The University of Arizona has multiple on-campus cultural and resource centers available to help students acclimate to their new environment comfortably.
These centers serve as a “home-away-from-home for many students,” according to the Immigrant Student Resource Center website, and celebrate the identities of the diverse UA community.
The Asian Pacific American Student Affairs, located in the Student Union Memorial Center in Room 409, works to support members of the Asian Pacific American community on campus and raise awareness of issues that the community faces. To support their members, APASA offers free tutoring services and has a staff devoted to ensuring that students feel supported as they make their way through UA academics and social life.
Located in the Martin Luther King Jr. Building, the African American Student Affairs strives to create “an enriching African American cultural experience at the University of Arizona,” according to the AASA website. In the past, the group has held networking events and other events intended to promote and foster success as well as mixers to create a strong, tight-knit community on campus.
The Adalberto and Ana Guerrero Student Center, located in the César E. Chávez Building Room 217, provides a space for students to find academic and social help on campus. According to the center’s mission statements on the website, the center has “culturally affirming programs and events that cultivate a sense of belonging, build community, encourage critical reflection, and develop students’ as learners, leaders, and professionals.” On the third Thursday of every month, the center holds events called “Abuelitas[os] Reaching Out to Mentor and Apapachar Students,” where food is served and members from the Tucson community can come to offer advice to students.
Another cultural center on campus is Native American Student Affairs, located in the Nugent Building, Room 203. The center focuses on helping American Indian and Alaskan Native students find a sense of community on campus while offering them tools for success both socially and academically. Events previously held by NASA include Feast Friday, where Native American faculty join the students for a meal on campus, various events geared towards mental health healing and awareness and panels with alumni and faculty.
The Hillel Foundation, in the Hillel Building across from the SUMC, offers space and services for Jewish services on campus. According to the foundation’s website, The Hillel Foundation is a space where students “can explore identity, build leadership skills, and engage Jewish life on [their] terms.” The foundation has organized trips to Israel for students, free Shabbat meals and many opportunities for leadership roles.
The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Affairs welcomes students of all genders and sexualities to learn and find support. The center not only offers aid to students in a comfortable space but also holds trainings and programs aimed at educating the campus community. They have a campus-wide training program called Safe Zone that teaches students how to ensure the UA campus is welcoming and inclusive for LGBTQ+ individuals. Also, the center stresses the importance of mental health awareness in the LGBTQ+ community and offers many mental health resources. The center is located in LGBTQ+ Resource Center in the SUMC.
The Women and Gender Resource Center is located inside the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership on the fourth floor of the SUMC. According to the center’s website, the WGRC “is an inclusive on-campus student center which strives to create change on campus in response to sexism and misogyny, doing social justice work at the intersection of many identities such as sex, gender identity, gender expression, race, class, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability.” The center has programs dedicated to educating the campus on gender equity and issues that have a major impact on campus such as sexual assault and mental health.
Fostering Success is a program at the UA geared toward offering overall support to those individuals previously or currently in the foster care system and students facing homelessness and housing insecurity. They offer aid for those newly navigating the university system, whether it be applications or FAFSA. The program also works to “provide a space for each individual to be heard, to learn, and to grow in the way that suits them best,” according to the Fostering Success website. The program is located in the SUMC.
International Student Services supports international students as they acclimate to life at the UA. They offer aid with filing for visas, applications and even finding a ride from the airport. According to the ISS website, “Through advising and programs, [the center] provides immigration, academic, and personal support, as well as opportunities for friendship and leadership.” The center is located at the International Student Services Global Center.
The many cultural and resource centers on the UA campus are available to students who seek aid while getting accustomed to their new environment or want support any time throughout their years on campus. Each center seeks to enhance the UA experience for all students.
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