Controversies surrounding programs sponsored by the Multicultural Student Center has led to heightened interest in this year’s Diversity Programs planning meeting.

Each year the MSC hosts a planning meeting in which students, faculty, and staff share programming ideas for the upcoming school year. This year the meeting will be on Wednesday, March 25.

“The large majority of the programs that we do come out of this meeting,” Consuela Ward, director of the MSC said.

Last year, 20-30 people attended the meeting and discussed what programs to keep, movies to show, general programs, general speakers, Martin Luther King speakers, and book club literature.

“If we are presenting to the campus community, it’s important to hear from the people we are serving,” Ward said.

According to data released on March 3, 2009, the percentage of student demographic groups served by the MSC is comparable to the student demographics of Georgia Southern University.

Despite the amount of attention the MSC has received this year, Ward said she has no reason to believe that more than 20-30 people will attend the planning meeting this year.

“[Students] just have to have an interest and a good idea,” Ward said.

The MSC is seeking students, faculty, and staff representative of the campus body to attend this planning event.

“The ideas must be in line with the mission of the Multicultural Student Center,” Ward said. “If it doesn’t line up, then it would make no sense to devote money or energy in that area.”

Attendees of the 2008 planning meeting consisted of presidents of organizations as well as people who were simply interested in diversity programming.

“Students need to get involved if they want to have a say in the programming—not wait until after speakers are invited to campus, then complain about the choice of speakers or programs,” said Jane Page, former professor of education at GSU.

Page provided the majority of funding for an endowment that supports a Distinguished Lecture Program for Curriculum Studies students. The program brings major speakers to campus. She provided her ideas and promoted student participation at the MSC planning meeting last year.

“The events should be planned with [students] in mind, and some times we don't really know whether or not a particular idea is ‘attractive’ to students,” Page said. “It helps to have some [students] there.”

Students are a major factor in the deciding of diversity programs through the MSC. Each planning meeting has allotted time for group breakout sessions in which attendees are separated into small groups to brainstorm ideas to present in the larger group. Each small group has a staff member of the MSC taking notes.

“It was a good way to meet and network with other members, representatives of multicultural organizations and departments on campus and share various ideas that we had,” said senior Kofo Sholesi.

Sholesi attended the planning meeting last year as the president of the African Student Association. She said the planning meeting served various purposes for her.

“I was even able to bring members of my organization who I thought would ultimately have a leadership position, in order to train and develop them,” Sholesi said.

Sholesi represented her organization and promoted upcoming events and ideas for the calendar. She encouraged others to take part in the process.

“If you have an idea, attend the meeting,” Sholesi said. “If you look on the calendar next year and don’t see an event you would like, don’t complain—contribute.”

Ideas can be contributed at the planning meeting Wednesday, March 25 from 1-3 p.m. in Russell Union room 2048. No registration is required.




Sade Oshinubi