The space and location needs of the Office of Multicultural Affairs have not been addressed in previous years.

 

Finally. 

Finally the Office of Multicultural Affairs voices are being heard.

Finally their needs are being acknowledged.

Finally the organizations (BSA, LASA, National Student Exchange and disability services) within the Office of Multicultural Affairs will be funded properly.

Finally.

Students’ Association (SA) decided earlier this year to make the Office of Multicultural Affairs a top priority. SA backed this up by unanimously approving a resolution this semester to provide an additional $30,000 to the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Tier 2 budget.

At the latest SA meeting, Tier 2 budget allocations were announced and approved for the 2017 school year. 

Unfortunately, the amount SA was left with to allocate to student organizations, $50,000, was less than the $100,000 they initially thought they would have.

Fortunately for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, being made a priority was a long time coming and well deserved. 

The Office of Multicultural Affairs received $54,633, a $30,000 increase from the 2016 school year. 

We think that is tremendous. 

This topic is something  Sen. Semehar Ghebrekidan has tirelessly emphasized in her five years on Senate. Passing the resolution for increased funding, and making the Office of Multicultural Affairs a priority in The Union space study shows this topic is important to SA. 

We, at The Collegian, think this connection between SA and the Office of Multicultural Affairs is a positive step forward and is representative of student voices.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs is a hub for students, international and domestic, to spend time with friends, to study and to meet with staff housed there. It deserves to have proper funding for their programming needs, which include events and helping fund the various organizations that are under the umbrella of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. 

This is a positive step forward for those organizations, The Union, this campus and for future students who may rely on the Office of Multicultural Affairs.