Asian Student Advising

students walking on campus

Mission Statement

The Office of the Assistant Dean of Intercultural Education and the Advisor to Students of Asian Descent collaborates with members of the college to support Wellesley’s diverse community through two main functions. On a broader spectrum, the office informs and educates the campus community about the value of diversity and promotes intercultural understanding through its programming and advising. The office is also primarily focused on students of Asian descent, with support services to enhance their academic, social, cultural, and personal experiences, and to further assist them in their success at Wellesley.

The goals of the Office are to:

  • Offer programs and training that focus on the many facets of diversity such as Let Me Speak during orientation and diversity training for student leaders.
  • Strengthen support network for first generation college students.
  • Provide resources and advising for Asian/Asian American students to address a variety of personal, social, academic, and community concerns.
  • Foster the personal, ethnic/racial identity and leadership development of Asian and Asian American students to provide opportunities for growth.
  • Increase awareness of issues affecting Asian/Asian American students at Wellesley, advocate on behalf of students of Asian descent, and empower and educate students to advocate for themselves.
  • Promote appreciation and understanding of Asian cultures and the experiences of Asians/Asian Americans in the United States.
Our Team

  • Assistant Dean of Intercultural Education and Advisor to Students of Asian Descent More
Events and Programming

 

Asian Awareness Month

March is Asian Awareness Month. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to enjoy the events listed below, all of which are free of charge.

Asian Awareness Month Kick-Off Event: Debunking the Model Minority Myth
Friday, March 1, 5:30pm  Tishman Commons
A panel of activists and philanthropists who will be addressing issues that are challenging Asian/Asian American communities. The three guest speakers are leaders of an Asian American think tank, a Pakistani micro-lending foundation, and an Asian domestic violence organization. The panel will be moderated by Professor Yoon Sun Lee, Director of American Studies.

GLBTQ Alumnae Panel
Saturday, March 9, 12:00pm Tishman Commons
Alumnae from various ethnic backgrounds and career paths come to speak about their life at/post college as a member of the Asian GLBTQ community. The alumnae will share their experiences and provide advice for current students. There will be time for a Q&A session.

Guest Lecture: Nepali Artist Sneha Shrestha
Tuesday, March 12, 7:00pm Knapp Atrium
The event is an art lecture featuring Sneha Shrestha, a Nepali artist from Boston's Art for Humanity. She will be presenting some of her works on a slide show and share the inspirations and experiences behind them. Some of the topics she will also touch upon are the mentorship she has received, the obstacles (cultural, financial, academic) that she has faced in her road to becoming an independent artist, and her motivation to combine urban art and Nepali script in her pieces. Wellesley students will also have a chance to ask Sneha questions in a Q&A session afterwards.

Coffee House Night
Friday, March 29, 7:00pm  Tishman Commons
The coffee house will include slam poetry as well as musical and instrumental performances by students from colleges in the Boston area and Wellesley students and faculty. The show is a celebration of the diversity amongst Asian/Asian Americans and a community building event. Food will be served.

Music as Religious Experience: Japanese Taiko Drums and Balinese Gamelan Orchestra
Wednesday April 3, 4:30pm  Library Lecture Room
Jennifer Milioto Matsue, Wellesley College Class of 1992, is returning to Wellesley to give a lecture/demonstration. While at Wellesley, she studied Music and Japanese Studies. Then, she went to the University of Chicago to pursue a PhD in Ethnomusicology. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Asian Studies at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Other events are scheduled on a rolling basis throughout the academic year and can be found by visiting our events calendar