UFMC Director Committed to USD’s Inclusion, Diversity Efforts
Mayté Pérez-Franco was in her fifth year as director of the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut this spring when she made a major career decision.
“I was working primarily as an advocate for the Latino students, and the University of Connecticut had five cultural centers,” she said. “Even though we worked collaboratively and worked well together, I wanted an opportunity to work more hands-on with the other groups.”
Her search for such an opportunity led her to an advertisement for the University of San Diego’s opening for United Front Multicultural Center director. “I thought it was a really good fit based on some of the work I’d done before as well as where I’d like to go in the future.”
She interviewed with USD students, staff, faculty and administrators in May and was encouraged. “I have always been at a large, public institution, and this was a chance to come to a smaller campus, a private university,” said the native of Puerto Rico and graduate of Georgia State University (B.A., M.A.) and the University of Arizona (Ph.D.). “I was pleasantly surprised. After my interview I felt there were a lot of individuals, faculty, staff and students who were very committed to the center. It was a very good opportunity.”
She was hired over the summer, and her adjustment to California coincided with a major change for the 12-year-old UFMC. The center moved its operations from the bottom floor of the Hahn University Center into the fourth floor of the new Student Life Pavilion. The UFMC, a home base for 10 student organizations, is as much in a new phase of life as Pérez-Franco.
“Our students were very relaxed in the (old) space, they felt like it was their home,” she said. “But anytime you move into a new home you’re not going to have everything you want in place right away. We’re still working on that.”
Settling into the new space and searching for a UFMC assistant director has consumed much of Pérez-Franco’s time, but she’s committed to whatever supporting role UFMC can offer USD as it strives toward a more diverse and inclusive campus community.
“I think there is a genuine interest in having diversity and inclusion. It’s part of the mission of the university,” she said. “We can look at all of the initiatives through the years that have been institutionalized and have helped it move forward.”
The UFMC’s contributions include developing organizations supportive to support students as they explore a culture, lifestyle and identity; offering programs such as Rainbow Educators and Safe Space Allies Training; and hosting events tapping into history and lectures from contemporary voices. Academically, UFMC’s existence has helped motivate the addition of a Department of Ethnic Studies program; in addition, USD requires all undergraduate students to take a diversity-oriented course.
Pérez-Franco hopes to build on those milestones. She wants to develop broader programs to help students to tap into their leadership potential. She is on the President’s Advisory Board for Inclusion and Diversity, a committee comprised of a cross-section of campus members. It mirrors her objectives for the UFMC and, ultimately, USD.
“We do need to build partnerships and do more collaboration with other departments on campus,” she said. “It’s not necessary that we’re spearheading the programs. It’s about partnering with others to help us get where we all want to be.”
— Ryan T. Blystone