Guests tour the new Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Cultural Center as the Office of Multicultural Student Success hosts an open house for the Cultural and Resource Centers in January 2018. The office recently modified its foundational statements and released its updated mission, vision and scope of work. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)
Realizing recent structural and organizational changes affected the core of its work, the Office of Multicultural Student Success embarked on an effort to review and update its foundational statements throughout the fall and winter quarters of last year. This came after assuming responsibility for the development of four new identity-specific cultural and resource centers, as well as services and a scholarship for undocumented students at DePaul, in spring 2017.
After finalizing and operationalizing its new statement in spring 2018, the office released its updated mission, vision and scope of work in July 2018, with the statements now reflecting the identity-conscious support work the office has always been responsible for, as well as the identity-centered engagement work that they assumed. All staff across the department will now use these statements to guide decision-making as related to their work.
The Mission
The Office of Multicultural Student Success seeks to cultivate belongingness, retention and persistence to graduation for students of color, students who demonstrate financial need, first-generation college students, undocumented immigrant students, and students with marginalized genders and sexualities.
The Vision
To envision and model strategies of naming, navigating, and resisting the structural systems of power, privilege, and oppression.
To reimagine the DePaul experience for students in our target populations.
The Work
- Building inclusive communities and promoting a sense of belonging
- Approaching student success through identity-conscious and Identity-centered frameworks
- Providing a comprehensive curriculum to address the needs of students across the span of the DePaul experience
- Evaluating and assessing to improve our practices
- Advocating for equity and providing a range of resources
“Our new mission statement now honors our charge to simultaneously promote a healthy sense of self and help students navigate university processes resulting in a sense of belonging, and the tools needed to be academically and socially successful at DePaul,” says Kim Everett, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
Everett adds that the new mission is at the top of every single staff meeting agenda. “The idea is that as we execute our work and refine our vision, the 'why' we do what we do is ever present for us,” Everett shares.
In addition to cultural and resource centers and undocumented student support, the office also engages in work to support college transitions; scholarships, leadership and service; and post-college success of their target student population.
The cultural and resource centers are located on the third floor of the O’Connell Building at 1036 W. Belden Ave. in Lincoln Park. Other staff are located and services are delivered out of the OMSS office in the Lincoln Park Student Center, suite 105.