Like many higher education institutions across the country, the campus climate of the University of Kansas during the late 1990’s was marked by racial tensions. The university realized the need for a facility to promote multicultural education and understanding.
In November of 1991, the idea was first proposed to the Student Senate from a coalition of student groups and the Cultural Affairs committee. A year later, Dr. David Ambler, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs then announced an administrative decision to implement the MRC at a location on Louisiana Street.
In 1995 Facilities Operations completed renovation of the annex. The grand opening of the MRC took place on September 6, 1995. The current building, which is 2,469 sq. feet, features a computer lab, classroom, resource room, student lounge as well as office space. Funding comes from KU Student Senate and The University of Kansas.
The first director of the Multicultural Resource Center was Gloria Flores, then Associate Director of the Office of Minority Affairs. Ms. Flores left in 1999 and the MRC was without a director until the summer semester of 2000.
During this time, the MRC continued to promote a vision of multicultural education through its programs. In the spring semester of 2000, through the vision of Mr. Robert Page, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the idea for an updated cultural center was proposed to the university administration.
That fall semester, Ms. Santos Núñez was hired as the Program Director for the Multicultural Resource Center. She set to work immediately, infusing the MRC with her style of leadership and programming and worked tirelessly to create an environment that would promote student learning and education. Ms. Nunez was instrumental in promoting the MRC as a facility that supported the academic mission of the institution and became a well-known icon to the community of The University of Kansas. Ms. Nunez excelled in programming enhanced existing programs such as the Diversity Peer Education Team and the Diversity Dialogues series. She created new programs such as the We Are One Community Diversity Conference, as well as the Diversity Training Institute - a professional multicultural education-training program for the university’s faculty and staff. Her hard work changed a rarely used facility averaging only 400 visits during 1999-2000 to over 7000 visits in the 2003-2004 academic year. Working with other university departments to secure adequate furniture, artwork and computer equipment, she changed the aesthetics of the building and created an environment that facilitated student learning.
In the spring of 2001 a Building Program Plan for a new Multicultural Resource Center was presented to the university administration. The following year Student Senate presidential candidates listed the construction of a new Multicultural Resource Center on their platform. It was not until the spring of 2003 through the work of Jonathan Ng, Catherine Bell, Blake Shuart, Casey Collier, Destinee Maxwell, Mark Dupree and several other key administrators, that the university agreed to move forward with plans for a new MRC. Student Senate passed a resolution stating that they would supplement private donations from the Sabatini Family with student fees for the immediate construction of an updated cultural center. The following academic year (2003-2004) a building committee, chaired by Dr. Richard Johnson, Associate Vice Provost was established to complete the process of building a new Multicultural Resource Center.
The
new Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center
will feature updated technology, more programming space for student
organizations and more academic resources. The updated facility would
also include additional study areas for the MRC’s tutoring program (SOAR) as well as informal study groups. The proposed location is 1301 Jayhawk Boulevard. With the growth of changing demographics and the appreciation of cultural programming, an updated facility will accommodate the influx of inclusive programming on a college campus and would also allow for programming sponsored by various campus departments and organizations. Open lounge areas and study space will be designed to provide a facility that fosters an academic environment. The proposed center will assure that we meet the needs identified in the goals and mission of the MRC. The proposed MRC will provide a modern, student centered facility that aligns itself with the mission of the university and promotes multicultural education. It is truly an exciting time for us at the Multicultural Resource Center, we are moving forward but looking back to remind ourselves of the progress we have made
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