Our Mission
The JLR Multicultural Center was established, in part, due to student advocacy highlighting the crucial need for a center which welcomed and unified the campus and its various cultures. The importance and weight of the student voice remains central to our work, as such, we are dedicated to advocating for the resolution of institutional and cultural issues directly impacting marginalized students.
The Multicultural Center supports students, faculty, and staff in understanding multiculturalism, social justice, and the importance of inclusion. By providing educational opportunities the Multicultural Center raises awareness of and empowers marginalized folks, ultimately creating a unified community that values all cultures. The Multicultural Center is committed to strong alliances and partnerships with diverse cultural and ethnic communities at EWU and beyond.
What we do!
As a student-funded campus unit, the JLR Multicultural Center supports students of color and the greater EWU community through advocacy and empowerment, providing community space, delivering programs and events, and facilitating trainings and workshops. We seek to reflect our community, mission, and values in all we do.
Advocacy – We help communities of color and their allies navigate systemic injustices that inhibit a welcoming and inclusive campus environment. We create space for dialogue and activism, empower critical, mindful, and strategic thinking, and utilize resources to advance initiatives and policies that support students of color as well as the university’s commitment to inclusiveness.
Community Space – On a daily basis, we function as a welcoming and affirming space for all students. Students often use the space to:
- relax and socialize between classes,
- seek support and information,
- utilize our fully furnished kitchen,
- talk about pressing issues.
Programs and Events – Our programs and events are inspired by our students, the needs of the EWU community, and current national and international events. They are designed to build and sustain community, cultivate personal learning and growth, and engage those aspects of identity that inform the whole person—personal, political, social, professional, spiritual, and others. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Multicultural Festival
- Tunnel of Oppression
- The Council of Racial and Ethnic Students
- Welcome Back Brunches
- Heritage Months
Trainings and Workshops – We acknowledge that creating a socially just, welcoming, and affirming campus environment requires proactive and ongoing learning. With partners from various areas of campus, our trainings and workshops strive to deepen one’s abilities to engage with, honor, and include others because of—not despite—their differences.
Meet the staff!
John B. Hoffschneider, MA
Interim Manager, Multicultural Center
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Email: jhoffschneider@ewu.edu
Phone: 509-359-4109
Originally from the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, John received his BS and MA from Michigan State University where he began his career in higher education at the Office of Admissions. Prior to arriving at EWU, he worked as a Coordinator for the Office of Diversity Programs-Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. John is passionate about helping undergraduates become engaged on campus through student group involvement and experiential learning (internships/co-ops/undergraduate research/study abroad). Always happy to say hello and welcome a conversation at the Multicultural Center!
