center helps international students and scholars to receive maximum academic, cultural, and personal benefit from their time at Stanford. Bechtel also provides international students with information about and assistance with obtaining and maintaining legal status in the U.S. Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership The Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership are made up of seven community and cultural centers on campus. Their mission is grounded in values of justice, equity, and belonging at Stanford and beyond.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_289
Athletic Academic Resource Center (AARC) Undergraduate Advising Directors for Student-Athletes are housed in the Athletic Academic Resource Center (AARC) and are the primary undergraduate advising contact for varsity student-athletes. Your UADs for Student-Athletes are full-time, professional staff within the Office of Academic Advising who partner closely with colleagues across campus to provide a comprehensive network of support that promotes a student’s academic success and furthers his or her intellectual goals. Other Campus Resources Resources for Faculty and Staff Are you a faculty or staff member looking to support student-athletes? Check out our Faculty and Staff section for information on best practices, the Faculty Athletic Fellows program, and more. Contact Us AARC Hours The AARC is open: - Sunday - Friday: 7:00am - 11:00pm - Public access: Mon-Fri 8:00am-5:00pm - Student-Athlete access via ID cards: 7:00-8:00am & 5:00-11:00pm The AARC is located on the second floor of Arrillaga Hall at 338 Arguello Way.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_290
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Events Skip Secondary Navigation Secondary Navigation Event Types All Upcoming Events Explore Stanford Session Info Session Workshop Drop-in Hours Panel/Guest Speaker Social Deadline University Event Main content start No events at this time. Please check back later. Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_291
Academic Progress Expectations Until conferral of the undergraduate degree, a student’s academic progress is monitored by the office of Academic Advising, under the office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE). Academic progress is reviewed upon the completion of each academic quarter for all undergraduates and coterminal students. Academic Progress Minimum Requirements for Undergraduate Students To remain in good academic standing, undergraduate students must satisfy the following minimum requirements: - Earn at least 9 units of credit in a single quarter - Earn at least 36 units over the most recent three (3) enrolled quarters - Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above When an undergraduate student does not meet these requirements, they are placed on an undergraduate academic progress status. Minimum Requirements for Coterminal Students To remain in good academic standing, coterminal students must satisfy the following minimum requirements: - Maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above - Maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above - Earn a quantitative unit requirement based on tuition group - Students in the Coterminal Undergraduate Tuition Group (COTU) must earn at least 9 units in a given quarter - Students in the Coterminal Graduate Tuition Group (COTG) must earn at least 8 units of 11-or-more attempted OR earn at least 6 units of 8-10 units attempted When a coterminal student does not meet these requirements, they are placed on a coterminal academic progress status. Academic Progress Statuses Undergraduate and coterminal students who do not satisfy the minimum requirements above may be placed on an academic progress status. There are four general types of Academic Progress statuses, to be determined by the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB): - Academic Notice - Academic Probation - Deferred Suspension (a discretionary status) - Academic Suspension (1- or 3-year) Academic progress statuses do not appear on the official transcript, but do appear on the unofficial transcript for the purposes of advising. The unofficial transcript is accessible to staff in Academic Advising, as well as Student Services Officers (SSOs) in the department or program in which a student has declared a major/minor. Undergraduate Academic Progress Statuses Undergraduate Academic Notice An undergraduate student who, for the first time, does not meet the requirements for satisfactory academic progress as set forth by the Faculty Senate, may be placed on undergraduate academic notice. A student shall be removed from undergraduate academic notice if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period (Note that any course for which units are earned while on an Academic Progress status, that is then repeated while on an Academic Progress status, will NOT count as “new” units.); - maintains a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and - maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Not meeting these conditions may result in undergraduate academic probation or undergraduate academic suspension (or the discretionary status, undergraduate deferred suspension). Undergraduate Academic Probation An undergraduate student who does not meet conditions for undergraduate academic notice may be placed on undergraduate academic probation. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on undergraduate academic probation if the student has had a prior academic notice status. A student shall be removed from undergraduate academic probation if, in each of two (2) subsequent quarters of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period; - maintains at least a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and - maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Not meeting these conditions may result in undergraduate academic suspension (or undergraduate deferred suspension). Undergraduate Deferred Suspension (A Discretionary Status) An undergraduate student who does not meet conditions for undergraduate academic notice or undergraduate academic probation may be placed on undergraduate deferred suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on undergraduate deferred suspension if the student has had a prior academic notice status. Undergraduate deferred suspension is a discretionary status the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB) may use, which is intended to strongly convey that the student should carefully consider whether to enroll or whether time off (i.e., Leave of Absence) would be beneficial. It may also be used in situations where students minimally do not meet the requirements of undergraduate academic notice or undergraduate academic probation and/or have very few remaining requirements for graduation (e.g., only one quarter of enrollment remaining). Finally, the status for a student whose Request for Reconsideration of Academic Suspension results in a change of status will be converted from undergraduate academic suspension to undergraduate deferred suspension. A student shall be removed from undergraduate deferred suspension if, after one (1) quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period; - maintains at least a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and - maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Not meeting these conditions may result in undergraduate academic suspension. Note that if conditions for undergraduate deferred suspension are met, the student is then placed on undergraduate academic probation, the conditions of which must be met for the next two (2) subsequent quarters of enrollment. Undergraduate Academic Suspension An undergraduate student who does not meet conditions for undergraduate academic probation or undergraduate deferred suspension (or, on occasion, for undergraduate academic notice) may be placed on undergraduate academic suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on undergraduate academic suspension if the student has had a prior academic notice status. In general, students suspended for the first time are suspended for one year and are not eligible to enroll for four quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the Suspension was issued. Students suspended a subsequent time may be suspended for up to three years and are not eligible to enroll for up to twelve quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the Suspension was issued. A suspended student should meet with an Advisor to discuss plans for the future and for advice regarding the required Request to Return and Register in Undergraduate Study that must be submitted 8-12 weeks before the intended return. Note that any Summer quarter enrollment will be terminated for students suspended at the end of Spring quarter. Coterminal Academic Progress Statuses Coterminal Academic Notice A coterminal student who, for the first time, does not meet the requirements for satisfactory coterminal academic progress as set forth by the Faculty Senate, may be placed on coterminal academic notice. A student shall be removed from coterminal academic notice if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - maintains a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above - maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above - meets additional requirements based on tuition group - Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework - Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic probation or coterminal academic suspension (or the discretionary status, coterminal deferred suspension). Coterminal Academic Probation A coterminal student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic notice may be placed on coterminal academic probation. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal academic probation if the student has had a prior academic notice status. A student shall be removed from coterminal academic probation if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - maintains a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above - maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above - meets additional requirements based on tuition group - Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework - Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic suspension (or the discretionary status, coterminal deferred suspension). Coterminal Deferred Suspension (A Discretionary Status) A student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic notice or coterminal academic probation may be placed on coterminal deferred suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal deferred suspension if the student has had a prior coterminal academic notice status. Coterminal deferred suspension is a discretionary status the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB) may use, which is intended to strongly convey that the student should carefully consider whether to enroll or whether time off (i.e., Leave of Absence) would be beneficial. It may also be used in situations where students minimally do not meet the requirements of coterminal academic notice or coterminal academic probation and/or have very few remaining requirements for graduation (e.g., only one quarter of enrollment remaining). Finally, the status for a student whose Request for Reconsideration of Academic Suspension results in a change of status will be converted from coterminal suspension to coterminal deferred suspension. A student shall be removed from coterminal deferred suspension if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student: - maintains a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above - maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above - meets additional requirements based on tuition group - Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework - Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic suspension. Note that if conditions for coterminal deferred suspension are met, the student is then placed on coterminal academic probation, the conditions of which must be met for one (1) subsequent quarter of enrollment. Coterminal Academic Suspension A student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic probation or coterminal deferred suspension (or, on occasion, for coterminal academic notice) may be placed on coterminal academic suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal academic suspension if the student has had a prior academic notice status. If a coterminal student is suspended, they are suspended from both the undergraduate and graduate careers. In general, students suspended for the first time are suspended for one year and are not eligible to enroll for four quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the suspension was issued. Students suspended a subsequent time may be suspended for up to three years and are not eligible to enroll for up to twelve quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the suspension was issued. A suspended student should meet with an Advisor to discuss plans for the future and for advice regarding the required Request to Return and Register in Undergraduate Study that must be submitted 8-12 weeks before the intended return. Note that any Summer quarter enrollment will be terminated for students suspended at the end of Spring quarter. VPUE will collaborate with the graduate department/program in the deliberation of any academic suspension. Additionally, academic departments and programs already hold authority to dismiss candidates from their Master’s programs through their own internal process. As such, any decisions made by the academic department/program to dismiss a coterminal student from the Master’s program would supersede or supplant the VPUE coterminal academic review process. How students get off an Academic Progress status/meet conditions A student is “off” an Academic Progress status once all the conditions of the Academic Progress status have been met (i.e., “met conditions”). For example, a student on undergraduate academic notice must meet the conditions of completing 12 units of new course work and maintaining a 2.0 quarterly and cumulative grade point average for one (1) quarter of enrollment. When those conditions have been met, the student has fulfilled the conditions of their status (met conditions) and returns to making satisfactory progress towards the undergraduate degree. If an instructor feels that a student may be experiencing personal or medical difficulties, please strongly encourage that student to reach out to their Undergraduate Advising Director.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_292
Designing Your First Quarter Main content start During NSO, your Undergraduate Advising Directors (UADs) will be giving you a helpful presentation called "Designing Your First Quarter." Below are links to the many resources mentioned in that presentation. If you're feeling lost, you may want to go back and watch our Exploring Your Stanford Courses video. And when you have time, we invite you to explore the other pages of the Current Students section of our website beyond just this list. Don't forget to check out Choosing Courses as you look for classes! Meeting Your Advisor and Getting Around Campus Academic Requirements, Policies, and Deadlines - Important Deadlines - Final Exam Schedule - Graduation Requirements - WAYS Requirements (part of your graduation requirements) - Minimum Academic Progress Requirements - Stanford's email policy (check your Stanford email!) - The Honor Code Choosing and Enrolling in Courses - Exploring Your Stanford Courses video - Deciding How Many Classes to Take - Enrolling in Courses through Axess - Why Can't I Enroll in This Course? - Submit a ServiceNow Help ticket - Evaluating Classes in Week One Academic and Wellness Resources - Free Tutoring for Stanford courses - Academic Skills Coaching - Hume Center for Writing and Speaking - The Bridge peer counseling - Well-Being Coaches at Stanford - Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_293
Information for Transfer Students Stanford transfer students are those who are admitted to Stanford having had one or more years of experience at another institution of higher education. Our transfer community includes students who come to us from community colleges as well as four-year colleges and universities, non-traditionally aged students with valuable professional and/or life experience, and military veterans. In supporting your personal and intellectual development, Academic Advising encourages you to engage with faculty; explore academic opportunities that align with your goals and interests; find your intellectual home; and discover a sense of belonging at Stanford. You will have multiple mentors. Upon admission, you will have a dedicated Undergraduate Advising Director and Coordinator for Transfer Advising who will support you throughout the transfer credit assessment process and your time at Stanford. Additionally, will hear from the Undergraduate Advising Director (UAD) who is affiliated with your residence. Once you declare a major you will have a major advisor, too. Quick Links for Transfer Students - Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy - Ways Credit for Incoming Transfer Students - Can I Get Credit for AP, IB, or Transfer Courses? - Resources for Current Students - Transfer 101 For Currently Matriculated Transfer Students Currently matriculated transfer students are supported by Undergraduate Advising Director and Coordinator of Transfer Advising, Dr. Ingrid Anderson, and can schedule an appointment with her, or with any other UAD, including those with expertise in Pre-Professional or Coterminal Degree Programs. Once declared, all students are also supported by a faculty advisor within their major. For Prospective Transfer Students Considering applying to Stanford? Please direct your inquiries to the Office of Undergraduate Admission: Information for Prospective Students	common_crawl_stanford.edu_294
Main content start Student Service Officer 4 Arik Lifschitz Student Service Officer 4, Academic Advising Operations Arik Lifschitz is a Lead Undergraduate Advising Director in the office of Academic Advising. He oversees a team of academic advisors serving undergraduate students in the Redwood and Ginkgo neighborhoods. In addition, Arik advises students on issues related to academic planning, exploring interests, connecting with faculty, finding opportunities for research and service, navigating university requirements and policies, and other aspects of students' academic endeavors. Additionally, Arik has an active research program in the areas of sociology and education. He also has broad experience in applied research, having worked with organizations in the education, entertainment, and infrastructure industries. Arik earned his PhD in Management from Columbia University in 2006. Additionally, Arik has an active research program in the areas of sociology and education. He also has broad experience in applied research, having worked with organizations in the education, entertainment, and infrastructure industries. Arik earned his PhD in Management from Columbia University in 2006. Contact (650) 497-3648 Mail Code 3085	common_crawl_stanford.edu_295
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Cari Costanzo Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Cari Costanzo is a Cultural Anthropologist (Ph.D. Stanford 2005) who helps individuals unfold their stories. Integrating her work as an ethnographer and an Academic Director, Cari designs Body Map workshops that combine cultural awareness with artistic and contemplative practices to encourage the reframing and reclaiming of embodied experiences, enabling the ability to both reflect upon and creatively share one's life story. Cari joined the Academic Advising team, part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, in 2009. Prior to that, Cari was a Teaching Fellow in the Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM) Program. From 2010-2015 Cari also served as a Resident Fellow, living in an all-freshman dormitory with her two children. As an RF, Cari worked to build community in a diverse residential environment, blending formal and informal learning to inspire intellectual curiosity and personal growth among first-year students. Cari’s research, writing, and teaching focus on ritual, embodiment, and identity formation in contemporary society, looking closely at the cultural construction of race, class, gender, and sexuality. She has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in India, Hawaii, and on the Stanford campus. As a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and the Thinking Matters and LifeWorks Programs, Cari’s current courses include Reading the Body and Body Mapping, both of which explore the way culture informs and distorts how we discern, accept, reject, and analyze our bodies. Engaging film, painting, sculpture, as well as literary, medical, ethical, and ethnographic texts, Cari encourages students to ask how representations of the body impact the ways we experience illness, embody our myriad identities, and understand our rights (or lack of rights) to control our own bodies. Cari has also taught undergraduate and graduate students in the d.school’s Life Design Lab, served on the steering committee that formed the Stanford Resilience Project, and is a founding member of the Teaching and Learning Initiative for Gender Inclusive Stanford (GIS). Cari's work with GIS highlights the ways that gender is experienced on a spectrum, and suggests that the disruption of gender as a binary is a critical step towards wider social acceptance and legal rights for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Cari has given talks on Understanding Transgender Identity for the Stanford Alumni Association and other organizations and institutions in the broader community. In her role as Academic Director, Cari guides students as they choose courses and decide on majors, design independent research projects in the arts and social sciences, request exceptions to University policy, and manage academics in the context of complex and challenging situations. Through a process of narrative advising, Cari helps students find and re-frame their own stories of academic and personal resilience. Cari is a recipient of the Centennial Teaching Award for outstanding pedagogical innovations in the classroom. She earned a BA in Comparative Literature from USC, an MA in the MAPSS Program at the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University. Cari joined the Academic Advising team, part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, in 2009. Prior to that, Cari was a Teaching Fellow in the Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM) Program. From 2010-2015 Cari also served as a Resident Fellow, living in an all-freshman dormitory with her two children. As an RF, Cari worked to build community in a diverse residential environment, blending formal and informal learning to inspire intellectual curiosity and personal growth among first-year students. Cari’s research, writing, and teaching focus on ritual, embodiment, and identity formation in contemporary society, looking closely at the cultural construction of race, class, gender, and sexuality. She has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in India, Hawaii, and on the Stanford campus. As a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and the Thinking Matters and LifeWorks Programs, Cari’s current courses include Reading the Body and Body Mapping, both of which explore the way culture informs and distorts how we discern, accept, reject, and analyze our bodies. Engaging film, painting, sculpture, as well as literary, medical, ethical, and ethnographic texts, Cari encourages students to ask how representations of the body impact the ways we experience illness, embody our myriad identities, and understand our rights (or lack of rights) to control our own bodies. Cari has also taught undergraduate and graduate students in the d.school’s Life Design Lab, served on the steering committee that formed the Stanford Resilience Project, and is a founding member of the Teaching and Learning Initiative for Gender Inclusive Stanford (GIS). Cari's work with GIS highlights the ways that gender is experienced on a spectrum, and suggests that the disruption of gender as a binary is a critical step towards wider social acceptance and legal rights for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Cari has given talks on Understanding Transgender Identity for the Stanford Alumni Association and other organizations and institutions in the broader community. In her role as Academic Director, Cari guides students as they choose courses and decide on majors, design independent research projects in the arts and social sciences, request exceptions to University policy, and manage academics in the context of complex and challenging situations. Through a process of narrative advising, Cari helps students find and re-frame their own stories of academic and personal resilience. Cari is a recipient of the Centennial Teaching Award for outstanding pedagogical innovations in the classroom. She earned a BA in Comparative Literature from USC, an MA in the MAPSS Program at the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University. Education B.A., University of Southern California, Comparative Literature & Journalism (1991) M.A., University of Chicago, MAPSS (Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences) (1997) Ph.D., Stanford University, Social & Cultural Anthropology (2005) Contact (650) 723-0079 Mail Code 3085	common_crawl_stanford.edu_296
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising Cecilia Martinez Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact cmart17@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_297
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Christina Mesa Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Christina Mesa has served as an Undergraduate Advising Director for Academic Advising, part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, since the Academic Director program began in 2004. She works with students on choosing courses and majors, connecting to faculty, getting involved in research, requesting exceptions to University policy, and managing academics in the context of difficult situations. Christina began her career with Stanford’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education teaching for Introduction to the Humanities (1998-9) and Structured Liberal Education (SLE), a humanities program for first-year students (1999-2005). She has taught at Mills College and continues to teach at Stanford in American Studies. Courses taught include: Americans in Paris, Black and White Race Relations in American Fiction and Film, Jefferson in Paris, On the Road, American Automobility in Fiction and Film, Ten Ways to Study the Car, and Designing a Life in the Humanities, with Clare Whistler. Christina earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science, and her PhD in Modern Thought and Literature. Christina began her career with Stanford’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education teaching for Introduction to the Humanities (1998-9) and Structured Liberal Education (SLE), a humanities program for first-year students (1999-2005). She has taught at Mills College and continues to teach at Stanford in American Studies. Courses taught include: Americans in Paris, Black and White Race Relations in American Fiction and Film, Jefferson in Paris, On the Road, American Automobility in Fiction and Film, Ten Ways to Study the Car, and Designing a Life in the Humanities, with Clare Whistler. Christina earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science, and her PhD in Modern Thought and Literature.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_298
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Eric Moy Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Contact ericmoy@stanford.edu View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_299
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Gabriel K. Wolfenstein, Ph.D. Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact (650) 498-9896 gkw@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_300
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Jelena Batinic Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Jelena Batinic is a historian of modern Europe with a research focus on the modern Balkans. Her research interests include war and society, revolutionary movements, World War II, and gender history. She is the author of Women and Yugoslav Partisans: A History of World War II Resistance (Cambridge University Press, 2015), which was awarded the 2016 Barbara Jelavich Prize of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Dr. Batinic has served as an Undergraduate Advising Director at Stanford University since 2015. Her conversations with advisees address topics such as academic planning and progress, research, fellowships, and post-graduate study. She is the Stanford liaison for the prestigious Beinecke scholarship. Prior to joining the Academic Advising team, Jelena Batinic was a Fellow in the Thinking Matters Program at Stanford. Besides Thinking Matters, she has taught in Stanford’s Department of History. Currently teaching: History 31Q: Resistance and Collaboration in Hitler's Europe (Spring) Dr. Batinic has served as an Undergraduate Advising Director at Stanford University since 2015. Her conversations with advisees address topics such as academic planning and progress, research, fellowships, and post-graduate study. She is the Stanford liaison for the prestigious Beinecke scholarship. Prior to joining the Academic Advising team, Jelena Batinic was a Fellow in the Thinking Matters Program at Stanford. Besides Thinking Matters, she has taught in Stanford’s Department of History. Currently teaching: History 31Q: Resistance and Collaboration in Hitler's Europe (Spring) Education PhD, Stanford University, History MA, The Ohio State University, Women's Studies; History BS/MS, University of Belgrade, Mechanical Engineering	common_crawl_stanford.edu_301
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Julia Burrows Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Julia Burrows is an Undergraduate Advising Director in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) at Stanford University. In this role, she meets one on one with undergraduate students to discuss a variety of academic and co-curricular subjects such as: choosing a major, course planning, academic progress, connecting with faculty, getting started with research, finding, and applying to fellowships, grants, and service opportunities, navigating university policies and procedures, improving study skills, and planning for graduate and professional school. In addition to advising, Julia serves in multiple additional capacities. She is an active member of the FLIERS team, a group of advising professionals focused on best supporting first generation and low income (FLI) students at Stanford. She is also a strong supporter of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at Stanford (and beyond) and is constantly seeking to educate herself and improve her practice in this regard. Julia acts as Academic Advising’s liaison for the Doerr School of Sustainability and Hopkins Marine Station and collaborates with Undergraduate Research as the main advisor for the Goldwater Scholarship, where she presents information sessions and supports students in the application process. Prior to joining Stanford, Julia was the STEM and pre-health Career Advisor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon where she provided career advice to students individually and collaborated with colleagues to implement professional development programs and events. Julia also worked at Portland State University (PSU), where she served as a Career Mentor and Enrichment Lead for BUILD EXITO, an undergraduate research training program that supports students on their pathway to becoming scientific researchers. At PSU, Julia also worked as a Program Coordinator and Education Research Assistant for a summer bridge program supporting high-achieving, low-income transfer students in their transition to a 4-year University. Julia earned a Certificate in College Teaching from Duke University, and has taught in the Departments of Biology at both PSU and Washington State University (WSU) Vancouver. Julia holds a PhD in Marine Science and Conservation from Duke University, and a Master’s in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (San Jose State University) where her research focused on the ecology and behavior of marine mammals. In addition to advising, Julia serves in multiple additional capacities. She is an active member of the FLIERS team, a group of advising professionals focused on best supporting first generation and low income (FLI) students at Stanford. She is also a strong supporter of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) at Stanford (and beyond) and is constantly seeking to educate herself and improve her practice in this regard. Julia acts as Academic Advising’s liaison for the Doerr School of Sustainability and Hopkins Marine Station and collaborates with Undergraduate Research as the main advisor for the Goldwater Scholarship, where she presents information sessions and supports students in the application process. Prior to joining Stanford, Julia was the STEM and pre-health Career Advisor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon where she provided career advice to students individually and collaborated with colleagues to implement professional development programs and events. Julia also worked at Portland State University (PSU), where she served as a Career Mentor and Enrichment Lead for BUILD EXITO, an undergraduate research training program that supports students on their pathway to becoming scientific researchers. At PSU, Julia also worked as a Program Coordinator and Education Research Assistant for a summer bridge program supporting high-achieving, low-income transfer students in their transition to a 4-year University. Julia earned a Certificate in College Teaching from Duke University, and has taught in the Departments of Biology at both PSU and Washington State University (WSU) Vancouver. Julia holds a PhD in Marine Science and Conservation from Duke University, and a Master’s in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (San Jose State University) where her research focused on the ecology and behavior of marine mammals. Education PhD, Duke University, Marine Science & Conservation (2017) MS, San Jose State University (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories), Marine Science (2009) BS, University of Florida, Zoology with Honors (2000)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_302
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising Kathryn Wright Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact (650) 725-1196 kwright@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_303
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Student Service Officer 4 Kathleen Phillips Student Service Officer 4, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact (650) 498-4757 kphill@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_304
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Kristin Black Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Kristín Black is an Undergraduate Advising Director in the office of Academic Advising. Her advising conversations with students include academic planning, exploring interests, identifying goals, choosing majors, assessing academic progress, connecting with faculty, enhancing study habits and other academic skills, finding opportunities for research and service, applying for grants and fellowships, navigating university requirements and policies, and other aspects of students' academic endeavors. Kristín has been an Undergraduate Advising Director since 2010. Before that she was the Education Director for the National Science Foundation Research Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies, a lecturer in the Stanford Biology department, and a postdoctoral scholar in Stanford’s Biology department. Kristín has been an Undergraduate Advising Director since 2010. Before that she was the Education Director for the National Science Foundation Research Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies, a lecturer in the Stanford Biology department, and a postdoctoral scholar in Stanford’s Biology department. Education PhD, University of Chicago, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology MA, University of California, Berkeley, Zoology BA, University of California, Berkeley, Biochemistry	common_crawl_stanford.edu_305
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Laura Selznick Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact (650) 723-3828 selznick@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_306
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Lorena Castro, Ph.D. Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Make an Appointment Contact View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_307
Main content start Student Service Officer 4 Melissa Stevenson Student Service Officer 4, Academic Advising Operations Melissa Stevenson (Stanford Class of '96) is a Lead Undergraduate Advising Director in the office of Academic Advising at Stanford, where she serves as an academic advisor for undergraduates. Her advising conversations with students include academic planning, exploring interests, identifying goals, choosing majors, assessing academic progress, connecting with faculty, enhancing study habits and other academic skills, finding opportunities for research and service, applying for grants and fellowships, navigating university requirements and policies, and other aspects of students' academic endeavors. As the first in her family to attend a four-year college, Melissa is particularly sensitive to the concerns of other first gen students. Prior to joining Academic Advising in 2011, Melissa was a teaching fellow in the Introduction to the Humanities Program here at Stanford where she served as a teaching fellow for classes like World History of Science, Humans & Machines, and Technological Visions of Utopia. She has also designed and taught courses at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California Santa Barbara. Melissa earned her PhD in English from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2005. Her dissertation "Conversations with Ghosts and Machines: Encounters with Technology & the (Re)definition of the Human in 20th Century Science Fiction" explored evolving definitions of the human through the lens of Science Fiction Literature and Film. While the concern of Melissa's dissertation is science fiction, her professional interests and teaching experience include contemporary American literature, cultural studies, film theory, new media studies, short fiction, graphic narratives, and children’s and young adult literature. Prior to joining Academic Advising in 2011, Melissa was a teaching fellow in the Introduction to the Humanities Program here at Stanford where she served as a teaching fellow for classes like World History of Science, Humans & Machines, and Technological Visions of Utopia. She has also designed and taught courses at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California Santa Barbara. Melissa earned her PhD in English from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2005. Her dissertation "Conversations with Ghosts and Machines: Encounters with Technology & the (Re)definition of the Human in 20th Century Science Fiction" explored evolving definitions of the human through the lens of Science Fiction Literature and Film. While the concern of Melissa's dissertation is science fiction, her professional interests and teaching experience include contemporary American literature, cultural studies, film theory, new media studies, short fiction, graphic narratives, and children’s and young adult literature. Education B.A., Stanford University, English (1996) Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, English (2005)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_308
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Monika Kress Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Monika is a residential undergraduate advising director in Wilbur Hall. Before joining the advising team at Stanford, she was Professor of Physics and Astronomy at San José State University for 19 years, including 5 as Department Chair. Upon her retirement from SJSU, she was granted the status of Professor Emerita. A first-gen college student herself, she devoted most of her teaching career to STEM student success in the introductory physics sequence for science and engineering majors. Monika earned her BS and PhD in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She went on to conduct postdoctoral research in astrobiology at NASA Ames Research Center and the University of Washington, where her research involved computational modeling of the formation of organic material in interstellar space and its delivery to habitable planets. She was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal for her role in the Antarctic Search for Meteorites, which involved two months of fieldwork at 85 degrees South latitude in the glacial headwaters of the Transantarctic Mountains. Monika earned her BS and PhD in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She went on to conduct postdoctoral research in astrobiology at NASA Ames Research Center and the University of Washington, where her research involved computational modeling of the formation of organic material in interstellar space and its delivery to habitable planets. She was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal for her role in the Antarctic Search for Meteorites, which involved two months of fieldwork at 85 degrees South latitude in the glacial headwaters of the Transantarctic Mountains. Education Graduate Certificate, Arizona State University, Advanced Analytics in Higher Education (2022) PhD, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Physics (1997) BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Physics (1991)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_309
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Lead Undergraduate Advising Director, Student-Athletes, Academic Initiatives Monique Holt Lead Undergraduate Advising Director, Student-Athletes, Academic Initiatives, Academic Advising Operations Contact (650) 725-0790 mholt8@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_310
Main content start Lead Undergraduate Advising Director, Student-Athletes, Academic Operations Nick Combo Lead Undergraduate Advising Director, Student-Athletes, Academic Operations, Academic Advising Operations Nick joined the academic advising department as an academic advisor for student-athletes in June 2019. Nick advises Stanford student-athletes on the University curriculum, major exploration, undergraduate requirements, policies, and helpful campus resources. Prior to joining Stanford, Nick served as an academic advisor for Santa Clara University's Department of Athletics. There he worked with numerous varsity programs and was integral to providing supplemental programming and resources for student athletes. Previously, he worked as a football academic mentor at UCLA, where he collaborated with learning specialists and the football academic coordinator to design and implement individualized academic support plans. Nick earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Whitworth University, and his Masters degree in Education Administration from the University of Washington. As a former student-athlete Nick helped lead Whitworth to a 6th place finish at the D-III College World Series in 2012. In his free time, Nick enjoys traveling, the outdoors and fly fishing. Sports: Football (Defense), Baseball, Women’s Tennis, Wrestling, Women’s Lightweight Rowing Alma Mater: Whitworth University College Sport: Baseball Started at Stanford: 2019 Nick earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Whitworth University, and his Masters degree in Education Administration from the University of Washington. As a former student-athlete Nick helped lead Whitworth to a 6th place finish at the D-III College World Series in 2012. In his free time, Nick enjoys traveling, the outdoors and fly fishing. Sports: Football (Defense), Baseball, Women’s Tennis, Wrestling, Women’s Lightweight Rowing Alma Mater: Whitworth University College Sport: Baseball Started at Stanford: 2019 Education M Ed., University of Washington, Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership - Education Administration (2017) BA, Whitworth University, Psychology (2012)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_311
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director, Coterminal Degree Programs Paula Aguilar Undergraduate Advising Director, Coterminal Degree Programs, Academic Advising Operations Paula is the Undergraduate Advising Director for Coterminal Degree Programs in Academic Advising. In addition to building tools and other supports to enhance advising for the coterminal degrees program at Stanford, she refines policy, procedure, and programming for potential and current coterms. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Paula called Saint Louis, MO home for 14 years prior to relocating to the area in September 2016. She has supported students as an advisor and policy expert at multiple institutions since 1999. Her graduate work was in clinical psychology, and prior to beginning her role at Stanford, she taught a first year seminar class about zombies. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Paula called Saint Louis, MO home for 14 years prior to relocating to the area in September 2016. She has supported students as an advisor and policy expert at multiple institutions since 1999. Her graduate work was in clinical psychology, and prior to beginning her role at Stanford, she taught a first year seminar class about zombies.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_312
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Petra Dierkes Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Petra Dierkes is a residential Undergraduate Advising Director in Academic Advising in the Vice Provost Office for Undergraduate Education and occasionally teaches courses in Comparative Literature and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Other roles Petra has held at Stanford are (most recently) Associate Director of Public Service and Inclusion and Diversity Education (directing the Emerson Fellowship Program for sophomores interested in social equity and public service leadership and intergroup communication) and Assistant Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives in the former Vice Provost Office for Teaching and Learning, where she directed the Year of Learning, a 2015-16 Stanford-wide presidential initiative. Petra is passionate about literature, culture and interdisciplinary relationships among the arts culture (including visual arts, opera, dance, early film) of the 1880s-1920s, specifically Oscar Wilde and his circle as well as “forgotten” women writers and artists of the period; feminist and LGBTQ Studies, history and theory of genders and sexualities; digital pedagogy; and community-engaged teaching and learning in the humanities. Petra is passionate about literature, culture and interdisciplinary relationships among the arts culture (including visual arts, opera, dance, early film) of the 1880s-1920s, specifically Oscar Wilde and his circle as well as “forgotten” women writers and artists of the period; feminist and LGBTQ Studies, history and theory of genders and sexualities; digital pedagogy; and community-engaged teaching and learning in the humanities. Education PhD, University of Pittsburgh, English (2003) Erstes Staatsexamen, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Bonn, Germany, English, German, Theology (1995)	common_crawl_stanford.edu_313
Main content start Lead Undergraduate Advising Director Raymond Chen Lead Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Raymond Chen is a Lead Undergraduate Advising Director in the office of Academic Advising at Stanford, where he serves as an academic advisor for undergraduates. His advising conversations with students include academic planning, exploring interests, identifying goals, choosing majors, assessing academic progress, connecting with faculty, enhancing study habits and other academic skills, finding opportunities for research and service, applying for grants and fellowships, navigating university requirements and policies, and other aspects of students' academic endeavors. Prior to joining Academic Advising in 2013, he was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biochemistry at the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he used genomic approaches to study regulation of gene expression during differentiation of stem cells. Education Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Molecular and Cell Biology A.B., Harvard University, Biochemical Sciences	common_crawl_stanford.edu_314
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising Rebecca Curtin Undergraduate Advising Director, Pre-Professional Advising, Academic Advising Operations Make An Appointment Contact (650) 725-3687 rcurtin@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_315
Main content start Undergraduate Advising Director Thien Crisanto Undergraduate Advising Director, Academic Advising Operations Thien Crisanto (she/her) serves as the Undergraduate Advising Director in the Academic Advising Office (VPUE). Prior to this, she was an Academic Coach at the Center for Teaching and Learning. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from UC Berkeley where she specialized in bioenergy, genetics, and algal photosynthesis research. As an undergraduate transfer student, she majored in Cellular and Molecular Biology while conducting experiments related to marine solutions for climate change and bioengineering. Before her scientific pursuits, Thien earned an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and worked as a fashion designer and merchandiser. Her dedication to working with students originated from her commitment to enhancing retention and diversity in education, which began when she started peer mentoring during her senior year as an undergraduate. She enjoys collaborating with Stanford students to foster resilience and help them discover their identities and passions. In her free time, Thien enjoys road-tripping with her animals, paddle boarding, long-distance roller skating, music composition, costume crafting, and surfing in her native California. Thien dedicates her volunteer time to ocean health initiatives and making surfing more accessible to people of color, the queer community, and womxn. She is originally from Orange County and has lived in 4 different regions of the state (her favorite is the far Northern Coast). She is mixed-raced and can speak Vietnamese. PhD - Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley BS - Cellular and Molecular Biology, minor in Botany, California Polytechnic Humboldt AA - Merchandise Product Development, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Past Affiliations: Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, Marine Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Association for Minority Participation She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from UC Berkeley where she specialized in bioenergy, genetics, and algal photosynthesis research. As an undergraduate transfer student, she majored in Cellular and Molecular Biology while conducting experiments related to marine solutions for climate change and bioengineering. Before her scientific pursuits, Thien earned an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and worked as a fashion designer and merchandiser. Her dedication to working with students originated from her commitment to enhancing retention and diversity in education, which began when she started peer mentoring during her senior year as an undergraduate. She enjoys collaborating with Stanford students to foster resilience and help them discover their identities and passions. In her free time, Thien enjoys road-tripping with her animals, paddle boarding, long-distance roller skating, music composition, costume crafting, and surfing in her native California. Thien dedicates her volunteer time to ocean health initiatives and making surfing more accessible to people of color, the queer community, and womxn. She is originally from Orange County and has lived in 4 different regions of the state (her favorite is the far Northern Coast). She is mixed-raced and can speak Vietnamese. PhD - Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley BS - Cellular and Molecular Biology, minor in Botany, California Polytechnic Humboldt AA - Merchandise Product Development, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Past Affiliations: Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, Marine Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Association for Minority Participation	common_crawl_stanford.edu_316
Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Undergrad Academic Advising Search this site Submit Search Menu Meet Your Advisors About Your Advisors Make an Appointment Staff Directory Incoming Students Approaching Stanford Designing Your First Quarter Exploring Your Stanford Courses Frosh 101 Information for Transfer Students Summer Bridge Program Current Students Academic Policy Academic Progress Requests for Exceptions Leaves of Absence Returning to Stanford Advising Resources Toolkit and Words of Wisdom Reflection Throughout Your Time at Stanford Facing Challenges or Difficulty Academic Planning and Intellectual Development Post-Undergraduate Considerations Advising Student Handbook Academic Progress and Policy Course Planning: Basic Tips Course Planning: Expert Mode Enrollment and Using Axess About Introsems Getting Started In... Majors, Minors, Honors, and More Making Connections Doing Research Specific Student Populations Wellness, Resilience, and Academic Success Time Away from Stanford Coterms, Professional Schools, and Ph.D. Programs Choosing Courses Frosh-Friendly Courses One-Unit Wonders and Terrific Twos Courses for General Education Requirements Courses For Your Major Declaring Majors, Minors, and Notations Explore Stanford Sessions My Stanford Story Exploring Stanford First Year Courses FLI at Stanford Frosh Reflections I Am Stanford Majors and Major Decisions Stanford Identities Wellness Stories Why I Teach My Stanford Story Index Specific Student Populations First-Gen/Low-Income (FLI) Students International Students Returning Students Student-Athletes NCAA Eligibility PAE for Student-Athletes Tutorial Resources Transfer Students Beyond Undergrad Considerations for Graduate and Professional Schools Hidden Curricula: A Pre-Professional Podcast Coterminal Degrees Explore Coterm Programs FAQs for Coterms Academic Progress for Coterminal Students Forms for Coterms Degree Conferral Considerations Coterm Tuition and Funding Financial Aid Concerns Planning for Advanced Degrees in Education Planning for Business School Planning for Law School Getting Started Applying to Law School Resources for Pre-Law Students Planning for Medical School Curricular Recommendations Information for Applicants Resources for Pre-Health Students Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series (SIMS) Planning for Ph.D. Programs Faculty and Staff Academic and Extracurricular Options Academic Policy Academic Progress Expectations Requesting an Incomplete Requests for Exception Getting Started Specific Student Populations Working with FLI Students Working with International Students Working with Premed Students Working with Returning Students Working with Students with OAE Accommodations Working with Student-Athletes Supporting Students in Difficulty Share Your Feedback on the Website or a Policy Main content start UAD for Student-Athletes Tony Olander Burnett Jr UAD for Student-Athletes, Academic Advising Operations Contact tj.burnett@stanford.edu Mail Code 3085 View Full Stanford Profile Back to Top	common_crawl_stanford.edu_317
Welcome to the Center for African Studies! The Center for African Studies (CAS) is excited and proud to announce that we are entering into a new phase in pursuit of our core academic mission of research and teaching linked to the African continent and its diaspora. Since its founding in 1969, CAS’s mandate has been to focus on faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research and education. CAS is situated within Stanford Global Studies, an entity comprised of 14 regional and transnational research centers, including CAS. The core mission of these centers is research and teaching, in alignment with the School of Humanities and Sciences. Mission As a multi-disciplinary hub, CAS fosters research, learning, and public engagement with Africa and its diasporas. CAS serves students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and the public by building community through events, networks, partnerships, and resources. CAS aims to share knowledge with the global public, to promote advocacy, and to address critical issues in Africa and beyond. Events News CAS Annual Lecture Book List Looking for a great book to read this summer? Ellah Wakatama, author and Editor-at-Large for Canongate Books spoke at the CAS Centering Africa annual lecture, introducing many to a fantastic list of African authors. Check out this article to read the book list, published by Brittle Paper. Center for African Studies Research & Activity Map This geo-map provides a comprehensive overview of Stanford University's research activities across the African continent. It highlights the diverse range of projects undertaken by both faculty and students, illustrating the university's commitment to addressing global challenges through innovative research. By visualizing the geographic distribution of these efforts, the map underscores the breadth and impact of Stanford’s academic contributions in Africa, from environmental studies and public health to social sciences and technology. Explore the map to gain insight into how Stanford's research is fostering meaningful partnerships and driving progress in various regions of Africa.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_318
Main content start Graduate Students Graduate Affiliates Countries of Study: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia Research Interests: Design and Manufacturing Capacity Building Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia Research Interests: Development, Decolonization, Literacy Initiatives, Social Work Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Ghana, Kenya Research Interests: Water and Sanitation Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Uganda Research Interests: Health, Economic Benefits of Private Water Connections Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Kenya Research Interests: HIV/AIDS, Health Policy Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Senegal, Togo Research Interests: Gender and Sexuality, Decolonization, Pan-Africanism Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Algeria, Morocco Research Interests: Performance Studies, Critical Dance Studies, and Postcolonial Theory Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Ghana, Nigeria Research Interests: Organizational Scaling, Fabrication, Technical Occupations, Expertise, Novices, Manufacturing Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda Research Interests: Social Change, Democratization, and International Actors in Africa Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Mauritius Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Slave Trade, Labor Diaspora, Indian Ocean, Digital Mapping (GIS), 3D and Virtual Reality, Museum Studies Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia Research Interests: History of Ottoman Africa, Comparative Slavery, Global History Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Cameroon Research Interests: Tropical Ecology, Conservation, Ornithology, Disease Ecology Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe Research Interests: Political Economy, Development, Infrastructure and Technical Expertise, Circulations and Logistics, Borders and Trade Corridors, Class, Mobility, Masculinity and Work, Multilateral Cooperation, Anthropology of southern Africa Graduation Year: Countries of Study: South Africa Research Interests: Land Rights, Post-Colonial Heritage, Museums Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Morocco, Republic of the Congo Research Interests: Political Economy, Development, Foreign Aid, Violent Conflict Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Senegal Research Interests: Legal History and Theory, Social History, Gender and Sexuality, History of Islam and Christianity Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda Research Interests: Religion, Development, Decolonization, Nationalism, Postcolonial Theory & African Youth , Urbanization and Popular Media Graduation Year: Countries of Study: Nigeria Research Interests: Cosmology, Mimesis, Hybridity, Liminality and Travelling Theory through Critical Theory, Philosophy, Medicine and Object-oriented Ontology Graduation Year:	common_crawl_stanford.edu_319
Who We Are The Center for African Studies (CAS) is the home for African Studies on the Stanford campus. Since its founding in 1969, its core academic mission is to pursue and support research and teaching linked to the African continent and its diaspora. More recently, the establishment of the new Department of African and African American Studies (DAAAS) in January 2024 provides new and exciting opportunities for academic collaboration: CAS will support the African Studies-focused research of faculty and students and will be the research-intensive “think-tank” space within which DAAAS faculty and students experiment with innovative research ideas, participate in regular seminars and workshops, host major national and international research grants, and build up an international community of prominent African Studies visiting scholars. Additionally, CAS and DAAAS will work closely with the Stanford Language Center to expand the instruction of African languages. Students, both undergraduate and graduate, play a vital role in this intellectual vision. About the Center for African Studies CAS coordinates an ambitious and interdisciplinary program in African Studies for both undergraduate and graduate students, deepening our understanding of the multiple factors that have shaped and continue to shape highly diverse African societies, including with reference to Africa's diaspora populations. Explore our academic programs. CAS is affiliated with internationally renowned faculty from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, who conduct cutting edge research that shapes academic and policy discourse and teach interdisciplinary Africa-related courses. View our faculty. - CAS hosts visiting scholars from all over the world with different academic and professional backgrounds. Scholars contribute to ongoing research, give lectures, and hold events throughout the academic year. Current visiting scholars. - Faculty at CAS have published groundbreaking books and articles, and continue to release new material. View our featured publications. CAS provides students engaged in African Studies with opportunities for African language study, mentorship by leading scholars within African Studies, and research on the African continent. Below are just a few of the programs and resources we're connected with.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_320
Undergraduate Minor Certificate Students may apply for a certificate in African Studies. Requirements for the minor certificate are the same as for the minor; however, students may double-count courses applied toward their major or graduate studies. The certificate in African Studies is issued by the Program in African Studies and will not appear on any University record, including the student’s transcript. Learning Outcomes The Certificate in African Studies enables students to: - develop critical knowledge and skills in African Studies - organize their interest in Africa into a coherent course of study through directed mentorship and participation in an intellectual community - prepare for research, study, or service in Africa Degree Requirements/How to Apply Students may apply for a certificate in African Studies. Requirements for the certificate are the same as for the minor in Global Studies with African Studies Specialization; however, students may double-count courses applied to their major or graduate studies in fulfillment of the certificate requirements. The certificate in African Studies is issued by the Center for African Studies and does not appear on any University record, including the student’s transcript. For more information and an application, contact the center.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_321
Brotherly Strangers: Kenya’s & Zambia’s Relations with China 1949-2019 615 Crothers Way, Stanford, CA 94305 Room 123 Africa has become a major platform from which to analyse and understand China's growing influence in the global South. Yet, the impact of their historical relationship has been largely overlooked. Through the triangulation of the global Cold War, African history, and Chinese history, this study provides a detailed analysis of China-Africa relations in the second half of the 20th century. Examining the encounters, conflicts, and dynamics of China-Kenya/Zambia relations from the 1950s until the present, as well as the basis on which historical narratives have been constructed, the book presents two contrasting state perspectives underlining the concept of 'African agency'. Driven by a class-based analysis of world revolution, Communist China's foreign policy did not distinguish significantly between Kenya and Zambia. Both countries sought ideological and material support from China in the years after their independence. The Kenya African National Union under both Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi pursued a consistently pragmatic foreign agenda, and despite political tensions and ideological rifts with China since the mid-1960s, Sino-Kenyan trade has continued to grow steadily. In contrast, China-Zambia relations under Kenneth Kaunda were cordial despite their political differences. Zambian leaders maintained a relatively high consensus that any alleged Chinese Communist threat would not be allowed to fuel power struggles within their United National Independence Party. Challenging both the widely accepted role of China-Africa's historical lineage, as well as the tendency to assume uniformity in China's relationships across the continent, the author explains the development of these relationships and sheds light on the historical underpinnings - or lack thereof - on contemporary China-Africa relations. About the speaker: Jodie Yuzhou SUN is Senior Lecturer in Modern African and Global History at the Department of History, Fudan University, China and Research Fellow of the International Studies Group, University of the Free State, South Africa. She holds an MSc in African Studies and a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford. Her research interests are modern African history, Cold War history and China-Africa relations. Her first monograph (Kenya's and Zambia's Relations with China 1949-2019, James Currey, 2023) examines the history of post-colonial Kenya’s and Zambia’s relations with the People’s Republic of China from ideological, political, economic and social perspectives. She has published in Cold War History, International Journal of African Historical Studies, Journal of Southern African Studies, and Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies. Read more about her work here. She is an Executive Board member of the Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network and the founder of China-Africa Shanghai International Network (CASIN). As a Visiting Scholar at Stanford’s Center for African Studies in 2023-24, she will conduct research on ‘Third World Crossings’: Afro-Asian Networks, Decolonisation and the Cold War as well as deliver a course tentatively titled ‘Africa and China: Pasts and Presents’.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_322
Centering Africa - CAS Annual Lecture About This lecture aims to showcase the work and contribution of leading figures from the continent and the African diaspora in the US and elsewhere. At its best, the lecture foregrounds, celebrates, and sparks debate about the cutting-edge intellectual contributions of exciting and prominent thought leaders from the African continent and its diaspora Past Events 424 Santa Teresa Street, Stanford, CA 94305 Levinthal Hall and Board Room Centering Africa Annual Lecture, followed by the CAS Welcome Reception 615 Crothers Way, Stanford, CA 94305 Room 123 In a world grappling with complex social injustices, the fusion of art and activism has emerged as a powerful force for change. 615 Crothers Way, Stanford, CA 94305 Room 123 We're thrilled to announce that Dr. Monica Gandhi will be joining us for this year's annual lecture at the Center for African Studies! This event is open to Stanford affiliates in-person or virtually. About The Center for African Studies is excited to host Timnit Gebru for this year's annual lecture. Join CAS for the annual lecture of the year, with Ellah Wakatama, Editor-at-Large for Canongate. The title of this event is a response to NoViolet Bulawayo's Booker Prize shortlisted novel,…	common_crawl_stanford.edu_323
Would you like to learn more about social, economic and political issues in Africa and how to help alleviate them? Do you have a specific organization in Africa you would like to volunteer with? The African Service Fellowship offers up to $5,500 to support travel and living expenses during the summer for students working with a specific organization in Africa. African Service Fellowship Background and Purpose Since 1984, the Haas Center for Public Service has been encouraging students to explore public service through its fellowship opportunities in the US and abroad. Fellowships specifically focused on community development work in Cape Town, South Africa, became available to undergraduates in 1998 through the Amy Biehl Fellowship, funded for a period by gifts made by several donors in the wake of Biehl's murder in 1993. The opportunity arose in 2003 for the Haas Center to join forces with the Center for African Studies through a significant gift from Kelly Moylan '77, which established the African Service Fellowship. Also in 2003, a fellowship in an African NGO was made possible by gifts from David B. Abernethy, Professor Emeritus of Political Science. In 2005, Tom Lockhard '79 and his wife, Alix Marduel MD, established a fellowship modeled on Moylan's. Program Description African Service Fellows will have the opportunity to learn about and help alleviate social and economic problems in Africa. - Applicants must propose their own placements with organizations with which they have corresponded before the application deadline. - A faculty member or advanced graduate student from the Center for African Studies will serve as an academic mentor to students who are awarded this fellowship. - Fellows meet with their mentors to determine academic and other options that assist with preparation for and follow-up on the summer learning experience. Each African Service Fellow receives a base stipend of $5,500 to support travel and living expenses during the summer. Financial aid and supplemental funding is available to students who qualify. African Service Fellows are also asked to submit a stipend budget as part of the application process. The African Service Fellowship is a Haas Center for Public Service and Center for African Studies Joint Program. Eligibility Currently enrolled undergraduate students including graduating students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. At least one fellowship is awarded in the area of public health and one to a student working with a nongovernmental organization (NGO). - All applicants should exhibit a demonstrated interest in Africa that relates to a particular field of study. - Applicants may vary in academic interests, community service involvement, and experience. - Graduating seniors may apply with the understanding that preference is given to competitive continuing undergraduate applicants. Placements The Haas Center, in consultation with faculty, donors, alumni, students, and community members, has developed a list of potential placements that offers students a starting point in terms of identifying potential partner organizations. It is the responsibility of the student applicants to research the organization and make contact with a representative. Students may also identify and research their own placements, however, those students must effectively demonstrate that their intended partner organization is a well-run organization, where they will receive adequate guidance and supervision. Program Requirements African Service fellows are required to work at least 35 hours/week for nine consecutive weeks at their placements. Please review the entire Haas FAQs section for program policies. Other commitments include the following: Spring Quarter - Attend a program orientation in April. - Attend IPREP workshop. - Meet with academic mentor at least once. - Design a personal learning plan for the summer. Summer - Share learning plan with site supervisor and update accordingly. - Submit a brief preliminary report. - Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff. Autumn Quarter - Meet with academic mentor at least once. - Attend the Africa Mini-Retreat for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences with other students who spent time in Africa over the summer. - Participate in outreach activity to share your experiences and help publicize the program. Selection Process We strongly encourage students to discuss placements with fellowships program staff at the Haas Center well before the application deadline. Developing a suitable summer placement takes time, so start the application process early and consult with professors, advisors and community partners regularly. Please note that international fellowships take considerably more preparation and advising than domestic fellowships, and selection committees expect applications of a higher caliber. This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references and interview demonstrate: - integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals - prior interest (or involvement) in the subject area, including related coursework - a compelling match between applicant’s skills and interests and an organization’s work and needs - interpersonal skills and cross-cultural adaptability (language ability preferred, not required) - high-quality recommendations from people familiar with the applicant’s work and interests Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by a committee with the intention to award fellowships prior to spring break. Committee decisions are final. The safety of travel to any international destination is reviewed up until time of departure. The Haas Center must adhere to the Provost’s International Travel Policy, which states that Stanford-sponsored or Stanford-organized trips that involve sending undergraduates to countries where a State Department Travel Warning has been issued is prohibited. University funds cannot be used to support travel to these locations. The U.S. Department of State posts advisories. Application Deadline: February A complete African Service Fellowship application will include the following components: - Applicant information - Résumé - Personal statement - Detailed budget - Letter of recommendation - Transcript - Statement of academic commitment - Placement/Community Partner Section	common_crawl_stanford.edu_324
Fatoumata Seck receives Faculty Women’s Forum Inspiring Early Academic Career Award Congratulations to CAS affiliate Fatoumata Seck, who has been selected as the 2024 Faculty Women’s Forum (FWF) Inspiring Early Academic Career Award recipient. Seck is an assistant professor of French and Italian, and, by courtesy, of comparative literature. She specializes in literatures and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora. Her research and teaching cut across various disciplinary and linguistic traditions with an emphasis on history, popular culture, and politics in the French-speaking world. The Stanford Faculty Women's Forum provides opportunities for faculty participation from across the university to discuss shared interests, concerns, and ideas, and to engage in actions promoting greater faculty equity, inclusion, and success. Each year, the forum recognizes outstanding contributions to promoting greater faculty equity, inclusion, and success by honoring individuals in six categories. The Inspiring Early Academic Career Award recognizes an assistant professor who creates a culture of inclusion and belonging for students and trainees at all levels. Seck will be presented the award at the fifth annual Faculty Women’s Forum Awards, which will be held on Tuesday, May 28, on the Stanford campus. Congratulations, Professor Seck!	common_crawl_stanford.edu_325
Tourism in Rwanda The pre-dissertation research I undertook this summer in Rwanda focused on the construction of a tourism sector in the country as it continues to recover from the war and genocide of the 1990s, and the uses to which that sector puts Rwanda’s natural and cultural heritage, including the difficult heritage of genocide. As my first period of research in Rwanda, this summer’s fieldwork was intended to identify sites, topics, and actors of interest to that subject which hold promise for future work, to orient myself in the country and begin studying the language, and to obtain the necessary affiliations that are a prerequisite for receiving a research permit in future years. I focused on participant observation as a method of research. I traveled extensively throughout the country to see and experience the tourism and heritage infrastructure firsthand; I took tours of many sites, spoke with tour guides, tourism professionals, and tourist visitors, and identified which places, people and organizations would be of most interest and relevance to future work. To this end, I visited five of the six national genocide memorials—Gisozi, Murambi, Bisesero, Nyamata, and Ntarama; the sixth, Nyarubuye, I was unable to visit due to inaccessibility and lack of private transportation, but hope to reach it next year. I also visited Nyungwe and Akagera National Parks; the third, Volcanoes, I plan to visit next summer. The INMR also runs several cultural heritage sites—the Presidential Palace Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the King’s Palace Museum, the National Art Gallery, and the National Ethnographic Museum—which I was able to visit. During the trip, I identified the main tour organizations and government agencies on the ground whose work will be most relevant to my research, established which organizations are associated with which sites and kinds of tourism, and observed the different angles organizations take in their approach to Rwanda’s heritage. I was able to familiarize myself with the range of options presented to tourists in Rwanda, and began to gain an understanding of the tourism infrastructure in the country, how it functions in practice, the types of tourists in the country and how they experience the sites. I also began learning Kinyarwanda, which I hope to continue studying at Stanford this year with the help of the Center for African Studies.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_326
Main content start Affiliated Faculty African and Middle Eastern Languages Senior Lecturer Countries of Study: Egypt Research Interests: Arabic Language and Linguistics, Arabic Calligraphy, Arab Culture and Literature Lecturer Countries of Study: Kenya Research Interests: Swahili Language and Linguistics, Swahili Literature and Culture Advanced Lecturer Research Interests: Arabic Language and Comparative Literature, Postcolonial Theory, Arabic Pop Culture Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Associate Prof., Environmental Social Sciences, and Oceans, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Associate Prof., Anthropology, School of Humanities and Sciences Countries of Study: Mauritius Research Interests: Indian Ocean World, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relationship, Colonialism, Trasition from Slavery to Indentured Labor, Diversity of Trade, Environmental Consequences of Monoculture Agriculture History, Department of African and African American Studies Susan Ford Dorsey Director, Center for African Studies Countries of Study: South Africa Research Interests: Eswatini, History, Postcolonial Theory, Religion, Media and Marginality in Africa Anthropology Associate Professor Countries of Study: Gambia Research Interests: Africa and the Diaspora, Tropical Africa, Comparative Cultural Studies, Discourses of Identity, Nationalism, Performance, Gender, and Social History of the Tropics Associate Professor of Anthropology Countries of Study: Senegal Research Interests: Social Identities, Health Disparities and Outcomes, Molecular Genetics in West Africa, Global Health Politics, Africanist, Medical, and Economic Anthropology, Environmental Resource Scarcity as a Source of Ethnic Conflict Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor Countries of Study: South Africa Research Interests: Paleoanthropology, Interrelation of Cultural, Biological, and Environmental Change in Human Evolution, Reconstruction of Environment, Ecology, and Human Behavior From Animal Remains in Archeological Sites Professor Countries of Study: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania Research Interests: Historical Anthropology, Mass Displacement and Exile, Racial Essentialism and Political Violence, Ethics of Humanitarian Aid, Nationalism and Internationalism, Gender and Imperial Power, Historical Consciousness and Memory Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Countries of Study: Kenya, South Africa Research Interests: Coastal Water Quality, Sanitation, Human and Ecosystem Health, Interventions and Technologies for Reducing the Burden of Infectious Disease Associate Professor Countries of Study: Kenya, Uganda Research Interests: Intersection of Health, Economic Development, and Environmental Protection, Cost-Effective and Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Service Delivery in Developing Countries, Infrastructure Planning Associate Professor Countries of Study: Kenya, South Africa Research Interests: Numerical Models and High-Performance Computational Techniques Applied to the Study of Flows and Waste Transport in the Environment Classics Assistant Professor Countries of Study: Ethiopia, Sudan Research Interests: Ancient Greek Literature, Classical Reception, Museum Studies, African Literature, Nubia (ancient Sudan and Egypt), Aksum Associate Professor Countries of Study: Egypt, South Africa Research Interests: Latin, Roman Imperial Culture, Geography, Historical Maps, Memorialization and Public History, Classical Reception Comparative Literature Associate Professor of Iberian and Latin American Cultures and of Comparative Literature Countries of Study: Angola, Mozambique Research Interests: Catalan Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Luso-Brazilian Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Medieval Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Philosophy and Literature, Poetry and Poetics, Portuguese Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Renaissance, Spanish Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Education Vida Jacks Professor of Education Countries of Study: Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia Research Interests: Economics of Education, Economics of Human Resources, Political Economy, Economic Development, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Educational Systems Evaluation Professor Research Interests: Family Issues, Qualitative Research Methods, Anthropology and Education, Learning Design, Mathematics Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Parental Involvement, Educational Equity, Technology in Teaching and Learning, Elementary Education, Ethnography English Jean G. and Morris M. Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professor of English and inaugural chair of the Department of African and African American Studies Countries of Study: Ghana, Nigeria Research Interests: Multinational, Postcolonial, and Comparative Literature, Diasporic and Transnational Studies, Literary Criticism and Theory, Urban Studies Assistant Professor Research Interests: African American Literature, Global Cold War Culture, the European Enlightenment and Its Critics, Postcolonial Theory, and Philosophical Theories of Modernity Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Senior Fellow Research Interests: Economic Development, Market Institutions, Social Networks French and Italian Assistant Professor of French and Italian and, by courtesy, of Comparative Literature Countries of Study: Senegal Research Interests: Francophone African and Caribbean Studies, Political Economy, Postcolonial Theory, Italian, French Graduate School of Business Assistant Professor Countries of Study: Comoros, Madagascar, Sierra Leone Research Interests: Interactions Between Economic and Political Forces in Developing Countries, Including the Impact of Government Reforms and External Interventions on Institutional Strength and Economic Growth History Edgar E. Robinson Professor in United States History Research Interests: African American History, South Africa, African American Journeys to Africa From the Mid 18th Century to 2005 Professor of History and, by courtesy, of French and Italian Research Interests: Modern Europe and European Imperialism, Political, Cultural, and Social History, History of Humanitarianism Professor of History Countries of Study: Gabon, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger, South Africa Research Interests: African Anthropocene, Technology In Colonial And Postcolonial Settings, Labor History And Anthropology, Environmental Governance, Toxic Waste, Resource Extraction And Commodity Capitalism, Science And Technology Studies, Discard Studies. Michelle Mercer and Bruce Golden Family Professorship in Feminist and Gender Studies Associate Professor of History Research Interests: Modern Europe, Transnational, International, and Global History, European Sovereignty, International Relations, Commodity Networks Frances and Charles Field Professor of History, Emeritus Countries of Study: Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia Research Interests: The Social History of Law in Colonial Africa, Persistence of Local African Industries, French Colonial Policy, End of Slavery Human Biology Professor Countries of Study: Tanzania Research Interests: Infectious Disease (HIV and Malaria), International Health, Medical and Health Education Linguistics Professor, Emeritus Research Interests: Pidgin and Creole Languages, Variation and Change in Language, Especially as Conditional by Social Class, Ethnicity, and Style, African American English, and Its African and Other Sources, as Well as Its Educational and Political Implications Political Science Professor Emeritus Research Interests: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Sub-Saharan Africa, Rise and Fall of European Overseas Empires Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Countries of Study: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa Research Interests: Comparative Problems of Democratic Development and Consolidation, U.S. and International Policies to Promote Democracy and Foster Development, Democratic Consolidation in Taiwan, in Comparative Perspective, Democratic Transitions and Prospects in Africa Theodore and Frances Geballe Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Research Interests: Civil and Interstate War, Ethnic Conflict James T. Watkins IV and Elise V. Watkins Professor Countries of Study: Somalia Research Interests: Ethnic Conflict, Comparative Politics, Political Culture, Language, Religion, and National Identities Professor Countries of Study: Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Africa Research Interests: New Democracies, The Politics of Oil-Exporting Countries, Human Rights, Comparative Politics, Especially Comparative Democratization, Transitions from Authoritarian Rule, Civil Wars and Human Rights in All Regions Freeman Spogli Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law and FSI, Affiliated Member of CISAC, and Professor of Political Science Research Interests: International Organizations and Global Security, Civil Wars, Mediation, Conflict Prevention, and Peacekeeping Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Clinical Associate Professor Research Interests: Medication Strategies for Reducing Cognitive Impairment, Treatment Resistant Depression, Strategies to Normalize the Stress Hormone Axis in Individuals with Depression Unresponsive to Extensive Pharmacologic and Psychological Treatments Clinical Associate Professor Research Interests: Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Psychopharmacology School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Global Health, Professor of Medicine, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute Countries of Study: Liberia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe Research Interests: Global Health Workforce, Clinical Tropical Medicine, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Problems of Underserved Populations and Globalizations Impact Upon Health in the Developing World Professor of Medicine (primary Care and Population Health), of Health Policy, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and, by courtesy, at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Research Interests: Using Methods from Several Disciplines, Including Political Science, Economics and Epidemiology, To Study the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Developing Countries Clinical Assistant Professor Countries of Study: Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria Research Interests: Parasitology and International Health, Vehicle Borne Diseases in Refugees, the Distribution of Insecticide Treated Bednets to Prevent Mosquito Borne Diseases Like Malaria and Filiarisis Professor of Pathology, Emerita Countries of Study: Kenya Research Interests: Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Infectious Diseases Professor, Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) and, by courtesy, of Epidemiology and Population Health, and, by courtesy, of Environmental Social Science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Countries of Study: Kenya Research Interests: Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Infectious Disease, Arboviral Infections, Rift Valley Fever, Chikungunya Virus, Dengue Virus, Epidemiology Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor in the School of Medicine, Emerita Countries of Study: Eritrea Research Interests: Public Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor of Pediatrics Research Interests: Infectious Disease, Polio, Measles, Epidemiology of Perinatal HIV Infection in Infants George DeForest Barnett Professor in Medicine and Professor of Health Research and Policy Countries of Study: Gambia Research Interests: Long-Term Consequences of Chronic Interactions Between the Human Host and the Microbial World, Diarrheal Diseases in the Developing World, and Sanitation and Hygiene Stanford University Medical Center Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Director of Stanford Clinical Microbiology Fellowship, Director of Stanford Global Health Diagnostics Fellowship Countries of Study: South Africa Research Interests: Clinical Pathology, Mycobacterium Infections, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Infectious Diseases Diagnostics Associate Professor Countries of Study: Zimbabwe Research Interests: Clinical Pathology, Virology, Molecular Pathology, Clinical Laboratory Techniques	common_crawl_stanford.edu_327
Joel Cabrita (on leave until Fall 2025) Joel Cabrita is a historian of modern Southern Africa who focuses on Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and South Africa. She is Professor of African History based in both the Department of History and the Department of African and African American Studies. Cabrita most recent book is Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala (Ohio and Wits University Presses, 2023) and it tells the story of how Twala - an important South African writer and activist - was written out of history by a range of exclusionary forces. Written Out was awarded the 2024 Best Book Prize from the South African National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences as well as is shortlisted for the African Studies Association UK 2024 Best Book Prize. Cabrita is currently digitizing Twala's letters and photographic collection; soon to be published on the Stanford Digital Repository as an online exhibition. Cabrita's previous work has focused on religion in Southern Africa, including the The People’s Zion: Southern Africa, the United States and a Transatlantic Faith-Healing Movement, Harvard University Press, 2018) investigates the convergence of evangelical piety, transnational networks and the rise of industrialized societies in both Southern Africa and North America. The People's Zion was awarded the American Society of Church History's Albert C Outler Prize for 2019. She is also the co-editor of a volume examining the global dimensions of Christian practice, advocating for a shift away from Western Christianity to the lateral connections connecting southern hemisphere religious practitioners (Relocating World Christianity, Brill, 2017). Read more about her work here. Cabrita did her PhD at the University of Cambridge and was subsequently a Junior Research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. Before moving to Stanford, she held permanent posts at SOAS (University of London) and the University of Cambridge. Her research has been recognized by two major early-career research prizes, the British Arts and Humanities Early Career Research Fellowship (2015) and the Philip Leverhulme Prize (2017).	common_crawl_stanford.edu_328
Latifah Hani Hamzah Latifah Hani Hamzah is the Gabilan Stanford Graduate Fellow in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering. Latifah has obtained an M.S. with a focus on mechatronics and is pursuing a Ph.D. researching water and sanitation with a minor in anthropology. Latifah’s research projects examine the levels and sources of contamination in stored and source water supplies in Kenyan households, create a monitoring and control set-up for a novel aerobic household-scale sanitation solution, and investigate the utility of biochar in improving soil and water conditions on small scale cacao farms in Malaysia and Ghana. At Stanford, Latifah has led multiple projects locally and internationally with Engineers for a Sustainable World. Latifah also teaches a two-quarter course, "Engineering & Sustainable Development", that addresses the ethical reasoning behind and myriad challenges inherent in implementing sustainable engineering projects abroad. Latifah has also served on the University Committees for Graduate Studies and Research, the Faculty Senate, and the Graduate Student Council.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_329
Robin Phylisia Chapdelaine Dr. Robin Phylisia Chapdelaine comes to us from Duquesne University where she is an associate professor of history and Director of Undergraduate Studies. She has also held administrative roles at Princeton University and Rutgers University. Her research focuses on human trafficking, child slavery, equity in higher education, and Black Joy practices. She is co-editor of When Will the Joy Come? Black Women in the Ivory Tower (2023); author of The Persistence of Slavery: An Economic History of Child Trafficking in Nigeria (2021); and won the 2021 Association for the Study of Worldwide African Diaspora prize for her article in "Marriage Certificates and Walker Cards: Nigerian Migrant Labor, Wives and Prostitutes in Colonial Fernando Pó," in African Economic History. She has published articles in Journal of West African History, Radical Teacher, and Bulletin of Ecumenical Theology and is currently guest editor for the theme “Retrospectives on Child Slavery in Africa” in Genealogy. Chapdelaine also has several chapters in co-edited volumes and is working on her next book Embrace Black Joy: How Empathetic Teaching Empowers All Students. This text aims to be a pedagogical tool that assists educators to embrace Black Joy as a worthy topic of inquiry in the classroom and one that benefits all students. She earned a Ph.D. in Women's & Gender History and African History at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) and a B.A. at Santa Clara University. She enjoys spending time with her dog (weimaraner) De La Soul, camping, and listening to mystery themed audiobooks. As a California native, she looks forward to returning to her home state.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_330
Faculty-Student Research Partnership Information for Faculty About the CAS Research Partnership The Center for African Studies (CAS) Research Partnership pairs Stanford faculty with undergraduates to work collaboratively on innovative research projects. Faculty can apply for small grants to support their research and will provide mentorship and learning opportunities to the students they are paired with. Students will provide research assistance and other support as needed. Eligibility Proposals are accepted from any current Stanford faculty member who belongs to the Academic Council. Non-tenure track Stanford faculty may be considered occasionally, as may emeriti. Please inquire about your specific circumstances. Proposal Process - Faculty are asked to submit statements of interest outlining their research projects, as well as the role undergraduate research assistants will play in supporting the project. Please email application details to rpchap [at] stanford.edu (rpchap[at]stanford[dot]edu). - After the research projects are selected, we will invite undergraduate students to apply to work on a specific project, to be mentored by the lead faculty. Deadlines - Faculty proposals are due December 1, 2025 - Undergraduate applications are due January 31, 2026 Funding - Up to three grants will be awarded to faculty for the 2025-26 academic year, and funding is to be used by the end of the academic year. - Each faculty member will receive $4,000 to support their project. - Each undergraduate research assistant will receive up to $2,500 for spring or summer quarter 2026. Commitment - Each undergraduate student will work on a faculty-led research project with a defined deliverable. Their work may be completed in-person or remotely. - Faculty will be asked to submit a report providing an update on the outcome of the project in August 2026. Contact If you have any questions, please contact Joel Cabrita, Susan Ford Dorsey Director of the Center for African Studies, at jcabrita [at] stanford.edu (jcabrita[at]stanford[dot]edu).	common_crawl_stanford.edu_331
Graduate Research & Language Fellowship Applicants may apply for both fellowships, but can only be rewarded one. Please apply for each fellowship separately. Graduate Student Research Fellowship Are you a doctoral student or a graduate student in Stanford's Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Sustainability, and Medicine? Are you planning on doing research in Africa? The Graduate Student Research Fellowship awards up to $5,000 for expenses related to research in Africa. The Graduate Student Research Fellowship is open to Stanford University doctoral students, and graduate students in Stanford's Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Sustainability, and Medicine. Fellowships of up to $5,000 will be awarded for expenses related to research in Africa. All research proposals must be for research that will be carried out in Africa. Graduate Student African Language Fellowship Are you a doctoral student or graduate student in Stanford's Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Sustainability, and Medicine? Does your academic development and/or research require knowledge of an African language? The Center for African Studies African Language Fellowship offers up to $5,000 for an intensive language study course, in an African country or at an accredited institute in the U.S. The Center for African Studies African Language Fellowship is open to all Stanford doctoral students and graduate students in Stanford's Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Sustainability, Medicine. This intensive language fellowship may be used for study in the U.S. or abroad. The proposed course of language study must be integral to the applicant's academic development and/or research. Priority will be given to students in need of language skills for research and to training in languages not offered on campus or for advanced training in languages where the student has exhausted campus resources. The course of study must be six weeks or more and must meet or exceed 140 contact hours for beginning and intermediate and 120 contact hours for advanced language instruction. Please visit the Center for African Studies office for a list of recommended U.S. based study institutions and programs. Eligibility Ph.D. candidates enrolled in any academic department at Stanford University, and all students enrolled in post-baccalaureate degree programs in Stanford University’s Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Sustainability or Medicine are eligible to apply. Award The fellowship rewards up to $5,000. Requests must be for expenses that are not covered through other sources of funding. Applicants may simultaneously apply for other sources of funding, but may not accept multiple sources of funding for the same expenses. The itemized budget should clearly list sources of confirmed and/or pending funding. Application Instructions Applicants are required to submit a complete application packet for review by the selection committee, including: - A 2-3 page project proposal describing the research or language program to be undertaken, its relevance to African Studies, and its significance for the student's research and academic development. For language study applicants, please include a brochure or program guide from your intended institution and verification that the hours of instruction meet or exceed the guidelines. - Timetable for completion of research and degree. - An itemized budget specifying overall project costs, amount of funding requested from the Center for African Studies and sources and amount of confirmed/pending financial support for the project. For the pending financial support, please indicate the date by which funding decision will be announced. If you are ineligible for other financial support, please explain why. - Curriculum vitae of no more than two pages. - A current transcript from Axess (unofficial is fine). - One letter of reference from the applicant's primary faculty advisor: - Have your reference email the letter to africanstudies [at] stanford.edu (subject: CAS%20Research%2FLanguage%20Fellowship%20Application) (africanstudies[at]stanford[dot]edu) as a PDF on official letterhead; or if they prefer, they can give you a hard copy in a sealed envelope, stamped or signed over the back seal, for you to deliver to the CAS office. Email applications to africanstudies [at] stanford.edu (subject: CAS%20Research%2FLanguage%20Fellowship%20Application) (africanstudies[at]stanford[dot]edu) with the subject line CAS Research (or Language) Fellowship Application. Deadline - Applications for winter quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on November 24, 2024. - Applications for spring quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on January 30, 2025. - Applications for summer quarter are due by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on April 5, 2025. Please email Robin Chapdelaine at rpchap [at] stanford.edu with any questions. Decisions will be made within a week of applicant submission.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_332
Highlights Keynote address: Lloyd Minor, MD, Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine Dr. Periyakoil receives an “Award of Honor” from Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States Center News 2024 Visionary Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Dr. VJ Periyakoil, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean of Research, received the 2024 Visionary Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Every five years, AAHPM calls upon its extensive membership of over 5,000 professionals to nominate visionaries who have significantly shaped the landscape of palliative care. “This program recognizes extraordinary individuals who continue to enhance the delivery of care for seriously ill patients and have brought true innovation to our field,” noted Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA FASAE, AAHPM CEO. Dr. Periyakoil’s groundbreaking contributions at Stanford University and her tireless efforts in advancing the field have earned her this distinguished accolade. Apply for Longevity and Healthy Aging Pilot Grants 2025-2026 Apply now for the prestigious Longevity and Healthy Aging pilot awards. The applications are due on January 10, 2025 and funding will start on 07/01/2025. Projects should focus on bio-behavioral or socio-cultural studies that will advance longevity and healthy aging for all Americans. Each award is for $40,000. All awardees will be named and recognized by the NIH/NIA through the Notice of Award. Awardees will also receive mentoring and support from the LEARN faculty. Machine learning prediction of mild cognitive impairment and its progression to Alzheimer’s disease Health Science Report: Effective screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease is a crucial step in helping aging population with their needs Early detection and automated screening for MCI and dementia could offer opportunities for deliberate study and recruitment into trials for developing other potentially useful therapeutics or interventions. The study was first published in October 2023. The results illustrate that it is possible to predict MCI onset and AD progression with moderate levels of accuracy, which suggests an opportunity for population-wide screening mechanisms to identify patients at potential risk, who could then undergo more specific evaluation to consider early treatment or recruitment into clinical trials.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_333
A large study published in PLOS ONE identified common barriers doctors face in conducting end-of-life (EOL) conversations with their patients. 1040 doctors from various medical specialties participated in the study and only 0.01 % doctors reported no barriers to conducting EOL conversations with patients. 99.99% doctors reported barriers with 85.7% finding it very challenging to conduct EOL conversations with all patients and especially so with patients whose ethnicity was different than their own. Asian-American doctors reported the most struggles (91.3%), followed by African Americans (85.3%), Caucasians (83.5%) and Hispanic Americans (79.3%) in conducting EOL conversations with their patients. The biggest doctor-reported barriers to effective EOL conversations are - language and medical interpretation issues, - patient/family religio-spiritual beliefs about death and dying, - doctors’ ignorance of patients’ cultural beliefs, values and practices, - patient/family’s cultural differences in truth handling and decision making, - patients’ limited health literacy and - patients’ mistrust of doctors and the health care system. The doctors’ ethnicity and medical subspecialty influenced their reported barriers. The biggest differences across sub-specialties were seen in Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry and Anesthesia. Emergency Medicine doctors rated the patient/family’s limited health literacy barrier as being more problematic compared to doctors in general. Neurologists rated doctors’ ignorance of patients’ cultural beliefs, values and practices as a more problematic and cultural differences in truth handling and decision making as less problematic as compared to doctors in general. Psychiatrists stated that cultural differences in truth handling and decision-making were more problematic compared to doctors in general. Anesthesiologists felt that patient/family’s limited health literacy was less of a barrier compared to doctors in general. Doctors report struggles with conducting effective EOL conversations with all patients and especially with those whose ethnicity is different from their own.Doctors need to be trained to work effectively with patients and families from diverse religio-spiritual backgrounds and to consult and partner with chaplains and community spiritual leaders in providing necessary support to seriously ill patients and families to facilitate quality EOL decisions.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_334
If you’re doing exploration, if you’re doing hypothesis testing, you have to have an priori hypothesis. a hypothesis has a rationale and justification, often drawn from previous hypothesis-generating studies. You set up a plan, who are you going to sample? What are you going to measure, how you are going to measure it, how you’re going to analyze it, what the power calculations are, and then you do it as planned. That’s hypothesis testing. Hypothesis generation, or exploratory methods, basically means you don’t really have a specific plan in mind. You have sort of a general idea of the kind of thing you’re looking for, and you’re going to go out and you’re going to see what you see. And what you see is going to condition what analyses you’re going to do, and the results of those analyses are going to generate new questions that you’re going to do more analyses on, you can spend a lot of time doing this, and I will tell you this, and that is hypothesis testing is hard work. To learn more from Dr. Helena Kraemer listen to the podcast episode below. Part 1 Part 2 Click here for more Research Methodology Podcasts	common_crawl_stanford.edu_335
Pilot study is the most problematic term, because there’s so many people who will tell you that any small, badly designed study that leads to no viable conclusions, that’s a pilot study. Any that’s not what a pilot study is. The word pilot is to pilot study, is the same as pilot in pilot boat. A pilot boat is a very small boat that goes out and it leads a huge ship safely into harbor. So the huge ship could be an aircraft carrier, or an oiler, an oil tanker, or it could be a cruise ship. The pilot boat cannot do the function of the big ship, but it’s an absolutely essential leading instrument. And even if we’ve designed the big ship before we start the pilot study, chances are, when you start working with real patients under real circumstances, you’re going to find that some of the things you planned to do, you can’t. Or some of the things that you planned to do are not ideal. And a pilot study gives you a chance to tweak the design of your big study so you aren’t going to have to deal with these problems after the study starts when it would really be dangerous. To learn more from Dr. Helena Kraemer listen to the podcast episode below. Pilot Studies Part 1 Pilot Studies Part 2 Click here for more Research Methodology Podcasts	common_crawl_stanford.edu_336
There are multiple papers that question the ethics of doing non-inferiority trials, because it’s probably going to end up with treatments being recommended from patients that are inferior to other treatments. And that’s where the controversies come out. The reason a lot of people liked them is that, you can get significant results with very small sample sizes. All I have to do to set it basic way down and set that criterion and way down there, and everything is going to come out significant. Three types of trials are conducted to compare a new treatment to the standard treatment: - superiority trials seek to understand which is superior , the new treatment of the standard treatment - non-inferiority trials seek prove that the new treatment is not inferior to standard treatment - equivalence trials seek to explore if the new and the standard treatments are equivalent. To learn more about the pros and cons of superiority trials and non-inferiority trials from Dr. Helena Kraemer listen to the podcast episodes below. Click here for more Research Methodology Podcasts	common_crawl_stanford.edu_337
KALW Public Radio Bay Area: The Stanford Letter Project helps you discuss your end-of-life wishes Although 92 percent of US adults say it’s important to discuss their end-of-life care wishes, only 32 percent have had this conversation, and less than one-third have advanced-care directives in place. These discussions are crucial to ensure your wishes. The Stanford Letter Project gives you the tools to ensure you and your loved ones are prepared. Epigenetics Biomarker of Post Operative Delirium and Long Term Cognitive Decline among Elderly Dementia Patients Dr. Gen Shinozaki from Stanford Psychiatry has received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to investigate epigenetic biomarkers related to post-operative delirium and long-term cognitive decline in elderly patients, both with and without dementia. Delirium, particularly common after surgery in elderly patients, is a serious condition that can lead to cognitive deterioration and even death, especially for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Despite its severity, predicting and detecting delirium remains a major challenge. Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States gave an Award of Honor to Dr. Lloyd Minor and Dr. VJ Periyakoil Honor Award and Celebration July 2024: Stanford Medicine’s Longevity and Healthy Aging consortium had a wonderful annual celebration on 7/31/2024. His Excellency Ratu Ilisoni Vuidreketi, Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States of America was the Chief Guest. Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine was the keynote speaker. Dr. VJ Periyakoil received the 2024 Visionary Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Dr. VJ Periyakoil, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean of Research, received the 2024 Visionary Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Every five years, AAHPM calls upon its extensive membership of over 5,000 professionals to nominate visionaries who have significantly shaped the landscape of palliative care. “This program recognizes extraordinary individuals who continue to enhance the delivery of care for seriously ill patients and have brought true innovation to our field,” noted Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA FASAE, AAHPM CEO. Dr. Periyakoil’s groundbreaking contributions at Stanford University and her tireless efforts in advancing the field have earned her this distinguished accolade. Machine learning prediction of mild cognitive impairment and its progression to Alzheimer’s disease Health Science Report 2023: Effective screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease is a crucial step in helping aging population with their needs Early detection and automated screening for MCI and dementia could offer opportunities for deliberate study and recruitment into trials for developing other potentially useful therapeutics or interventions. The study results were published in October, 2023. Targeting repetitive laboratory testing with electronic health records-embedded predictive decision support: A pre-implementation study March, 2023: Dr. Jonathan Chen’s lab recently published “Targeting repetitive laboratory testing with electronic health records: a pre-implementation study” in Clinical Biochemistry with funding from the SAGE Pilot Award Program. Exploratory studies of microbiome in healthy human aging October, 2022: Dr. Xin Zhou’s recent work, “Exploratory studies of oral and fecal microbiome in healthy human aging”, was published in Frontiers in Aging. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36338834/ Award for Inclusion Research Dr. Juan Banda’s lab was recently awarded the 2022 Google Research Award for the project “Towards more equitable representation of Latin American Spanish natural language processing resources for social media mining of health-related applications”. Stanford Researchers Named to Clinical Research Forum Top Ten List March 2022: Dr. James Zou, Lead of the SAGE Center Methods Core, has received the Clinical Research Forum 2022 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award in recognition of his study, “Evaluating eligibility criteria of oncology trials using real-world data and AI,” the results of which were published in Nature last year. The study focused on using data science and artificial intelligence (AI) to design clinical trials, with a specific focus on making clinical trials more inclusive. “Trials frequently have pages and pages of eligibility criteria, which filters out a significant number of patients who would otherwise gain access to the latest treatments,” explained Dr. Zou. “These restrictions can also lead to the exclusion of female, minority, and older patients.” Stanford Cardiovascular Institute Recognition Award Dr. Ngan Huang was recently awarded the 2022 CVI Recognition Award for her efforts leading and providing educational opportunities for CVI members and active participation in numerous activities that strengthen the CVI community.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_338
Stanford Medicine’s Longevity and Healthy Aging consortium had a wonderful annual celebration on 7/31/2024. His Excellency Ratu Ilisoni Vuidreketi, Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States of America was the Chief Guest. Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine was the keynote speaker. During this event, many direct care workers who completed a non-degree program called Longevity, HEalthspan Aging, Dementia, and End-of-life CaRe (LEADER) Program received their completion certificates from the Ambassador. The LEADER program is the first of its kind and provides training to direct care workers in their preferred language. The trainees acquire knowledge and skills to help them advance longevity and healthy aging and engage patients and families in their healthcare. Training is provided in small groups and there is a strong focus on acquisition of practical skills that will help them improve ther care they provide to the patients they serve. Recognizing the service provided by Stanford Longevity and Healthy Aging Consortium to the Fijian community, the Hon. Ratu Ilisoni Vuidreketi gave an Award of Honor to Dr. Minor and Dr. Periyakoil.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_339
VJ Periyakoil, MD Associate Dean for Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Director, Palliative Care Education, and Training, VA Palo Alto Health Care System email: periyakoil at stanford dot edu Twitter: @palliator VJ Periyakoil, MD Associate Dean for Research, Stanford University School of Medicine, Director, Palliative Care Education, and Training, VA Palo Alto Health Care System email: periyakoil at stanford dot edu Twitter: @palliator Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD1; Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD; Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD Improving the diagnostic process is a quality and safety priority.With the digitization of health records and rapid expansion of health data, the cognitive demand on the diagnostician has increased. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist human cognition has the potential to reduce this demand and associated diagnostic errors. However, current AI tools have not realized this potential, due in part to the long-standing focus of these tools on predicting final diagnostic labels instead of helping clinicians navigate the dynamic refinement process of diagnosis. This Viewpoint highlights the importance of shifting the role of diagnostic AI from predicting labels to “wayfinding” (interpreting context and providing cues that guide the diagnostician).	common_crawl_stanford.edu_340
Dr. Gen Shinozaki from Stanford Psychiatry has received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to investigate epigenetic biomarkers related to post-operative delirium and long-term cognitive decline in elderly patients, both with and without dementia. Delirium, particularly common after surgery in elderly patients, is a serious condition that can lead to cognitive deterioration and even death, especially for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Despite its severity, predicting and detecting delirium remains a major challenge. The focus of this study is on understanding how epigenetic changes, particularly through DNA methylation, contribute to delirium. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that can be influenced by environmental factors and aging, impacting how genes are expressed. The study will examine these molecular changes to explore how they might be linked to the onset of delirium after surgery. The research involves a large cohort of elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, which carries a high risk of delirium. By comparing the DNA methylation profiles of patients who develop delirium with those who do not, the team aims to identify specific epigenetic markers that could serve as early indicators of delirium risk. The project is a collaboration with Dr. Michael Snyder (Genetics), Dr. VJ Periyakoil (Geriatrics), Dr. Katrin Andreasson (Neurology), and Dr. Brice Gaudilliere (Anesthesiology) at Stanford, along with colleagues from Vanderbilt University and the University of Iowa. According to Dr. Shinozaki, understanding these epigenetic changes could offer new ways to predict, prevent, and treat delirium, improving outcomes for elderly patients, especially those with dementia. Dr. Shinozaki’s broader work includes developing biomarkers and a bispectral EEG device proven effective in detecting delirium in over 1,000 inpatients. He recently received the Wayne Katon Research Award from Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychaitry for these accomplishments. His recent publications, such as studies on epigenetic signals and immune-related DNA methylation changes associated with delirium, further support his ongoing research.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_341
The goal of the Stanford University’s Internet based Successful Aging (iSAGE) is to promote successful aging and end of life care for multi-cultural older adults. iSAGE is an online, multi-media rich, skill-based training program that offers comprehensive distance learning and support resources. The iSAGE training program is a self-paced, self-study program and has three parts as follows: - Part 1 of iSAGE will immerse participants in the over arching scientific principles of successful aging and end of life care. - Part 2 will focus on quality care of multicultural older Americans. - Part 3 will be a scholarly project, which will include mentored field work during which the participant will complete a mini-dissertation in the area of their interest and submit a final report to be graded by experts. The scholarly project should be specifically designed to positively impact at least five older Americans in some small and specific way. The course director will mentor mini-fellows on choice of the scholarly project. Mini-fellows are encouraged to collaborate with their peers in the iSAGE program in completing their field work. Online Application: Apply now and become a Successful Aging Mini-Fellow: iSAGE online application Terms of Use Use of this website is governed by the eCampus Terms of Usage.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_342
Helena Chmura Kraemer, Ph.D. Professor of Biostatistics in Psychiatry (Emerita) Helena Chmura Kraemer, Ph.D. Professor of Biostatistics in Psychiatry (Emerita) Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD1; Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD; Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD Improving the diagnostic process is a quality and safety priority.With the digitization of health records and rapid expansion of health data, the cognitive demand on the diagnostician has increased. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist human cognition has the potential to reduce this demand and associated diagnostic errors. However, current AI tools have not realized this potential, due in part to the long-standing focus of these tools on predicting final diagnostic labels instead of helping clinicians navigate the dynamic refinement process of diagnosis. This Viewpoint highlights the importance of shifting the role of diagnostic AI from predicting labels to “wayfinding” (interpreting context and providing cues that guide the diagnostician).	common_crawl_stanford.edu_343
AHA Agile Hardware Project AHA Agile Hardware Project While advances in software tools and frameworks have enabled individuals to create interesting new products in reasonable time frames, hardware designs take large teams multiple years. This disparity in required effort decreases hardware innovation and interest. To address this issue, we must make hardware/software systems easier and more fun to develop, which means that we need to enable a more “agile” hardware development flow, making it possible to quickly and easily modify an existing design and play with the resulting system. Priyanka Raina named 2024 Sloan Research Fellow AHA faculty Prof. Priyanka Raina has been awarded the 2024 Sloan Research Fellow. The fellowships honor early-career researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders. How computer chips get speedier through specialization AHA faculty Prof. Priyanka Raina talks about her research on creating specialized chips to improve efficiency of computing systems and making the hardware design process easier and faster.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_344
AHA Industrial Affiliates Program Members of the industrial affiliates program are an integral part of AHA. The Stanford AHA Agile Hardware Center brings together diverse funding sources including Intel Science and Technology Centers for Visual Cloud and Agile Hardware, DARPA research grants, and Stanford Industrial Affiliates Program. Members of the affiliates program are an integral part of AHA. They provide insights on real-world problems, opportunities, and constraints that inform and inspire AHA research. They engage with faculty and students, and provide a path to testing and applying our innovations, thus leading to large-scale impact. AHA Vision and Team The AHA develops technologies that enable designers to easily create and add powerful feature-rich applications, computing, and communications to any intelligent device or system. This vision requires custom application-specific accelerators and agile system and hardware development tools. As an industrial affiliate, you'll be part of the AHA team, including the following Stanford professors and their research groups: Sara Achour, Computer Science and of Electrical Engineering Clark Barrett, Computer Science: Satisfiability, formal software and hardware verification, and automated reasoning. Pat Hanrahan, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering: Visualization and scientific illustration, graphics systems and architectures including a programming environment for GPUs, and rendering algorithms for natural environments. Mark Horowitz, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science: New design methodologies for VLSI circuits including analog and digital design methods, low-energy processors, and computational photography. Fredrik Kjolstad, Computer Science: Compilers and programming models, specifically programming systems for sparse computing applications. Priyanka Raina, Electrical Engineering: Design of energy-efficient circuits and systems for demanding applications on constrained-resource devices such as accelerating multimedia applications on mobile devices. The AHA team aims to enable a more agile hardware development flow to quickly and easily modify an existing design. Design, validation, and software are now the critical issues. Solving these issues requires expertise in the application area and hardware design. The AHA team uses agile design practices and continuous integration with rapid design cycles and frequent tapeouts. Also, the team uses their own tools to create prototypes, and uses their own prototypes to create new systems. AHA Corporate Supporters The following companies have generously supported AHA research. Amazon Annapurna Labs AMD Apple Google Intel Meta NVIDIA Qualcomm Samsung	common_crawl_stanford.edu_345
Domain-Specific Software, Hardware, and their Composition Speaker: Fredrik Kjolstad, Assistant Professor, Computer Science Dept. Stanford University Date: May 8, 2024 Computer scientists have always built libraries and languages to make it easy to express software in different domains. In the last decade, performance demands have dramatically increased due to more expensive uses of more data. To deliver this performance, we have developed sophisticated computing environments that embrace both distributed-memory computing and specialized domain-specific accelerators. These environments place a large burden on the software stack and increase the need for compilers to generate specialized software implementations to target different hardware and to increase locality through tiling and fusion.I will share my thoughts on designing programming systems for domain-specific computing environments, drawing on work from my group and elsewhere. These programming systems must raise the level of abstraction to sophisticated operations on abstract collections. (I think four such collections cover the lion’s share of large-scale computing.) By raising the level of abstraction and by introducing new compiler techniques, we can make the programming systems portable across different machines and different physical data structures. To manage complexity, compilers should target hardware-facing domain-specific abstract machines that separate software and hardware implementations. Finally, intermediate languages can also help us describe hardware to the compiler, so that we can target it without rewriting large parts of the compiler. Bio: Fredrik Kjolstad is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Stanford University. He works on topics in compilers, programming models, and systems, with an emphasis on compiler techniques that make high-level languages portable. He has received the NSF CAREER Award, the MIT EECS Sprowls PhD Thesis Award, the Rosing Award, an Adobe Fellowship, a Google Research Scholarship, and several best/distinguished paper awards.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_346
PBA: Percentile-Based Level Allocation for Multiple-Bits-Per-Cell RRAM Speaker: Anjiang Wei, PhD Student, Stanford University Date: October 4, 2023 Recently, researchers have demonstrated multiple-bits-per-cell (MBPC) data storage using resistive random access memory (RRAM) device technologies. In MBPC storage, a level allocation algorithm identifies a level allocation that maps resistance ranges to bit combinations. State-of-the-art level allocation algorithms, such as sigma-based allocation (SBA), fit cell characterization data to parameterized distributions and then use distribution parameters (i.e., programmed resistance standard deviation σ) to find level allocations. However, from the datasets we collected, the data points do not actually conform to the chosen distribution, and therefore the real-world analog behaviors are poorly approximated by the parameterized distribution-based approach. We present PBA, a percentile-based level allocation algorithm that computes level allocations directly from characterization data. We show that PBA level allocations have 30%-71% lower bit error rates and 22%-41% lower ECC storage overheads than SBA on three fabricated RRAM storage arrays.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_347
Applications Overview We aim to create hardware for state-of-the-art applications that combine image processing and machine learning. We are looking at ways to change the programming model to address the challenges involved in lowering to hardware. We use Halide, a data-parallel DSL, to create algorithms and schedule them for different hardware backends. We modify the Halide compiler to extract memories and compute from loop nests. Then, we use our polyhedral analysis tool, Clockwork, to analyze memory operations for scheduling and hardware mapping. Additionally, we are exploring auto-scheduling under resource constraints in Halide and a new IR, Aetherling. New image and vision applications Our applications focus on image processing and vision applications. We have created implementations and schedules of basic image applications, such as 3x3 convolution, Harris corner detector, and a simple camera pipeline. Our application suite continues to grow as we handle programs with upsampling, pyramid computations, and multi-level memory hierarchies. Some of the newer features of the compiler also means that machine learning applications, such as MobileNet and ResNet, are now feasible. We are also looking to create state-of-the-art applications that combine imaging and machine learning kernels, including HDR-Net. Halide-to-Hardware Compiler The Halide compiler takes algorithms and generates scheduled implementations. The original Halide compiler uses scheduling to help explore how to optimally run CPU and GPU implementations. We modified the compiler to also support hardware generation. The accelerator that is produced uses streaming inputs and outputs, and is later mapped to our CGRA using our toolchain. There are several specific passes for hardware generation. The Halide IR is modified for hardware-specific properties (such as custom buffers, streaming interfaces, simultaneous computation) and then the final output is separated into computation kernels and memories. The computation kernels are converted into CoreIR, our hardware definition representation. The memories are fed into Clockwork, which performs passes using polyhedral analysis. These passes determine when each memory store and load should occur, and determines the parameters for all buffers. Our unified buffer abstraction encapsulates line buffers for image processing and double buffers used in machine learning. In addition, the compute graph is modified to use a set of streaming interfaces between each of the kernel interfaces. Repository: https://github.com/StanfordAHA/Halide-to-Hardware Aetherling System Aetherling is a system for compiling image processing pipelines expressed in a standard, data-parallel DSL to streaming hardware accelerators. Aetherling’s auto-scheduler performs design-space exploration to tradeoff throughput and compute and memory utilization within the constraints of the target hardware. The auto-scheduler can efficiently explore the set of valid schedules by lowering the programs into a performance transparent IR. Since all operators in the IR have an unambiguous implementation in hardware, approximating the resource utilization of any program in the IR is accurate and much faster than performing place-and-route. Additionally, the auto-scheduler can quickly cull invalid schedules by using the IR’s type system. Each operator in the IR has a dependent type signature that describes it's throughput. Chains of operators with mismatched throughputs do not compile to streaming data accelerators. Therefore, the search algorithm can ignore them.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_348
AHA Software Our open-source and related resources include Stanford's Halide-to-Hardware compiler, along with Ofer Shacham's Genesis2 and multiple other hardware generation tools created specifically for taping out our chip(s). In the past we have also used James Hegarty's Darkroom compiler for image processing applications along with John Brunhaver's hardware-generating back-end. AHA Open-Source Software Halide-to-hardware is a tool for taking unmodified Halide algorithms, plus user-specified schedule information, and producing the means for accelerating the algorithm with automatically-generated special-purpose hardware, system calls and drivers. Other open-source tools we created to build our latest chip Garnet include - Garnet - AHA CGRA generator - Lassen - PE module used in CGRA - Gemstone - Chip generator infrastructure based on Magma - Peak - Specification language for processing elements (CPUs) - Canal - Specification language for intertile routing - Magma - A hardware design language embedded in python - Fault - A Python package for testing hardware (part of the magma ecosystem) - mflowgen - A modular flow generator and ecosystem for physical design Also see the extensive list of resources found at https://github.com/StanfordAHA/doc . Related Resources Genesis2 (Stanford) (github) is a chip generator originally developed at Stanford University, available free of charge for non-commercial academic and research purposes under Stanford's Academic Use Agreement. For commercial use contact Stanford's OTL Office of Technology Licensing. Halide is a new programming language designed to make it easier to write high-performance image processing code on modern machines. Its current front end is embedded in C++. Compiler targets include x86/SSE, ARM v7/NEON, CUDA, Native Client, and OpenCL. Halide source is available on github. RISC-V is an instruction set architecture (ISA) that was originally designed to support computer architecture research and education and is now set to become a standard open architecture for industry implementations under the governance of the RISC-V Foundation. The RISC-V ISA was originally developed at the University of California, Berkeley.	common_crawl_stanford.edu_349

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