The MRC ANNOUNCES MOVE TO OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

The MRC is excited to announce major changes in its organization. The Multicultural Resource Center is leaving the

Division of Student Affairs and will become part of the newly created Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion. The

structural move means that the office will now report to Chief Diversity Officer, Valerie Hampton moving forward. In

addition, MRC Director, Nicole Sirju-Johnson has also accepted the position of Associate Chief Diversity Officer.

Dr. Sirju-Johnson states that the move would better align the goals of our office more strategically with ODEI in an

effort to advance the objectives created for our campus in the roadmap strategic planning process. Her promotion was

effective February 3. She states “I am excited about the move in that my new responsibilities include advancing cultural

competency education, impacting the recruitment of faculty, staff and students of color and making recommendations

for the advancement of diversity initiatives utilizing data based on the findings of the campus climate survey. “It’s a big

job and I look forward to being a part of the work that moves Binghamton University to the next level in terms of

becoming a premier institution in regards to diversity.” Physically, the MRC is moving to Bartle Library,( in the former

Center for Civic Engagement Space, LSG548). “We will finally be an actual “center” where students staff and faculty can

engage. The larger space means growth for the department and we think its time!”

The MRC plans to move in late May, shortly after graduation and plans to have a

grand opening for students in the fall semester.

MRC TO ASSIST IN CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY FACILITATION

The Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion launched it highly anticipated Campus

Climate survey on April 1. The MRC will host students taking the survey in Science 2

Pod 135 from April 1-4 to encourage members of student groups to take the survey

together. See the ODEI website for individual and student group incentives!

MRC HOSTS SUCCESSFUL KICK-OFF CELEBRATION FOR ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH

On Saturday, March 22, the MRC hosted its first ever kick-off celebration for Asian

Heritage Month. The event was co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute, Campus

Activities and Institute for Asia & Asian Diasporas. The celebration was the first of its

kind, featuring more than 10 Asian ethnic student groups, campus offices and a wide

variety of performances including everything from Chinese Opera, Kung-Fu exhibition,

Indian ethnic dance and more. The event was attended by more than 200 students, staff

and faculty members and featured authentic food from all over Asia. Special thanks to

all the MRC Interns, photographers, servers and all those who tabled and provided

Asian ethnic games. Special thanks to MRC Program Coordinator, Mengchen Huang for

her leadership in coordinating the event’s performances and table participants.

Take the Campus Climate Survey with MRC

http://www2.binghamton.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion/campus-climate-survey/

take-survey.html

Interested in advertising in the MRC CULTURE CONNECTS Newsletter? Increase your business among Binghamton University Students, Faculty, and Staff members. The MRC is home for more

than 100 cultural student organizations on campus. With more than 1,700 students subscribed to our Monthly Newsletter,

consider us a great marketing tool for reaching the university community. In fact, this is a great opportunity for local

businesses to showcase their business and services. For more information, please contact Mengchen Huang at

mhuang@binghamton.edu or call 607-777-6071.

MRC & UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS TO BRING STUDENTS OF COLOR TO BINGHAMTON

The Multicultural Resource Center in conjunction with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions hosted its most successful

letter writing campaign to date. This program is a collaborative effort each spring between the two offices in an effort to

coordinate current students from diverse cultural backgrounds to write letters to newly admitted students who are

considering enrollment at Binghamton. This year, MRC was able to sign up more than 40 volunteers who wrote a grand

total of 653 letters to all students who identified as African American or Native American and nearly half of all students

who identified as Hispanic and were admitted to Binghamton prior to February 26. MRC Director, Dr. Sirju-Johnson stated

that “this was a huge task that we accomplished in a week and a half! Next year, we hope to exceed this number.” All

students of color who have been admitted to Binghamton will be invited to a follow-up webinar in April for current

student leaders, admitted students and their families to interact prior to attending the Open House. All are hopeful that

the collaborative efforts pay off to increase enrollment for students of color at Binghamton.

BU NAACP HONORS A MRC DIRECTOR WITH 2014 IMAGE AWARD

On Saturday, March 30. The BU Chapter of the NAACP hosted its 2nd Annual Image Awards Ceremony and Gala. The event honored faculty, staff and students on campus for their support and educational advancement for students of color on campus. Among the honorees were MRC Director, Dr. Nicole Sirju-Johnson who received the Most Outstanding Faculty

Award for her support of activities that advance diversity on campus and for providing an environment for minority student groups to celebrate and engage culture. Other honorees included The Confronting Racism Coordinating

Committee, Ridwan Olatilewa, Kevin Cervantes, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc & Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Watch our latest show on YouTube, search from Multicultural Resource Center BU. If you are interested in participating on one of the shows or have suggestions for topics, please email

Mengchen Huang at mhuang@binghamton.edu.