Finding Community at Stanford

Welcome!

We are a collection of departments with students and staff committed to ensuring that all students have community, access, and resources to thrive at Stanford. We work to provide a sense of belonging for students from historically marginalized communities, and to foster a more inclusive environment for all students on campus. All of our websites are linked below.

You can also watch a panel discussion with eight Stanford students about their experiences entering and navigating life at Stanford. This panel was moderated by Jan Barker-Alexander, Assistant Vice Provost of Student Affairs and Executive Director of the Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership (ECL), the Offices of First-Generation and/or Low-Income Programs, and for Military-Affiliated Communities, and Resident Fellow in Ujamaa House.

To chat with representatives from our Community Centers, you can visit them in Cardinal Quad, the online platform for connecting admitted students to each other and the Stanford community. You will be emailed with an invitation to join Cardinal Quad via a personalized link.

For questions or concerns about disability-related accommodations and/or accessibility, please contact the Diversity and Access Office at disability.access@stanford.edu.

  • Asian American Activities Center (A3C)

    The Asian American Activities Center, A³C, is a department under the Vice Provost of Student Affairs and serves as Stanford’s primary resource for Asian and Asian American student affairs and community development.  The A³C contributes to the academic mission of the University through its partnerships and collaborative work with faculty, departments and academic programs.  Through programming and advising, the center facilitates the multicultural education of all students and the development of leaders who are able to negotiate an increasingly diverse and complex workplace and global environment.

  • Black Community Services Center (BCSC)

    The Black Community Services Center embodies inclusive excellence through partnering with and educating the Stanford community about the contributions of the African Diaspora, while ensuring that students can thrive and reach their full potential.

    Our 5 core pillars: Academic / Intellectual; Community Building; Alumni Engagement; Leadership Development; Mental Health & Wellbeing.

    Watch as the newly admitted Black students of Stanford are welcomed into the Chocolate Cardinal fold! This session was recorded in April 2021.

  • El Centro Chicano y Latino (El Centro)

    As a vibrant student center, El Centro Chicano y Latino works to support students academically, personally, socially and culturally. We focus on creating mature, aware and socially responsible individuals who advocate and dialogue for equity and social justice.

    Within the Chicano and Latino community there is great diversity of backgrounds, aspirations and sociopolitical views that adds to the richness of our collective experience.  El Centro’s programs provide Stanford students the opportunity to explore Chicano and Latino culture, history and traditions, and to use that understanding to work with other ethnic communities in the United States and around the world.

  • The Markaz: Resource Center (Markaz)

    The Markaz supports a vibrant community of students who identify with or are interested in Muslim experiences both here and around the world.  We provide a welcoming space, resources, and programming to engage, educate and empower the entire Stanford community.  Whether addressing the issues of today or celebrating our rich heritage, the Markaz fosters a sense of belonging and builds connections across Stanford’s diverse community.

    We at the Markaz believe that just because our community is physically distant, we don’t have to be socially distant. The Digital Markaz is a space for us to connect, share, and create, consisting of everything from one-on-one meetings with staff to our weekly Afternoon Chai over Zoom. You can follow the Markaz Instagram @stanfordmarkaz.

     

  • Native American Cultural Center (NACC)

    The Native American Cultural Center‘s mission is to champion Indigenous excellence, foster leadership development and promote wellness. The NACC anchors events, programs, lectures, performances, meetings and conversations around Native issues. It is a place to learn, to grow, to relax, to celebrate, to meet friends, to find support, to get advice, and to nurture community. It is home to Stanford’s 400 Indigenous-identifying students representing 50 nations and islands, and a welcoming place to others on campus and beyond.

    You can watch an April 2020 panel of Stanford indigenous students and staff as they engage in a lively discussion about what Community means to us; how we celebrate culture and identity in organizations, programs and events; how Natives are thriving inside and outside of the classroom; and why you should join us!

    Watch video

  • Queer Student Resources (QSR)

    Queer Student Resources (QSR) is dedicated to making Stanford a place where students of all genders and sexualities can flourish. We currently offer a range of programming, including community groups for Black queer and trans students (Blk QTs), queer and trans people of color (QTPOC Kickback), and students who currently identify or have identified with the Islamic faith and/or community (QueerSalam); spaces for community healing (Wellness @ QSpot), artistic practice and creativity (Queer Arts Initiative) and dreaming of radically different futures (Queer Futures Project); collaborative groups celebrating the intersections of faith and LGBTQIA+ identity (Queer Refuge); events educating allies about gender diversity and fostering community space for trans people (GLAM) and resources helping queer, trans and nonbinary students survive and, ideally flourish (QT Umbrella Fund, a collaboration with campus partner the Weiland Health Initiative).

    QSpot is a welcoming and inclusive space with plenty of couches, windows, sunlight, and views of the trees outside. Located on the second floor of the Firetruck House, QSpot is accessible by stairs or elevator and is open to any Stanford student. The center is a place to relax, study, and hang out with the queer community and a growing family of potted plants. QSpot offers a computer cluster, library, printing, and meeting space for activities and events exploring the diversity of queer experience and identity. QSR is part of the Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership.

    If you have any questions or want to connect, visit our Instagram @QueerStudentResources or email us at queerstudentresources@stanford.edu.

  • Women’s Community Center (WCC)

    The Women’s Community Center (WCC) exists to facilitate growth and engagement for Stanford students around issues of gender, equity, identity, and justice. We do this by building community and providing innovative opportunities to explore scholarship, leadership, and activism. Our approach is inclusive, intersectional, and welcoming of people of any background or level of prior engagement with these issues.

    You can watch the April 2020 panel of women in STEM fields below to learn about opportunities in science and engineering, classes, majors, research and internships.

  • First Gen and/or Low-Income Office (FLI)

    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.

    You can watch the April 2020 panel of first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) administrators and students below.

  • Hillel at Stanford (Hillel)

    Mazel tov and welcome!

    We can’t wait to meet you! If you have any questions, please be in touch with our Social Justice Springboard Fellow, Sarah Tibbitts at stibbitt@stanford.edu.

    Learn more at our website and stay in touch with us.