A place to call home in St. George, Utah Tech’s Center for Inclusion and Belonging updates name, expands

ST. GEORGE — A spokeswoman from the Center for Inclusion and Belonging (CIB) at Utah Tech University said students not feeling like they belong is one of the top reasons they give when dropping out of college.

“Some students feel like they don’t belong. And so we try to bridge that gap, especially for our students,” Brenda Medrano, coordinator for Latinx and undocumented Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), said. “We have a lot of the Hispanic and Latino community; it’s a collectivistic culture and the United States isn’t necessarily collectivistic. So for many of them, it’s hard not to have support.” 

Medrano explained that a collectivistic culture tends to view oneself as a member of a larger (family or social) group rather than as an isolated, independent being. 

To assist students in feeling more included in college life and the local community, the Center advises them to get involved on campus. Medrano recommends joining clubs, groups or different centers on campus.

“Those who are involved are happier, get better grades, have better retention,” said Medrano. “So I try to make sure that my students are getting involved because it does make the difference instead of just coming on campus to go to class and then leaving.”

Students from the Center for Inclusion and Belonging enjoy an outing, unspecified date and location | Photo provided by the Center for Inclusion and Belonging, St. George News

The Center for Inclusion and Belonging Director, Mike Nelson, said the establishment is a hub of diverse identities in the county, not just at Utah Tech University. They strive to represent all types of diversity and encourage students to be active in the community, so people can see and support all students.

“Our university is about 20 to 23% ethnic and racially diverse. When we look at our population numbers, Washington County has about 90% of white, Caucasian residents,” Nelson said.

The center also changed its name from the Multicultural Center to the Center for Inclusion and Belonging. He said when they were visiting high schools to recruit students to attend Utah Tech, some students felt the name multicultural didn’t apply to them.

“Some students felt that wasn’t their space because they weren’t multicultural when we look at other identities such as gender and sexual orientation,” Nelson said. 

The key is to offer a place for multiple identities and students finding “their home away from home.” The Center for Inclusion and Belonging focuses on all types of identities. He said that includes gender identity, religious orientation, or religious identity and stressing that a feeling of belonging is so important for these students.

Students from Utah Tech who visit the Center for Inclusion and Belonging, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Photo provided by Center for Inclusion and Belonging, St. George News

“Students can walk to class, but if they don’t feel the university’s layers, if they don’t feel comfortable or safe, they’ll just go back to their dorm and do their homework,” Nelson said. “Then they’re not going to get involved and they’re not going to be engaged.”

Nelson said the three mission goals of the Center are: 

1. Increase engagement, getting students involved, including students feeling like they’re being successful. 

2. The second is partnerships across campus and connecting students to those resources to include all aspects of the university in the college experience. 

3. The third goal is to foster that sense of belonging through campus and community events and celebrate cultural identities.

The center also offers students leadership opportunities and assistance with scholarships. Nelson added that when students are a part of the Multicultural Student Association, they organize events gaining practical experience.

“It’s student-led and student-run. Students get those real-world experiences such as marketing,” Nelson said. “For example, we have a student getting a Bachelor in Fine Arts and getting stuff for her portfolio, creating designs. When they leave, they’ve got this experience in this portfolio of what they’ve done.”

Native American Royalty at Utah Tech University, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Photo provided by Utah Tech University

The Center works with many academic departments at Utah Tech for events such as the Dean’s Diversity Dinner. They also offer a study abroad experience, opening up the idea of traveling overseas. He said studying abroad might not have been considered by some student populations, but it can look good on a resume. Employers may offer higher pay for a student’s future, Nelson said. The Center offers study abroad in London and Japan. 

The Center for Inclusion and Belonging also coordinates with Utah Tech’s Career Center, Disability Resource Center and Wellness Center to connect students. According to the website, the Center strives to show the university’s commitment to inclusiveness through:

  • Foster a sense of belonging through campus and community engagement and events
  • To promote and celebrate cultural identities.
  • Advisement: Applying for admission to Utah Tech, registering for classes, financial aid/scholarship assistance, student advocacy
  • Mentoring: Tutoring services, peer advisor training, leadership development, textbook checkout
  • Orientation: Program orientation, recruitment of students of color, university-preparatory workshops
  • Personal Counseling: Cultural and ethnic issues; diversity issues related to race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
  • Clubs & Organizations: Pacific Islander Student Association, Black Student Union, ALAS (Association of Latino/Hispanic and Ally Students), Native American Student Association, LGBTQ Student Association, Japanese Cultural Club

Nelson said the Center also has significant ties to the community, including partnerships with conserved southwest Utah and Pride of Southern Utah. 

“We want students to not only feel like they belong on campus but also that St. George is their home, where they can connect with community members,” Nelson said. 

Students from the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at Utah Tech University enjoy an activity, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Photo provided by Utah Tech University

Another way students interact with the community is through assemblies they put on at elementary schools about internet safety and more. Nelson said it is empowering for younger children to see someone who looks like them attend college. For example, one of the college speakers is from Mexico. And a young boy greeting him afterward was excited saying he was from Mexico too. 

“Someone can say, hey, that’s possible, ‘they’re in a college, they’re in a university.’ That might not have been something on their radar,” Nelson said.

In addition to changing its name, the Center moved to the Browning Resource building on the first floor. Nelson said it has allowed staff to interact with more students and provided a bigger space.

Medrano said her doors are always open for anyone who wants to receive services. She helps students with personal development, academic success, student empowerment and scholarships. Medrano assists students in planning Latino Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 Through October 15. She helps coordinate many other events with the students who come to the Center.

Medran also helps students understand and enroll in college if they are one of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. For information, visit the website here.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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