The New MSA
- Leonard Perry (Iowa State University)
Abstract
Iowa State University's office formally known as Minority Student Affairs is now named "Multicultural Student Affairs." The new name, in part, stems from a spring 2004 survey of all students of color at Iowa State. In that survey, students were asked the question, "What are your feelings and/or thoughts regarding the word 'minority'?" A majority of respondents found the word "minority" offensive on some level and few supported continued use of the term. MSA staff will facilitate a discussion around the name change as well as MSA's strategic direction and programming with a focus on the population MSA serves: African American, Latino/a-Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native, as well as multi-racial, international students of color, and white allies.