We at the MEC are proud to serve the various agencies under our umbrella and the community in general. Our services include the following:
Advising | Room Reservations | Lounge Area & Computers
Social Justice Education | Lending Library | Outreach
Advising
Take advantage of the Multicultural Engagement Center’s informal academic and programmatic advising:
- Academic – We are available to talk with students about interests, course offerings, professors and/or refer students to the right offices and academic advisers for their specific questions. There are many courses offered by the various centers on campus as well as a few taught by staff members within Student Diversity Initiatives.
- Programmatic – Student organizations seeking advice about programs (including but limited to: building content, securing facilities, selecting speakers, developing budgets, and/or creating methods of evaluation) should come and visit with one of our experienced Program Coordinators. We aim to help students envision and implement the intended impact of their programming. We work to empower students to take the necessary steps to execute their programs well.
Conference Room & Common Space Use
To reserve space in the MEC submit this form with the preferred location (conference room or common area), date and time of your meeting or event. Please make a request at least one week prior event. You will receive a confirmation email of your reservation. To use the space after normal business an MEC student or staff member must be available to supervise the use of the space.
Make sure to clean up the space when your meeting or event is over; otherwise, you may not be able to reserve MEC space again.
Lounge Area & Computers
The MEC is a resource that exists for all students, not just those who belong to one of our six agencies. Our general hang out space is a great area in which to study, get work done, or just spend time with friends. We have a television for when you need to take a break as well as comfortable sofas and chairs for when you need to focus on your studies. We also have several public computers that are available for student use. We hope that you will stop by, say hello, and spend some time getting to know us!
Social Justice Education
The Multicultural Engagement Center’s efforts to raise awareness continue to strongly emphasize social justice and leadership development. Films, guest speakers, leadership institutes, teach-ins, and various workshops play a crucial role in the MEC’s ability to do internal and external education about various social justice struggles. These events also assist in the development of leadership skills that our students must possess in order to be effective agents of social change in the community. We hope that the students who come through the MEC find an empowering space that nurtures their ability to become compassionate and admirable individuals who constantly challenge themselves to grow and mature as leaders.
Please review our events calendar and check for upcoming educational opportunities. Check out our classes: MEC Course or Workshop Series
We highly recommend that students, staff and faculty engage and participate in the following education workshops:
- Gender and Sexuality Center Workshops
- Inclusive Classroom Workshops
- Be Vocal Bystander Intervention Workshop
- disABILITY Advocate Program
- Staff/Faculty Only: Dynamics of Diversity Certificate
Lending Library
The Multicultural Engagement Center has its very own Social Justice Lending Library. Visit us in SAC 1.102 (M-F, 9am-5pm) to find an assortment of books that focus on activism & organizing, Chican@/Latin@ Studies, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Native American & Indigenous Studies, Women’s & Gender Studies, and so much more. If you are interested in borrowing a book from the library, or have books you would like to donate, please contact Hollie Yang (hyang@austin.utexas.edu). Books can be checked out for one-month periods with one opportunity to renew once per semester.
Here is the link for the MEC Library Thing, which will show you a list of our holdings in the library: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/meclendinglibrary
Outreach
In an effort to promote higher education among high school students of color, the MEC hosts and coordinates Outreach efforts with other units on campus. The 2013 incoming freshman class was majority minority, with nearly 51% students of color enrolling at UT. The demographics of UT increasingly reflect that of Texas.
We believe the diversity found on campus is part of a rich educational experience. And, the MEC continually strives to promote a diverse and inclusive campus for all students at UT by outreaching to high school students and communities of color. In partnership with other UT entities, the MEC can work with high school program coordinators and staff to host groups of high school students on campus during normal school hours (9-5 pm). Some of the services we can host or facilitate are:
- Academic/Career Advising
- Student Panel Q&A
- Lunch Buffet at J2, our student dining hall
- Logistics (payment, parking, permits, etc.)
For more information about our outreach services or to arrange a visit and tour of our campus, please contact: