CUA Center for Cultural Engagement To Merge With Campus Activities
Image courtesy of Patrick D. Lewis
By Patrick D. Lewis
Elliana Arnold contributed to this report
Catholic University’s Center for Cultural Engagement (CCE) is merging with the Office of Campus Activities, according to university sources. The merger will leave the university with a reduced number of staff solely devoted to programs and services for minority student groups.
The Center for Cultural Engagement was established in 2016 and has served minority students and members of the university community through programs and events. The unit employed two staff members whose positions have been eliminated, according to university sources: Director Javier Bustamante, who oversees the center, and Assistant Director Javier Oliver, who served as commuter student liaison and assisted in running the center.
University President Peter Kilpatrick said in a statement, “The Catholic University of America has had to make deep cuts in our operational budget to balance our finances. These cuts have affected every area of campus, and we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that student-facing services would not be interrupted, even as we have had to make painful decisions.”
In response to a request for more information, Kilpatrick said in a statement, “In this process, we are looking at ways to create one team that would promote community and belonging among all students at Catholic University.”
How the administration plans to do this remains to be seen, as there has been no official statement about how this merger will work and continue to serve CUA students.
According to university sources, administrative staff are still working out how programs and services currently offered by CCE will continue following the merger, which a university spokesperson did not return a request for comment on. Assistant CCE Director Maria Cuadra’s position has been retained and it remains to be seen how she and the other OCA staff will shoulder the additional responsibilities.
Kilpatrick added that Take Flight and Commuter Services will remain in operation.
“The Nest and the Center for Cultural Engagement will continue to be hubs of student life and community. I will communicate to the campus community our plans within the coming weeks,” Kilpatrick said.
The CCE has long served minorities on campus such as commuter students, first generation students, and culturally diverse communities. The center was responsible for the Take Flight program, which allowed first generation students to move in early and go through a three day pre-orientation program, in which students went to skill building workshops, had peer-to-peer mentoring, as well as participated in community building activities to help them have a smoother transition into the college experience.
The CCE also provided community and services for commuter students which included activities throughout the year, lunches, and a GroupMe in order to help foster a community for those students who didn’t live on campus. The CCE also created a space and community for ethnic minorities on campus to have a safe place to come together and celebrate their cultures. Under this program there were fourteen clubs such as the Black Student Alliance, Migrant Rights Coalition, Filipino Organization of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), and more. With these clubs it helped foster a caring and supportive community for these students on the CUA campus, and helped play a formative role in the campus life and experience.
We have reached out to the university with further questions and will update this article if the request is returned.
