What is an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI)?

The UC Davis AANAPISI Initiative supports the recruitment, retention and graduation of Asian American and Pacific Islander students. It is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Program, which started after the federal designation was created with the signing of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.

The U.S. Department of Education’s term “Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander” refers to Asian American students with origins from East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Federal funding through the Title III Part A and Part F AANAPISI grant programs have supported many first-generation, immigrant, low-income students.

Eligibility for the AANAPISI designation requires institutions to meet two primary criteria: (1) eligibility as an eligible institution according to Section 312(b) of the Higher Education Act of 19651 as amended and (2) at least 10 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduate enrollment.

Notable facts about the AANAPISI program nationally:

• Of all the different Minority Serving Institution (MSI) designations, AANAPISIs are one of the newest. In 2022, AANAPISIs received only 1.5% of the U.S. Department of Education’s appropriations for MSIs.
• Despite the limited appropriations, 75% of low-income AandPI students attend an AANAPISI.
• AANAPISIs enroll over 40% of all AandPI college undergraduate students, even though AANAPISIs only make up about 6% of colleges and universities in the U.S.
• While the focus is to serve Asian American and Pacific Islander students, AANAPISI programs have benefited all students at each AANAPISI regardless of background.

AANAPISI Leadership Committee 

The mission of the leadership committee is to leverage the designation to collectively mobilize the campus community to confront opportunity gaps for institutionally oppressed and historically marginalized Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander students in order to advance educational access and promote culturally relevant learning and enriching environments; to amplify this designation to foster authenticity, vulnerability and innovation.

Kat Parpana
Administrative Co-Chair
Director, AandPI Retention Initiative

Dr. Susette Min
Faculty Co-Chair
Department Chair, Asian American Studies 

Dr. Hendry Ton
Faculty Co-Chair
Associate Vice Chancellor, Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Dr. Pablo Reguerín
Executive Sponsor
Vice Chancellor, Division of Student Affairs

Dr. Kevin Gee
Faculty, School of Education 

Dr. Malisa Lee
Vice Provost, Enrollment Management 

Chris Pangelina
Associate Director, AandPI Retention Initiative 

Dr. Lindsay Romasanta
Chief of Staff, Division of Student Affairs 

Dr. Binnie Singh
Associate Vice Provost, Academic Affairs

Audrey Tang
AANAPISI Undergraduate Research Fellow

Angel Truong
Office Coordinator, AandPI Retention Initiative 

Dr. Mikael Villalobos
Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Campus Community Relations in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Affaf Waseem
Director, Middle Eastern North African and South Asian Student Resources 

Dr. Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza
Consultant
Cal Lutheran University

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  Section 312(b) specifies that a college or university enrolls needy students, has lower than average educational and general expenditures per full-time equivalent undergraduate student, is legally authorized to provide an educational program, and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered.