By Brianna Wallen
News Editor
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the country are under threat from the White House, students are questioning what the future of DEI will look like on campus.
Amid this climate, Sergio Pérez stepped into his role last semester as the university’s vice president of DEI and is working to build connections while reassuring students of the institution’s commitment.
“We are committed to making sure the Multicultural Center, SAGE Center and Interfaith Center are spaces that are going to be open to students just as they were before, and provide opportunities of education, community building and really try to develop a culture of encounter,” Pérez said.
While Pérez said he understood the confusion among students, he emphasized the importance of preserving DEI spaces.
“We know that those spaces are sacred to the university, a part of our DNA, and I want to do everything we can do to sustain that and lift it up,” Pérez said.
Since Pérez’s arrival, one of his main focuses has been working to revamp the Multicultural Center to create a more inclusive and welcoming space for all students.
Many students have noticed the removal of long-standing posters and decorations from the center. Pérez explained that these items were outdated and no longer reflected the current student population.
“There are some posters that talked about an event in 2005, that I’m just like we’re in 2025, and we’re not a museum,” Pérez said. “There’s a way to respect the past while also forging a pathway forward.”
During the makeover process of the MCC, Pérez wants students to get involved and envision a new space.
As the Multicultural Center undergoes its makeover, Pérez is inviting students to get involved and reimagine how the space can serve the community.
“We’re devising this specific listening session for students who are most connected to the Multicultural Center to come together and envision a new space,” Pérez said. “What is the new artwork? What is the new community? Values we want represented there?”
Pérez said that the MCC is only the first step, highlighting that this process is going to expand to other spaces as well.
“We don’t look as alive as we should be for the institution that we are,” Pérez said. “So, I want our Multicultural Center, as well as SAGE, as well as interfaith, to match the kind of diversity and energy that I’m seeing now with students that are here on campus.”
Many students are noticing a need for these spaces as well as new environments that are a safe haven for all identities.
For many students, the Multicultural Center and similar spaces are more than just gathering places. They represent safety, belonging and representation at a moment when differences are not embraced.
Accounting major Kendrick Lagamao, a junior, said that these spaces are needed now more than ever.
“I’m hoping that the new administrators of the center create a better environment for people of color and different cultures to go to, especially during a time where it feels like we’re under threat,” Lagamao said.
As a first-generation student and the son of Mexican immigrants, Pérez said cultural spaces like these gave him opportunities to interact with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Those experiences now shape his leadership style and the inclusive vision he hopes to foster on campus.
“I try to bring my lived experience to my work and try to create a culture in which folks can feel like they can bring all of themselves to any space I’m in,” Pérez said.
As Pérez settles into the nest, he said he hopes to build connections by being accessible to students.
“I want to know: who are the students that go to those spaces, but who are the students that also don’t go, and how is it that we could build a bridge,” Pérez said.
Pérez added that part of that effort means being visible on campus and showing students that he is open to listening and learning alongside them.
“I’m someone who wants to learn. I’m someone who wants to give my insights and perspectives so that we all can think together, but I’m also someone who wants to be challenged,” Pérez said. “I need to be challenged, and all of us should be. And I’m trying to model that level of learning and growth for all of us.”
