Director Message
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Academic Year 2023-2024
To the UIC Community:
On behalf of the AARCC Team, I welcome you to a new semester! This academic year, AARCC looks forward to engaging students, staff, faculty, the Chicago community, and the UIC campus. Below are some ways you can engage:
Visit AARCC and Meet Our Team
Newly added to the professional staff is Julian Ignacio, the new associate director for student development and evaluation. Julian is a UIC alumnus, worked as a graduate assistant at UIC, and recently worked in Chicago Public Schools. We invite you to visit us at 723 W. Maxwell and meet him, the other professional staff, graduate assistants, and student employees who make up the amazing AARCC Team! Our first official event will be the AARCC Open House on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 12 noon to 2pm. First 100 guests will get a free boba drink! Come to learn about our services, engage with community, and meet our wonderful staff.
Attend Cultural Programs and Events
Throughout the semester, AARCC will host a number of cultural programs and events that explore identities and intersectionality, primarily through an Asian American lens. To stay up-to-date, be sure to “like” the AARCC Facebook Page or subscribe to AARCC News. You can also follow us on Instagram - @uicaarcc. You can also scroll down to the bottom of the main front page of the AARCC website to see our upcoming events.
Take a Course in Global Asian Studies
UIC Global Asian Studies (GLAS) offers a number of courses open to UIC students, including this semester’s GLAS 105: Asian American Identities, Cultures & Communities, which is open to first-year students and in-coming transfer students. Anchored by a social justice framework, GLAS is composed of a vibrant community of award-winning scholars, beloved teachers and mentors, and fearless leaders and activists who seek to advance a critical understanding of contemporary issues through the interdisciplinary study of Asia and transnational Asian diasporas. GLAS offers a major and a minor!
Learn More about Culture and Social Change
UIC’s diverse campus includes the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change, proud center-siblings of AARCC and with whom we collaborate extensively. Visit each center’s website to learn about them and what they have to offer. Also, the CCUSCs offer several opportunities for instructors and their students enrolled in UIC’s First-Year Seminars to engage.
Use Anti-Asian Bias Tools and Resources
If you have witnessed or have experienced anti-Asian violence or are interested in addressing anti-Asian bias, please consider using our Anti-Asian Bias Tools and Resources at https://aarcc.uic.edu/anti-asian-bias-tools-and-resources/
Learn about AASAP
Through the efforts of the UIC AANAPISI Initiative, UIC now has an academic unit to support Asian American students! The Asian American Student Academic Program (AASAP) is in the process of opening their space in SSB and will provide tutoring services, academic advising, and support and will lead forthcoming 1-credit Global Asian Studies seminars focusing on career development, financial literacy, and life skills. To learn more, visit their website or email them at aasap@uic.edu.
I invite you to explore these ways for engagement, and I wish you a great start to a new academic year!
With regards,
Mark R. Martell, PhD
Executive Director