Harper College plans to reopen multicultural center

Closed nearly a decade ago during campus renovations, Harper College's multicultural center is returning this year as a gathering spot for students and employees of color and other historically underrepresented populations, officials said.

The Center for Multicultural Learning closed in 2012 during renovations to Building D on the Palatine campus, and since then, people have been asking for its return. Many brought up the issue during a series of listening sessions when President Avis Proctor arrived at Harper in July 2019.

Next week, the college's trustees are expected to approve a $191,000 contract to remodel space within Building D for the new center, which will include a community room, lounge, kitchenette, conference room, work area and offices. They reviewed plans for the center during a committee meeting Wednesday night.

"It's going to create a sense of belonging for students and employees with various backgrounds and identities," Proctor said. "But it'll also serve as a space for educational workshops for students and employees to grow personally and professionally as we work to understand each other's experiences and how we can work together to improve student success outcomes as well as our institutional culture."

Claudia Mercado, the college's interim vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, said while the center will welcome everyone, she anticipates it will be especially utilized by employee and student organizations representing Black, Latino, Muslim, LGBTQ and undocumented populations, people with disabilities, and social justice book clubs.

"Having spaces on campus where students and employees can feel a sense of belonging does increase retention," Mercado said. "We know that with retention and community building, that helps people feel like where they are - whether they are working or attending - there is a place where they want to stay. And they could find other people who they can engage with that have commonalities or even differences in being able to grow."

The multicultural center is one part of college officials' diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which include the hiring of a permanent vice president to oversee that area and report directly to Proctor. That person also is expected to hire a manager for the new multicultural center.

And as part of the college's new strategic plan launched in the fall, officials say they're developing strategies that aim to create a culture of equity on campus, remove barriers to student success, and implement inclusive classroom practices.

Construction on the multicultural center is expected to begin in April and be complete by July.