Family Weekend is Feb. 24 and 25, 2017
Stanford expects to welcome more than 3,000 people when it holds its popular Family Weekend on Feb. 24 and 25, 2017. Online registration is now open and will close on Jan. 26, 2017.
The event, formerly known as Parents’ Weekend, offers members of families of undergraduate students a chance to learn more about life at Stanford, both inside and outside the classroom. The event name change, instituted for the first time this year, is designed to better reflect Stanford’s commitment to welcoming those who support and nurture students, whether they are parents, stepparents, guardians, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings or other individuals.
Any member of the family can attend, although the university hopes most families will limit themselves to no more than four visitors in recognition of campus space constraints. In addition, the university asks families to bear in mind that activities are not geared to young children.
Families are encouraged to make their travel plans early. Visit the Stanford Visitor Information webpages for more information about area lodging.
The activities begin Friday morning, Feb. 24, with registration at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, followed by a 10 a.m. welcome from President Marc Tessier-Lavigne in Memorial Auditorium.
Back to School Classes, taught by Stanford faculty members and senior administrators, are always among the most popular events during the event.
Among the 13 classes schedule to be offered:
Careers for Humanities and Arts Majors, moderated by Richard Saller, dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences
Decoding Cyber Threats, taught by Amy Zegart, codirector of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
A New Cold War? Explaining Russia’s New Confrontation with the West, taught by Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Also offered will be classes led by Stanford administrators who focus on such areas as student well-being and career services. They include Emotional Health and Well-Being of Stanford Students, taught by Carol Pertofsky, director of wellness and health promotion services, and Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects.
Family members also will be able to choose among some different tours, focusing, for instance, on areas ranging from Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve to the Bing Concert Hall to Stanford Stadium.
Weekend activities wrap up on Saturday with the popular Entertainment Extravaganza, sponsored by the Parents’ Club of Stanford University. The Entertainment Extravaganza features student performance groups and is held in Memorial Auditorium. Admission is $20 per adult and $10 for Stanford students and youth 17 and under.
In between, family members are invited to open houses at such facilities as the Black Community Services Center, Hillel at Stanford and the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking. Also offered will be residence hall receptions and dining hall lunches. A resource fair on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. will feature representatives from campus departments that most frequently deal with Stanford families and their students.
For more information and to register, visit the Family Weekend website.
