Three student centers focused on diversity and equity have been combined to form the Student Engagement Center, the University announced in a release last Monday. 

Kameron Macrorie | @KameronMacrorieTV

The Emily Taylor Center, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity now exist together in Suite 400 of the Kansas Union.

According to Vice Provost for Student Affairs Tammara Durham, this “realignment” comes as an effort by the university to create a “hub of student activity” that will better support student diversity and provide expanded support for students of varying identities.

Despite reassurance from university administrators, some students feel that these changes won’t expand support for diversity, but will limit it. 

“I really think these students are going to lose the space they need so desperately,” Adam Kellogg, a graduate student at KU and former graduate assistant of the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, said. “And also lose the state support, the very little support they have left, of saying ‘yes, you belong here, you belong at our university, and we aren’t going to shove you into a corner just because it’s easy for us.’”

Students opposed to the merger have formed the Save Our Centers Movement to advocate for keeping these centers separate.

“Save Our Centers means to me that we uphold the promise that we’ve already given to our new students,” Anna Campbell, a senior journalism student, said. 

Campbell says it is crucial to uphold the promise of providing reliable spaces that support and welcome different identities. Many students, like Campbell, don’t believe that these spaces can exist when the centers all function under one roof.

“These students need this space more than anything in the world, and they’re able to form it because these centers continue to exist independently,” Kellogg said. 

Save Our Centers gathered at Ecumenical Campus Ministries on Monday, Sept. 16 for a night of poster-making in preparation for their rally outside the Kansas Union at noon on Tuesday.

At the rally, various students spoke about the individual histories of these centers and their personal experience with each of them. Students called on the university to keep the centers separate, saying that they fear a loss of access to their resources and community. 

“The homogenization of this center will take away the ease of access and resources to validate and live my life in both of those intersectional identities,” Elijah Gray, a junior atmospherical sciences student, said. 

After the merger, some students say that they’re fearful for the future of inclusivity and diversity at KU. 

“I chose KU because I thought that they had a lot of these organizations that are really inclusive like these centers and for them to take it away, like I’m a freshman, it’s my fourth week here,” Wynn Bosley, a freshman biology student, said. 

Members of Save Our Centers say that this doesn’t have to be the end for these campus centers, and are asking students to take action against the realignment. 

“You can certainly write to the people who work at these centers, Student Affairs, your vice provost, your chancellor,” Kellogg said. 

Gray said that attending future Save Our Centers rallies and events is another way for students to get involved. 

“Showing up, like we’re doing now. showing up, speaking, being as loud as possible.”

According to the university’s release last Monday, all of the centers’ former staff will remain employed and assume new positions within the Student Engagement Center. 

Jordan Brandt, former director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, has been appointed the Director of the Student Engagement Center – she declined to comment by time of publication.