Cultural Center

WHAT IS THE CULTURAL CENTER?

The Cultural Center at Napa Valley College is a hub for scholarship and dialogue about: race, culture, ethnicity, immigration status, socioeconomic status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, spirituality, ability, and the intersections thereof.   As a co-curricular activity of the Humanities & Ethnic Studies Departments, the Cultural Center is committed to understanding, critiquing, and dismantling systems of oppression for the purpose of achieving greater unity, diversity, equity, and inclusivity.   

 

HISTORY

The Cultural Center officially opened in Spring 2016, welcoming all students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community members.  

The concept of a cultural center was first conceived in the form of a diversity institute as recommended by the Diversity Task Force in 2001.  In 2010, the Associated Students of Napa Valley College (ASNVC) voted in support of this recommendation and officially declared the student lounge (Room 930A) a cultural center on campus. ASNVC and other students began gathering books and resources that eventually became a central part of the Cultural Center’s collection.  In Spring 2013, the Office of Instruction approved the salary advancement project proposal of Janet Stickmon, Program Coordinator of the Humanities (HUMA) Department, to create a cultural center on campus, thereby building upon the foundation laid by the Diversity Task Force and the ASNVC.  Through this project, the HUMA Department in partnership with ASNVC and the Office of Student Life have further developed the space. Phase 1 of the project was completed in 2014 and the Cultural Center was approved later that year by the NVC Board of Trustees in November 2014.    

Today, the Cultural Center is a co-curricular activity of the Humanities and Ethnic Studies Departments overseen by the Program Coordinator of the Cultural Center. Since its opening in Spring 2016, the Cultural Center has hosted numerous events including presentations featuring esteemed scholars, artists and community leaders such as Kevin Nadal, Mel Orpilla, Shawn Taylor, John Jennings, Leticia Hernandez, Jovelyn Richards, Anida Yoeu Ali, Cesar Cruz, Michelle Lee, Andrew Jolivette and more.

MISSION

The mission of the Cultural Center is to raise consciousness and stimulate dialogue about:  race, culture, ethnicity, immigration status, socioeconomic status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, spirituality, ability, and the intersections thereof.   The center is committed to understanding and critiquing systems of oppression and privilege for the purpose of achieving greater unity, diversity, equity and inclusivity.  By being a space that recognizes and celebrates the differences that exist amongst human beings and honors the intersections of our identities, the Cultural Center has the capacity to deepen relationships between groups with diverse life experiences and perspectives, thereby fulfilling Napa Valley College’s mission to prepare students for a “diverse, dynamic, and interdependent world” and its values of “inclusivity,” “openness to new ideas,” and “respect for others.”

 

FUNCTION

The Cultural Center serves four functions:

RESOURCE CENTER:  Students have access to books, audio, and audio-visual materials on areas of study mentioned in Mission Statement above.  Students are welcome to study in the center during hours of operation. 

PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSION: The center will provide a space where presentations, roundtable discussions, and other events (consistent with mission above) will take place. 

MEETING PLACE: It will provide a meeting place for on-campus student organizations whose goals are consistent with the center’s mission. 

DEGREE & CAREER INFO CENTER:   The center will provide students with information about colleges/universities, corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations with majors or missions pertaining to any of the following specialized areas:  Ethnic Studies/American Studies/Cultural Studies, Women/Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Religion and Spirituality, and Disability Studies.

In addition to these functions, The Cultural Center will also serve as a:

Lab for Instructional Design Institute: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy workshops; as part of advanced Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Workshop Series (Level 2), participants will apply knowledge gained from Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Workshop Series (Level 1)