The Center for Multicultural Services (CMS) at the University of La Verne creates and supports programs, services, and resources, dedicated to fostering an environment of exploration and consciousness raising and empowerment, as well as collaboration and celebration of the diverse cultural community present. CMS works to create an inclusive and justice oriented learning community by emphasizing and exploring socio-cultural identity and systems of oppression spanning the individual, community, and institutional levels.
Our Vision
To create, sustain, and nurture a dynamic, inclusive, and just 21st-century learning community.
This mission will be carried out by:
- providing a Center, a “living room” for students to convene, learn, reflect, collaborate, and thrive in;
- supporting students and the university community by encouraging self-discovery and exploration of the relevance of diversity in all its forms to one’s life and the life of the community;
- providing experiences and knowledge to journey toward becoming culturally proficient;
- coaching students and others working with issues of diversity;
- advocating for equity of inclusion and participation at all levels of the University structure as well as off campus (for historically marginalized and undocumented students);
- checking assumptions that must be challenged in order to raise consciousness, and acknowledging that learning is a life-long process; and
- cultivating relationships and collaborative partnerships with surrounding communities.
Programs and Services
The Center for Multicultural Services offers a number of program resources, including:
- acting as ombudsperson for diversity issues impacting students;
- directing, advising, mentoring, and supporting cultural clubs on campus;
- directing residential or online human relations/diversity retreats for the University of La Verne community;
- training Peer Facilitators to lead dialogue groups on substantive human relations issues at diversity retreats and on campus;
- directing the Brothers’ Forum Mentoring and Scholarship Program;
- providing multicultural student leadership training;
- sponsoring students to attend leadership forums and conferences;
- providing diversity training/workshops/forums for the campus community;
- providing support and resources to undocumented and DACA/Dreamer students;
- representing and advocating for diversity on various university committees;
- maintaining a Cultural Resource Library (books, videos, magazines, journals, etc.);
- overseeing Black Student Services/Black Scholars Success Program (in development):
- Black Community Meet and Greets/Events
- Peer Coaches (in process)
- Research Scholars
- Black Alumni Community Mentorship Dinners o Black Residential Scholars (in process)
- Black Student Retreat
- Conference Attendance
- Summer Bridge Program (in development)
- Black Women’s Retention Program (in development); and
- overseeing the cultural graduation celebrations Black/African American, Latinx, Winter Multicultural, and Spring Unity-in-Diversity (with sash options of: Black/African American, Latinx, Middle Eastern/Arabic, Multicultural/Unity-in-Diversity, Native American/Indigenous, Pacific Islander/Asian American, and Rainbow/Lavender.