IUPUI

Photo Galleries

Transcript

[K. Durgens] The Multicultural Center really is a physical place where you can actually provide education for students around the areas of diversity. What do we mean by that? Being in an urban institution as we are, we serve a very very diverse population. The center gives us an opportunity to bring all those constituents in one place and intermingle, educate through programs that are designed to introduce people to different cultures. Also, to provide a center for mentoring, so when we talk about the center we really see it as an educational piece; it’s that simple.

[Z. Bryant] The Multicultural Success Center will lead the IUPUI campus community ensuring that this is a culture of academic excellence for our students. The Multicultural Success Center will ensure that our students are engaged, that they’re collaborative, that they are successful here on our campus. We want to make sure that they are ethnically sound citizens here, not just here at IUPUI, but in the world as well. We want to ensure that our students are leaders at IUPUI and leaders in the world.

The center is located in Taylor Hall, which is named after Joseph T. Taylor, and Dr. Taylor was one of our first African-American deans on the campus. And, it’s in the heart of campus on the first level of Taylor Hall.

We have a large center, 18,000 square feet of space that houses a computer lab, a resource area, a group study area. We have a student organization suite where all of our umbrella organizations will have its own space. We also have an administrative office. Adaptive Educational Services is also housed in the Multicultural Success Center.

[C. Robinson] I think it gives the campus a common place to kind of address diversity issues, even social justice issues and just embrace the different cultures that we have on this campus. Beforehand, it was something that was talked about but not really stressed, or there wasn’t really any place that you could really go to for it. So now, the center definitely brings that aspect to the campus.

[P. Lara] I think the center is up and coming. It has a lot of great things to offer, and it’s definitely a place for you to get your start at here at IUPUI.

[T. Wilson] I think that it definitely diversifies the campus as far as various different programs that the Multicultural Center puts on. As far as like students awareness, as far as various different heritage months, events; different opportunities that students get to have as far as furthering their educational background, knowledge as far as opportunities for education, Then, of course, general life skills and things that will take them far in life. [Z. Bryant] We have to have an entire campus that embraces diversity that celebrates diversity, so it’s really important for us that we have programs that helps to educate our students, helps to bring about awareness. We could do that through many different ways whether that’s a speaker series, whether that’s experiential learning, whether that’s internationalization, whether that’s working with different units across the campus to educate our students, to educate our faculty and our staff members to make sure again that there’s awareness and understanding.

So when we say “multicultural”, we’re not talking about just the African-American students. We’re talking about our Latino students. We’re talking about our Native American students. We’re talking about our Asian American students. We’re talking about our LGBT students. We’re talking about all students because if we’re to have a campus that embraces diversity, that’s welcoming and inclusive, every student has to buy-in to the concept of diversity.

[S. Junkersfield] It’s actually given me a voice. I found out there were students like me that I can actually speak to and make a difference. So, I actually have a voice here on campus because of the Multicultural Center. As a whole, it just has different cultures, different values. I mean, people of all walks of life come in and out, and everyone has a story, and here, we can actually share it and learn about everyone’s values no matter race, gender, religion, anything.

[M. Bledsoe] The Multicultural Success Center seeks to involve the campus and the community and the students in learning about cultural awareness. The things that make our cultures unique, but give us really good reason to work together. We just are here to serve people and to make sure that people are aware that through all of our differences, we are a lot more alike.

[A. Adeeb] It’s the perfect center for the 35,000-40,000 students of the campus of IUPUI to understand each other, you know? And not to focus on one race, this is not a good idea; it’s multiculturism, multicultural races.

[P. Lara] I think the Multicultural Center brings an aspect to the campus that no other office brings to the campus. In the Multicultural Center, you could definitely learn both the traits of being very successful and professional, and yet in the same way, enjoy your college experience.

[T. Wilson] I’m really thankful for the Multicultural Center because it allowed me to progress as a student and also as an individual in a career. I’ve landed an awesome job; I’m utilizing the skills that they have offered me. Also the various, different experiences I’ve had going out of state and doing various, different leadership summits. It’s grown on me very well, and I appreciate it very much.

[Z. Bryant] We want to make sure that when our students graduate from IUPUI that they embrace diversity, that they celebrate diversity, that it’s a huge part of their core values. So, we’re not only serving under-represented populations; we’re serving the broader community as well, so we can bring around awareness and understanding, and again, to make sure that our students, when they graduate, are the best students they can be when they leave IUPUI.

[Students] One for all, all for one!