2024-03-27: Reopening the MultiCultural Center on April 1 (On Behalf of Margaret Klawunn, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Katya Armistead, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Dean of Student Life and Joaquin Becerra, Interim Associate Dean of Student Life )

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March 20, 2024

TO:      Campus Community

 FR:      Margaret Klawunn, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

            Katya Armistead, Assistant Vice Chancellor/Dean of Student Life

            Joaquin Becerra, Interim Associate Dean of Student Life 

RE:      Reopening the MultiCultural Center on April 1

Dear Campus Community:

We are writing to provide important updates about the operations of the MultiCultural Center (MCC). We are planning to resume operations at the MCC beginning the first day of the Spring quarter, Monday, April 1. 

Since Monday, February 26, the MCC’s operations were temporarily paused when students and staff, in consultation with student leaders, saw no immediate way forward to deescalate rising tensions that stemmed from differing positions tied to the ongoing war in Gaza and perspectives on Palestine and Israel more broadly. The Instagram account and other social media, some department accounts, and portions of the website were temporarily deactivated for remediation of content that had been posted without authorization and to curb any further online harassment of students and staff. 

There has never been any question that we must restore full operations of the MCC as soon as possible. The MCC’s mission is core to our values as an organization whose service to underrepresented students and communities has been a beacon since its establishment in 1987. Foundational dialogue, which is critical to restoring the highly interdependent roles of student staff, interns, and career staff in bringing the mission of the MCC to life, is currently underway.

This spring we plan to convene a task force with student, faculty, and staff representation to continue strengthening the many platforms of engagement of the MCC and to guide the center’s work on intersectional racial justice at an even deeper level.

Students and communities, including the MCC student staff and other student leaders, have shared with us deeply personal accounts of being stereotyped, harassed, and even threatened both in person and online. We will continue, as appropriate, to investigate reports of discrimination and harassment shared with the University. We take our responsibility to address these concerns seriously. As we most recently shared on March 1 (see “Put an end to social media harassment and abuse”), contributing directly or indirectly to this sort of treatment of any member of our campus community is unacceptable. All of us – students, staff, faculty, and administration – have a responsibility to co-create a community that is fundamentally respectful and safe for all its members.

Thank you for your concern and care for this important campus resource as we move forward with this critically important and sensitive work