Amy Kraus: A New Advocate for Students
Evelyne Manse, MBA2
Issue date: 10/29/01 Section: News
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Tell us more about yourself.
I grew up in the Bay Area. I originally worked for Stanford Hospital, and my role was to help track everything that went wrong at the hospital. I decided to leave when Stanford Hospital un-merged with UCSF hospital, and joined the Stanford University Disability Resource Center (DRC). There, I worked with students that had a variety of disabilities including psychological problems such as depression, physical and learning disabilities – and, above all, tried to keep Stanford University from being sued! Working for Stanford University is just amazing: I really enjoy the contact with students and the family-friendly atmosphere.
How did you end up in your current position?
Some of the students I worked with at the DRC were MBA students. That’s how I got to know Courtney. She contacted me one day and said there were some openings in her department that she wanted me to come interview for. I had really enjoyed working with her and was really excited to work with more students like those that I had already worked with from the GSB. Finally, I thought it would be great to work only with MBAs as opposed to undergraduates because you don’t have to deal with the parents!
How would you define your new role?
Well, actually, it is still being defined. I am a first point of contact for students. The place to go for lost items is S120 (Building Services) but otherwise don’t hesitate to come by! I also see my role as an advocate for students – just like I used to be (and still am in my role as Assistant Director) an advocate for students with disabilities. I encourage students to come to me and offer new ideas on which we could work together. Ideally, if a small group wants to discuss an issue, they should think their idea through, have a spokesperson (or people), with whom I can meet and do the follow-up.
The perception was that you would be dedicated to international students?
I am here for all students with an extra focus on international students. The Student Life office works with students on a large spectrum of issues. I understand there has been recent discussion about recruiting and international students. The CMC is the place to go to with concerns about recruiting. As for visa issues, please stop by my office and I can try and answer your questions. For most visa issues though, Rolando Villalobos, in the Bechtel International Center, is the person to speak with. He is the link between students and the INS.