Mission Statement
The Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian Resource Center (MENASARC) promotes the cultural awareness and academic success of students of Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian (MENASA) heritage. It fosters dialogue, cross-cultural learning, and interaction among the diverse ethnic groups within our MENASA student communities and the campus-at-large. Through its programs, the MENASARC works to assist students to embrace their cultural identity, integrate into student life, promote an appreciation and celebration of diversity, and reinforce an affirmation of our institutional and educational commitment to leadership, achievement, collaboration, excellence, and community.
Our Story
The creation of the EOP Cultural Resource Centers came as a direct result of student activism in the late 1990’s, during which time students from various historically excluded groups petitioned the University for dedicated safe spaces on campus. On October 22, 1998, students occupied Cheadle Hall and impressed upon the campus administration the need to support the lives of marginalized students. One of the student “demands” called for the construction of a new building to “house student resource centers designed to meet the specific needs of non-traditional students and student parents (to include childcare), the Queer student community, the Native American student community, the Chicano/a Student community, the Asian American student community, the African American student community, and the Middle Eastern student community.”
Following the completion of the Student Resource Building and the opening of the new Cultural Resource Centers in February 2007, the CRCs have served an invaluable role in our community as spaces that facilitate cultural-based programming and strives to foster safe environments for both individual students and culturally affiliated campus organizations. The CRCs serve as a hub for students and are foundational for the events and meetings necessary to sustain cultural organizations at UCSB.
Center Goals
- To educate the UCSB community about the diversity that encompasses the Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian (MENASA) cultural communities.
- To provide a physical space that reflects the perspectives and cultures of MENASA students.
- To provide educational, cultural and social programming that affirms and celebrates MENASA identities and customs, as well as the awareness of the social, political, historical and cultural realities of the population.
- To broaden and facilitate the channels of communication between MENASA students and the greater UCSB student community.
- To support the identity development of MENASA students.
- To participate in the university’s effort to provide multicultural education to the greater UCSB student community.
- To provide information to enhance cultural awareness at UCSB.
MENASARC Student Leaders Council
Want to have your voice heard on how our center is to be run? Join our Student Leaders Council!
For more information about joining MENEASARC Student Leaders Council, contact any members of the MENASARC team or email us at menasarc@sa.ucsb.edu