As part of an overall study of how space is used at MHC, President Creighton has asked ombudsperson Rochelle Calhoun to coordinate campus dialogue about issues including designated cultural space and space for student meetings and social gatherings. In a letter to students, Creighton noted, "While consideration of these matters is an integral part of the space study, I want to make sure that we have a full dialogue about them so that all voices are heard and so that the larger issues about diversity, inclusiveness, and community that are embedded in these concerns are addressed."
In collaboration with dean of students Regina Mooney (who is part of a larger space study group), Calhoun will plan and facilitate "the many forms this dialogue will take over the remaining weeks of the semester." Meetings with campus groups, including the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate, the SGA executive board, and the College Life and Advising Committee, are planned, as are a teach-in and an all-campus forum on cultural space. Discussions will include the concerns and requests of the lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community and the Asian and Asian American community.
Creighton's letter noted that "financial constraints preclude consideration of the construction of new buildings or the conversion of additional houses for more student space." She suggests considering "how we might reconfigure space in Blanchard and the residential halls to accommodate needs."
Calhoun will coordinate gatherings to discuss these issues for the rest of the semester and into the fall. In October, recommendations emerging from these discussions will be combined with those from the larger study group. Decisions will follow consideration of the merged recommendations.
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