Assistant News Editor
The CSU Bakersfield campus will soon be opening its doors to a new Multicultural Alliance and Gender Equity Resource Center this upcoming fall 2016.
Making an opening debut that coincides with the beginning of the newly implemented semester system, the resource center will become a “one-stop-shop” for students who are looking to participate in the overall inclusion and diversity of the CSUB campus.
The new resource center will be on the first floor of student housing west, in the Rohan building.
The center was created through a collaboration between the office of the president and the division of student affairs, collectively they will be working with students to create the foundation of the resource center.
Assistant to the President for Equity, Inclusion and Compliance Claudia Catota excitedly awaits the new center.
“When I first came on board almost three years ago, I noticed that we didn’t have a multicultural center or gender equity resource center,” said Catota. “It has always been at the top of my list of one of the things that I think we needed to do, especially being a college campus.
“Those centers are always the hub of a lot of activity and conversations.”
Even though the resource center is set to open this upcoming fall semester, the program itself is still in the planning stages. Catota, along with the division of student affairs, will continue getting feedback from students and start talks with the associated students on campus to gain a good perspective about what type of resources students would like to have available at the new center.
“We can provide books, resources…for sexual assaults, videos, things that students can use to increase awareness around multiculturalism and civil rights,” said Catota. “We really want student input as to what they would like to see when they come.
“Because it is a student resource center we really want to work with the various student groups and student leaderships to make sure that the center will embody what the students need on this campus.”
ASI president Mike Kwon believes that the new resource center is something that CSUB students should look forward to.
“It’s absolutely great that our campus is getting a center that is a resource for students in this area,” said Kwon. “It was absolutely needed as our campus moves forward, and needs to be encouraged by everyone on campus to use.”
The resource center will also feature a conference room that students can utilize to practice for presentations or just to converse about topics that can increase diversity or that can promote inclusion.
“There will be a space where students can come and exchange information, exchange conversation and see what commonalities they have and work on joint efforts on campus,” said Catota. “Whether it’s to lead an initiative or focus on programming, identifying things that perhaps the university can do to support the student population.”
Additionally, behind the resource center will be the office of the new victim’s advocate, which will work together with the gender equity part of the resource center to create that one-stop-shop for students that are looking to be pointed in the right direction.
