Issues of campus climate have plagued UW-Madison for years, affecting minority-student recruitment and retainment and upsetting the campus community.
In an attempt to alleviate the problem, students, faculty and staff came up with the idea of the Multicultural Learning Community, a living center in Witte Hall that will be open to all students interested in dealing with diversity issues on a daily basis.
The area will house 53 students and function in a manner similar to that of housing communities like Women in Science and Engineering in Elizabeth Waters Hall and the Bradley Learning Community. In addition to living together and participating in group activities, residents will be required to take a class together. The class will focus on issues of power and race and will be taught by various professors.
Larry Davis, co-chair of the MLC Steering Committee, said the community, which costs an additional $200 a year for its residents, fills an important campus need.
“The idea came from a group of students who were hoping and wanting to live in a more diverse community,” Davis said.
UW freshman Maura McDonald, a member of the steering committee, agreed.
“I think this will provide an open, non-threatening environment to talk about issues, and hopefully this will spread around campus,” McDonald said.
The center is sponsored by UW’s Division of University Housing, the College of Letters and Science and the School of Education. Although Davis said most of the feedback for the center has been positive, some students point out that it does have negative aspects.
Jennifer Epps, student diversity advocate, said students should not be charged to live in the new area.
“We like the idea, but to charge students an extra fee for something that should already be provided is wrong,” Epps said.
Another student, a UW senior who wishes to remain anonymous, said he sees no need for a separate multi-cultural housing area.
“To me, diversity means all students should be treated equally,” he said. “I don’t think minorities should get special treatment.”
The senior applied to be a dorm housefellow, but said he had moral struggles about the multicultural community that interfered with his interviews.
“I knew I would have trouble explaining it because I didn’t think it was right,” he said.
The student said he thinks this was a major reason why he didn’t get the job, but that he does not regret it.
Yesterday was the last day for current UW students to apply to live in the MLC. Students will begin to move into the community in mid-August.
