MILWAUKEE — Some of Chris VanValkenberg's best times at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have been had through the school's LGBTQ Resource Center, one of the school's several multicultural centers.
"It's also just like a community that's built, and that's the main takeaway that I had when I go to the resource center, it's really the people that you meet there and being able to form relationships with your peers that are going through the same struggles and processes that you are," VanValkenberg said.
But come next year, the programs will look different. The school announced Wednesday it will be creating a "new, student-focused center" that will integrate the existing services and spaces into one hub.
It raised red flags for VanValkenberg.
"When I read that email, I was instantly mad. I knew that this wasn't a consolidation effort, this wasn't trying to make this more accessible to students, it wasn't trying to bring students together, it was a financial thing," VanValkenberg said.
UWM says it will retain the full-time staff members from the centers; however, they may be restructured.
VanValkenberg fears the consolidated center could force the programs to lose their identity and has concerns that this move mirrors similar changes around the country to shed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs following pressure from the federal government.
Watch: UWM student frustrated as school consolidates multicultural centers into a single 'hub'
"They're trying to roll over and do what they can to not get their funding cut instead of not protecting and defending their students," VanValkenberg said.
According to the center's frequently asked questions page, "The evolving federal landscape on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was considered as part of the planning discussion, but providing services in a manner to best improve student outcomes was the driving factor."
In an email to TMJ4, a UWM spokesperson wrote, "UWM's commitment to individualized support, intercultural education and celebration, and student advocacy remains unwavering."
The new center will combine 8 current resource and cultural centers:
- Black Student Cultural Center
- First-Generation+ Resource Center
- LGBTQ+ Resource Center
- Military and Veterans Resource Center
- Off-Campus Resource Center
- Roberto Hernández Center
- Southeast Asian American Student Center
- Women’s Resource Center
The school says elements of the transition will happen this semester, and the center will be completed by fall 2026.
VanValkenberg and their peers are hoping their voice can change the outcome.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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