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University of Wyoming opens a new resource center in place of the closed Multicultural Affairs Office

A few shelves hold cans, boxes, and other packages of food.
Jesse Morris
/
Wyoming Public Media

In late January, the University of Wyoming (UW) hosted a reception for its new Pokes Center for Community Resources (PCCR). It is meant to fill some of the holes left after the UW Multicultural Affairs Office closed last year in response to Legislative action.

During the 2024 Legislative Budget Session, the Wyoming Legislature cut state funding for any program related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at UW, which led the UW Board of Trustees to close the DEI Office and replace the Multicultural Affairs Office.

This follows a trend seen nationally of rebranding or closing college DEI programs, and Pres. Donald Trump’s recent Executive Order banning federal funding going to any DEI program.

Most of the leadership inside PCCR was transferred from the Multicultural Affairs Office. The space shares the goal of creating a judgement free zone to give resources to help students succeed, but the new office is focused on the entire study body instead of marginalized groups.

“I think that they've done really, really well with what they were handed and I think that it's going to be a really cool resource moving forward,” said Riley Ovard, a student who attended the opening.

To try to centralize resources at UW, the PCCR also combined with the Pokes Violence Prevention Center and the Pokes Food Share Pantry.

One mission the office is working on is combating food insecurity. The new Every Poke Nourished Meal Swipe Sharing Program allows students to donate up to three of their entry swipes to the dining hall. The Food Security Team reviews applications and distributes the swipes based on need.

A couple of clothing racks hold clothes.
Jesse Morris
/
Wyoming Public Media

It also offers free business attire clothes for students to take at the Campus Community Closet.

The office will also direct students to rentals and housing in the community. It plans to run a workshop on how to review and sign a lease and information about being a responsible renter or homeowner.

Jordan Healy, outreach coordinator at Greater Wyoming Big Brothers Big Sisters attended the opening event and said she appreciates the scope of the resources and the potential of the space.

“They offer things that help all different kinds of students,” she said. “Students of varying ages, backgrounds, students who are parents, and just ways to help them navigate life a little bit easier throughout college“

The PCCR plans to build community on campus through group events, workshops, networking and setting up a peer mentoring system, like the office before it.

However, the Office of Multicultural Affairs had a stronger focus on supporting students who were minorities or identified as LGBTQ+. It supported student organizations like the Students of Color and 2SLGBTQIAP+ Student Circles as well as the Moviemento Estudantil Chicanx de Aztlán group and the Asian Pacific Islanders Association. Those groups now must be run and supported by students themselves to remain on campus.

“I do fear that there might be less specific resources being offered since Multicultural Affairs has been disbanded, just because of restrictions on what kind of resources can be offered,” said Overt, “But with talking with them, I do think that the same spirit is there, and a lot of the same outcomes are able to be reached.”

Jesse grew up in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada's, where he spent most of his time exploring the mountains and rivers surrounding his town. He is studying geohydrology and environmental geology with a minor in journalism at the University of Wyoming. When not reporting or at school you might catch him bouldering at the UW climbing gym or backcountry skiing in the Snowy Range.

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