After a year of planning, a safe space for undocumented Cal Poly students and their supporters will be created on campus this winter quarter.
The DREAM Center will “allow students to know they’re coming into a facility where everyone understands their unique needs and challenges they face,” Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Humphrey said.
Student Affairs, in coordination with the Educational Opportunity Program and Cal Poly Scholars, pioneered the development of this facility.
The DREAM Center will be located in the Hillcrest Building, which currently houses Student Academic Services. Accommodations for the center were finalized about two weeks ago.
The campus-wide email announcement regarding the establishment of the DREAM Center came during the tense political climate on campus following the presidential election and free speech wall controversies.
“Timing with the announcement was important because we wanted to share something positive with students,” Humphrey said. “Undocumented students in particular were feeling unsafe with national issues and we wanted to reinforce our commitment to them.”
Besides offering a space that welcomes self-expression and provides support for undocumented students, Humphrey said that the DREAM Center will extend resources to “ensure that every student we admit—particularly [those that are] undocumented—reach graduation.”
Humphrey hopes the DREAM Center will reinforce Cal Poly’s mission of inclusivity and make an impression on potential applicants to the university.
“[I hope] students from underrepresented backgrounds will feel more secure in choosing to enroll at Cal Poly,” Humphrey said.