Resource centers foster inclusivity and help students learn about different cultures online and on campus
How do you engage in the “traditional” college experience if you’re a student who learns online and doesn’t have access to a physical campus?
That’s a nut we’re always trying to crack at Oregon State University Ecampus. We work endlessly to find new ways for online students to connect with the larger OSU community from a distance.
Thankfully, Oregon State’s seven cultural resource centers make it possible for Ecampus students to engage with these vibrant, diverse communities no matter where they live.
“There’s so much learning and connection that can happen through the cultural resource centers,” says Whitney Archer, the associate director of OSU Diversity and Cultural Engagement. “We know that Ecampus students want their experience to be more than just taking classes and earning a degree. The centers are a really meaningful way to build a connection, and they are places to be seen and validated and uplifted.”
Through relational experiences and events on campus and online, the cultural resource centers provide opportunities to interact with students and staff with shared identities and learn about people of other identities.
And given the current social crises domestically and abroad, these welcoming communities play a significant role in helping students navigate and confront challenging issues.
“For students who are interested in social justice and working to create a better world, we’re striving to do that by making a more just (institution), and there are a lot of skills folks can gain by being connected to the cultural resource centers,” says Archer, who is also assistant director of the Hattie Redmond Women & Gender Center. “It’s where folks can think about their spheres of influence and being leaders and agents of change.”
Here is a short introduction to Oregon State’s seven cultural resource centers. Ecampus students and others in the OSU community are invited to learn more about each one through social media and online.
Asian & Pacific Cultural Center
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/apcc
Facebook: @osuapcc
Instagram: @osuapcc
Mission: “The Asian & Pacific Cultural Center at Oregon State University was established to provide a welcoming and engaging space for the retention and success of students. We do this through academic, cultural, and social programming addressing the personal needs, academic excellence, and professional development of Asian and Pacific Islanders.”
Did you know? With its beginnings tracing back to 1980, the Asian Cultural Center was renamed as the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center in 2003 to be inclusive of the Pacific Islander communities.
Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/bcc
Facebook: @bccenter
Instagram: @oregonstatebcc
Mission: “The mission of the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center is to complement the academic program of studies and enrich the quality of campus life for African and African-American students on-campus and online at Oregon State University.”
Did you know? Lonnie B. Harris was the first director of OSU’s Educational Opportunities Program, which was the driving force behind increasing the recruitment and retention of Black students at Oregon State.
Centro Cultural César Chávez
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/cccc
Facebook: @cccc.osu
Instagram: @cccc_osu
Mission: “The Centro Cultural César Chávez exists to support the Latinx and Chicanx student community in the achievement of their educational and professional goals and retention of their culture. Further, we provide a space for students to share their culture and heritage with the broader OSU community and inform the OSU community about issues central to Chicanx/Latinx people.”
Did you know? A large mural of César Chávez, the iconic Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist who advocated for migrant farmworkers, is painted on the façade of the CCCC building on OSU’s Corvallis campus
Ettihad Cultural Center
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/ecc
Facebook: @ecc.osu
Instagram: @ecc.osu
Vision: The Ettihad Cultural Center is a cross-cultural resource for all OSU students aiming to represent the unique cultures of central and southwestern Asia as well as northern Africa. It aims to serve as a thoughtful cultural interpreter between the OSU community and the students that identify with the region.
Did you know? Ettihad means “unity” or “alliance” in multiple languages including Farsi, Urdu, Hebrew and Arabic.
Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/inahaws
Facebook: @inahawsatosu
Instagram: @ina_haws
Mission: “The Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws represents the Indigenous people of the Americas and Pacific Islands. We strive to deconstruct colonial borders’ impact on Indigenous identities while also honoring the sovereignty of tribes. While protecting and preserving the rights of Indigenous people, we provide a sense of home/community for Indigenous students that helps preserve their Indigenous identities while in college.”
Did you know? Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary’s River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855, Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.
Pride Center
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/pc
Facebook: @osupridecenter
Instagram: @osupridecenter
Twitter: @pridecenter
Mission: “The Pride Center provides programs and support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual members of the on-campus and online OSU community and their allies (LGBTQQIAA). The Pride Center affirms the identities and empowers the lives of people who are LGBTQQIAA by providing education, outreach, program support, consultation, community development, visibility, and advocacy.”
Did you know? In May 2001, OSU’s Queer Resource Center was formed. Three years later, it was renamed the Pride Center to reflect a positive light on all members of the LGBTQQIAA community.
Hattie Redmond Women & Gender Center
Website: dce.oregonstate.edu/wc
Facebook: @osu.hrwgc
Instagram: @osu.wgc
Mission: “We are an open community of feminist leaders inspiring change through advocacy, support and education toward the growth and success of all.”
Did you know? The Women & Gender Center is also home to the AYA Womxn of Color Initiative, which hosts biweekly the AYA Chat Time series on Zoom. It’s an avenue for women of color to build community in a virtual discussion space.
