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Weber State revamps support system for students of color; some skeptical

By Tim Vandenack - | Jan 27, 2023
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Tammy Nguyen, the new executive director of access and inclusion at Weber State University, in a Dec. 20, 2022, photo.
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A contingent of Weber State students held a gathering on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in a bid to get the university to slow down in its plans to reorganize the Center for Multicultural Excellence. Among those taking part were, from left, students Genesis Vargas and Joshua Wooton, University President Brad Mortensen and Adrienne Andrews, the university's vice president of equity, diversity and inclusion.

OGDEN — Weber State officials have instituted additional changes in the support system for students of color with creation of a series of cultural centers serving different race groups at the university.

The new official tasked with overseeing the cultural centers, Tammy Nguyen, executive director of access and inclusion at Weber State, has high hopes.

“With the creation of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion division, along with the new cultural centers, I’m hoping to see higher enrollment, retention and graduation rates for students of color,” she said in a question-and-answer statement released Wednesday by the university. “Additionally, the cultural centers will be a space where anyone can come to learn about each affinity group and participate in different events. I’m optimistic that cultural awareness on campus will continue to grow and we become a more inclusive place for everyone.”

The shift to the cultural centers, however, drew fire from some students, who called a meeting last November to protest the change and to press the university to slow the shift. In an emailed statement Thursday to the Standard-Examiner, Joshua Wooton, one of the protesting students, questioned the impact the change would have.

Other institutions that went with similar models, he maintains, had much larger budgets than what Weber State is allocating. “The (Center for Multicultural Excellence) already sat tremendously underfunded, even before continuous and relentless budget cuts began taking place. How do we expect that minority communities will have a voice at Weber if the university is physically incapable to fund them?” Wooton said.

The Center For Multicultural Excellence, or CME, was the name of the organization at Weber State that focused on supporting many students of color. Per the changes, it’s preliminarily been renamed the Center for Belonging and Cultural Engagement, or CBCE, and it will oversee four new bodies, each focused on a particular subgroup — the Black, Native American, Pan-Asian and Pacific Islander cultural centers.

Wooton also criticized what he said was the sudden nature of the shift, announced to students in a Nov. 18 universitywide email. The announcement took many by surprise, prompting the Nov. 30, 2022, gathering he and other Latino students led.

“This sudden restructuring was done incredibly sloppily, and it is clear that it was done more as a way for the university to avoid any claims that it may be racist rather than for the well-being of students,” Wooton said.

Though Nguyen will oversee the four new cultural centers, which formally launched on Jan. 3, two others serving Latinos — the Hispanic Cultural Center and Dreamer Services — will operate outside the CBCE umbrella. The leaders of the two Latino-focused groups will report to Yudi Lewis, who heads Weber State’s Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiatives.

Weber State spokesman Bryan Magaña indicated that creation of the CBCE and the shift to the system with multiple cultural centers isn’t necessarily the end of changes in how the university supports students of color.

“This is a new vision and a new way of doing things, so it’s certainly a work in progress, and it’s happening in real time. Tammy has also been on a series of listening tours with other universities — both in and outside of Utah — who have adopted the cultural centers model,” he said. “She’s gathering insight and feedback from faculty, staff, students and community members alike.”

Magaña also said the change at Weber State was a response to students, though what he says is the university’s focus on creating a space where all students feel they belong stays the same. “They’ve been asking for cultural centers for several years. As our students change, so do their needs, and Weber State is evolving right alongside them,” he said.

Nguyen, who previously served as Utah Valley University’s director of academic advising and student success, said she felt “isolated and alone” during her university years stemming from family issues, homelessness and the “limited” options she felt she had in pursuing higher education. “I want to make sure today’s students don’t face these same issues, and do my part to help make college accessible to everyone,” she said.

She also lauded what she said is Weber State’s focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. “Whatever your experiences, background or identity, you can find a place at Weber State,” she said.

Still, Wooton, at least, is skeptical. Protesting students last November variously said that creating separate cultural centers geared to individual race groups would foster division and that the prior format served them well, helping them develop a sense of belonging.

“I can confidently say that Weber State University is not serving my needs as a student, which goes to make me question where is the money from my student fees going,” Wooton said.

University officials separated the Latino groups from the CBCE because the Hispanic Cultural Center and Dreamer Services “are so closely tied to our goal to become an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2025,” Magaña said. “However, all the cultural centers — no matter who they report to — are collaborating and working closely together.”

A university must have 25% Hispanic enrollment to become a Hispanic-serving institution, per U.S. Department of Education guidelines. Meeting the threshold opens the door to additional federal funding.

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