At the general body meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students last night, Mary Grace Almandrez, newly appointed director of the Third World Center and assistant dean of the College, laid out her vision for the center.
Almandrez, who established multicultural centers at three other institutions before coming to Brown, said she is taking a three-pronged approach to furthering the center's mission — recruiting allies for the center, promoting its activities beyond the physical confines of the center and appointing two professionals.
She said she hopes to recruit allies to combat racism, sexism and homophobia against traditionally marginalized communities. Almandrez added that she wanted to raise awareness of social justice issues in the community by engaging with various student organizations and increasing the center's presence on campus.
Almandrez said she is also planning to hire two staffers for the spring semester to strengthen the center's commitment to its mission — one to focus on program development and one to focus on first- and second-year programs, such as the Third World Transition Program.
Though the recent focus of the center has been "cultural expression," Almandrez said she aims to further promote "deep discussion."
Council committee leaders also provided updates at the meeting. Todd Harris '14, chair of the academic and administrative affairs committee, has been reviewing the University's online student resources, such as Advising Sidekick, with Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron. Campus Life Chair Michael Schneider '13 is continuing work on initiatives that have been on the table since last year, including improving SafeRide and increasing lighting on the Main Green.
