APASS Staff gather on the couches at the APASS center for a group photo.
About Us
First, and foremost, APASS is for you.
You may be a current student (undergraduate or graduate), an incoming student (freshman, transfer, or spring admit), an alum, staff, faculty, or community member.
Our center provides programs, services, and resources for students who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) and educational opportunities for the entire campus. Our mission is to Educate, Engage, and Empower not only our APIDA Trojan community but also the larger university.
The APIDA population is diverse here at USC. Our students come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, hometowns, academic majors, and interests. APASS allows you to explore various aspects of your identity and interests!
Finally, and most importantly, APASS is here to support you during your time at USC. We want to be part of your network and your home away from home. Come and visit us in Student Union 410!
Our Mission
Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS) is a department within USC Student Affairs’ Student Equity and Inclusion Programs (SEIP) area that offers an array of programming designed to educate, engage and empower students.
APASS has a two-fold mission: to facilitate APIDA participation, dialogue, community-building, and empowerment, while at the same time, to serve as a source of cross-cultural educational programming for the entire campus.
We strive to create unique learning opportunities that include mentorship, leadership development, advocacy, and community involvement. We understand the distinctive needs among the different ethnicities within our APIDA community, and we succeed in deriving strength from our diversity. We believe in a pan-Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American identity that is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement, and continues to grow in the transnational sphere.
