About Us

Mission

Asian/Pacific American Student Services exists to support the matriculation, retention, and graduation of Asian/Pacific American Students at Colorado State University through direct service to students as well as through educational and cultural campus-wide programs. Committed to a philosophy of multiculturalism, Asian/Pacific American Student Services creates and supports opportunities for interaction among university and community constituencies to enhance a campus environment that welcomes all students.

History

History In the spring of 1984, a needs assessment was developed and distributed to all self-identified Asian/Pacific American (A/PA) students, which at that time numbered less than 300. The survey asked students to specify how satisfied they were with different aspects of "life in the CSU and Fort Collins communities." In addition, students were instructed to indicate how valuable they thought particular services would be to them. Analysis of the results showed that students wanted to: 1) know more about their own and others’ Asian cultural heritage; 2) interact with other A/PA students, faculty, staff and community members; and 3) improve their chances of securing jobs after graduation.

Assuming that the survey results reflected student values, an office was developed whose goals were to address student needs and concerns. When the office initially was funded, a regional search was conducted that resulted in the hiring of 10-hour a week director, Linda Ahuna. At that time, she was also a second year graduate student working towards her master’s degree in education. The office was located in one room in the northeast wing of Aylesworth Hall. A/PASS, or Services for Asian American Students (SAAS) as it was then called, opened its door for the first time in November 1984. The one work-study student that the office was able to hire was actually supported by the offices of El Centro and Academic Advancement as there was no money in the SAAS budget for help! The first Asian Fest (then called Asian American Awareness Week) started in the Spring of 1985 and is the office’s oldest tradition.

At the start of the next year, SAAS was staffed by a ¾ time Director. In the Fall of 1985, the Asian American Student Association became a formalized student organization. It was comprised of a small but mighty core group of students who were very interested in the development of the office and in supporting A/PA students on campus. That same fall, four interested in establishing a Hawaii Club made their way on a snowy day to a meeting at the SAAS office expecting an organizational meeting, and instead became the newly appointed officers! In the Spring of 1987, the Hui ‘O Hawai’i held a lu’au, a program that has been an annual tradition. P.A.L.S., the big brother/big sister program made its debut in the fall of 1985 and has also become an A/PASS tradition. In its first year, the program included 5 student/child pairs. The numbers doubled each subsequent year for the next 4 years and the program now typically involves 25-30 pairs of students/children. By the fall of 1986, the SAAS office was staffed by a full-time director, and several work-study students. Ruth Nakamura Griffith was the office’s first program coordinator, a position later changed to Assistant Director. As the A/PA population continued to grow, so did the office and the programs and services offered. By this time, the office had acquired two more rooms and it was necessary to hire a full-time Administrative Assistant; Chloe Fong was the first person to fill that role. Currently Nattari Hale holds that position, and having been in the job for over 9 years, has seen and been an important part of the growth and change A/PASS has experienced.

When Ruth left the office to return to Hawaii, Wade Lee served as the Assistant Director for 2 years until he also returned to his home state of Hawaii. During Wade’s tenure, the office name was changed from SAAS to Asian/Pacific American Student Services to more accurately reflect our outreach to both mainland students and students from Hawaii. Also during the time when Wade was Assistant Director, the Asian/Pacific American Student Seminar class was first developed and continues to be offered each semester. After Wade left the position, Linda Morita was hired and she served as the Assistant Director for three years.

In May 1997, the A/PASS office moved to its current location in the Lory Student Center. Temporarily inconvenienced by the Flood of July 1998, the office now enjoys a central campus location that is easily accessible and highly visible. In September 1998, Glenn DeGuzman assumed the role of Assistant Director. In August of 2002, Mikiko Kumasaka assumed the role of Assistant Director. The Fall of 2004 brought on another significant change as the long time Director as well as founder of A/PASS took on a new position at CSU and Mikiko Kumasaka took over as the Director. The A/PASS student staff members are also an essential part of the A/PASS programs and services. The A/PASS professional and student staff produces a monthly newsletter, conducts the Peer Contact Program (to establish and maintain contact with A/PA students throughout their first year), coordinates the P.A.L.S. big brother/big sister program, maintains a test file, teaches the A/PASS class, serves as consultants and trainers to other campus departments and community groups on request, provides educational and cultural programs for the campus and surrounding community, works with student organizations and leadership development, acts as a resource of information to other helpful campus services, assists students with their transition to the university, helps minimize the red tape that students might encounter, maintains a small but growing resource library, and puts on some of the best potlucks on campus! Since the office was first established on campus, the A/PA student population has virtually doubled. The office serves literally thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members each year.

Contact A/PASS

212 Lory Student Center
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: (970) 491-6154
Fax: (970) 491-2574

peers@lamar.colostate.edu
pals@lamar.colostate.edu
anews@lamar.colostate.edu