Yale Daily: Yale to Makeover Diversity Programs

Following a scathing external review, Yale has announced it will renovate the Asian American Cultural Center as well as La Casa Cultural and the Afro-American Cultural Center.

The Yale Daily reports, however, that the changes will go beyond the physical, but structural as well.

There will also be increased responsibilities for the Centers’ directors and additional support and supervision from the new dean of student engagement and associate vice president for student life, Burgwell Howard, who starts in the fall.

The announcements made in an email come after a study from a consulting group pointed out the deteriorating condition of the cultural centers and the ill-defined roles of its directors.

“As the University strengthens its commitment to diversity, recognizing that it cannot lay claim to excellence without simultaneously supporting a diverse campus, we see the cultural centers playing a vital role in what will surely be important conversations in the years ahead,” the email said. “The consultation group has made some recommendations, such as addressing needs in physical space, budgeting and personnel, that call for immediate action. That work has already begun. Other recommendations require continued engagement of the entire Yale community as well as the centers’ communities themselves.”

Reaction from students was not all positive. You can read about that along with more details of the planned changes in the Yale Daily.