The storied office will rebrand as OMEA in move to MCC. 

The Multicultural Center (MCC) construction is set to be completed this winter, and the Michigan State University (MSU) Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions (OCAT) will officially take the reins in managing operations of the historic, 34,000-square-foot building. 

The office will not only take on a new set of responsibilities upon moving in at the corners of Shaw and Farm Lanes but will be doing so under a new name and expanded focus. Transitioning into the Office of Multicultural Enrichment and Advocacy (OMEA), the move to the first-of-its kind facility allows the office to broaden the scope of services and thus, its impact on students.  

The move allows OMEA to not only expand the menu of educational and community opportunities for undergraduate students but also expand how it will support opportunities for faculty, staff and graduate students. Through the decades, the office has evolved to help the MSU community with social adjustment, academic concerns and cultural connections. 

“It’s an exciting time for the office,” says OMEA Director Samuel Saldivar. “The move to the MCC allows us the opportunity to serve students in new ways. In fact, our team believes OMEA is a more accurate reflection of the office’s efforts and communicates the depth and breadth of the work our team has been doing to impact student success at MSU.”  

Per OMEA’s new mission: The Office of Multicultural Enrichment and Advocacy is a student-centered space that facilitates educational opportunities via initiatives for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds at Michigan State University to achieve student success.  

OMEA’s mission also acknowledges the centrality of the MCC’s physical space, understanding that OMEA is not just a central hub for the MSU community in a figurative sense but a literal one too. Acknowledging the office’s important history and legacy of advocacy, the OMEA team looks forward to the next chapter of a story with roots stretching back to student advocacy in 1969. Fifty-five years later, the office has serviced tens of thousands of students through its various iterations.  

Now, OMEA is taking a big step in servicing even more generations of Spartans.  

With a multipurpose conference room, office space, a large living room, community kitchenette and multiple collaboration stations, OMEA has the opportunity to create new programs while strengthening existing signature programs and events, such as MAGIC and Spartan Remix. Collaborations can further be explored, fostering new partnerships and resource centers that all serve to enhance the student experience at MSU.  

An amphitheater to host Cultural Vogue with the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO) or yard shows with Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL), for instance. A backyard and ceremonial fire pit to host cultural ceremonies with the North American Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO). An art gallery wall to host student exhibitions with studio art majors in the College of Arts and Letters. These are just some of the potential opportunities for OMEA to help marginalized students and minoritized communities showcase their intersectional identities in the MCC.  

“Modern students face modern challenges and this transition allows OMEA to better meet students where they are,” says Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Genyne Royal. “Given the office’s history of adapting to those challenges, this is yet the next opportunity to make deep impacts. Utilizing the MCC is the next chapter in that history.” 

 OMEA has been adapting for a long time. From its’ inception, the office has served in roles similar to multicultural affairs, starting with the Black Aide Program in 1969. It then converted to the Coordinated Minority Student Program Office (CMSPO), Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA), Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs (ORESA), and finally since 2006, the Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions (OCAT). At each transition, the aim has been to better meet the specific needs of students at that time, consistently enhancing services to provide better support.  

“As our team transitions into the MCC and our work grows,” says Saldivar, “we acknowledge that we exist to close opportunity gaps, communicate the history of student advocacy and facilitate educational opportunities via initiatives for students from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds at Michigan State University.” 

The plan is for OMEA to carry the heart of that history, team spirit and commitment to student success. Whether a community center, resource center, meeting/study space, or performance art venue, the MCC will function as many things — just as countless Spartans through the decades envisioned.