A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement Center will kick off the spring 2018 semester at IUP.
IUP President Michael Driscoll and Vice President for Student Affairs Rhonda Luckey invite IUP and the Indiana community to the celebration of the opening of the new Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE) Center. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place Friday, January 26, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. in the first floor Atrium of Elkin Hall.
Light refreshments will be provided after the ceremony inside the building.
On August 1, 2016, MCSLE was created to reflect the recommendations from the Middle States Accreditation Review, as well as the outcomes from faculty, staff, and students who attended the 2016 IUP Diversity and Inclusion Symposium in the spring semester.
The Center is the reorganization of two former university offices; the Center for Student Life and the African American Cultural Center. By combining the centers, IUP has improved its efficiency of providing stronger student services ( IUP Strategic Plan, Goal 3), and opportunities for educational programming promoting a greater appreciation for diversity, inclusion, and multicultural competency.
The nature of the Center encourages programming that is wide-ranging, capitalizes on shared resources for the benefit of serving all students, encourages mindful collaboration of the importance of inclusion in multicultural programs, and allows more purposeful planning of events through a unified calendar.
MCSLE is comprised of four offices working together to support the mission and vision of the university and the Student Affairs Division by empowering students, individually and collectively, to participate in intentional and interconnected learning, leadership, engagement, and multicultural experiences. The four offices which comprise MCSLE are: Multicultural Affairs and Student Success; Student Leadership and New Student Success; Greek Life and Student Engagement; and Program Coordination, Communication, and Assessment.
MCSLE and the Elkin Project are key initiatives that support IUP's Strategic Plan, Goal 2, “Prepare all of IUP's students for success in work and life, in addition to academic success.”
The Pennsylvania State System Board of Governors approved a $2.7-million bond to renovate the first floor of Elkin hall for the new location for MCSLE. Faculty, staff, and students gave valuable input towards the physical design of the center. The renovated space in Elkin Hall offers 85 percent more space for student services and programming. Renovation will include space for student organization offices, private meeting areas, a multipurpose room, and a dance studio.
The Center allows IUP to respect contemporary students' self-identification by offering one location on campus where students can access services to address multiple aspects of culture, identity, and the increasing diverse populations.