CSULB centers inclusion, modern perspectives in name changes

Earlier this year, Darnell Lewis, director of the former Office of Multicultural Affairs, saw an opportunity to broaden the reach to student populations served on campus. So, he, students and members of CSULB's Student Affairs decided to rebrand the name to the Office of Belonging and Inclusion in March.

"The shift in our office's name and mission reflects a broader commitment to inclusion in all its forms, including but not limited to gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability/disability, religion, age and mental health," Lewis said. "Our goal is to foster a campus environment where every individual, regardless of their background or identity, feels a deep sense of belonging and is fully supported in their academic and personal journey."

Lewis is among the campus leaders who have crafted new names for their divisions, departments and centers to reflect university-level change and evolution in their missions, as well as a reconsideration of whom they aim to serve.

Department of Cinematic Arts

Old UTC sign New Cinematic Arts sign

The Department of Film & Electronic Arts is now the Department of Cinematic Arts. The degree has also changed to Cinematic Arts, and the building that used to be known as the University Telecommunications Center (UTC) is now labeled "Cinematic Arts."

Cinematic Arts Chair Adam Moore explained that the name change - which took place in August, the week before classes started - resulted from a reexamination of the curriculum.

"When we began the process of updating our curriculum three years ago, it gave us the opportunity to review who we are as a department and create a name that is both relevant and timeless," Moore said. "'Film' is anachronistic - we no longer shoot on film, nor does much of the entertainment industry. 'Electronic Arts' was a holdover from an era before modern video games, streaming content, etc.

"'Cinema' is the art of telling stories with moving pictures. 'Arts' with an 's' reflects the many disciplines involved in making a piece of cinema."

Thus, Cinematic Arts was born. In addition to upgrades to the curriculum and new courses being offered, facilities have also been upgraded and two new classrooms, plus a computer lab, have been added.

Office of Belonging and Inclusion

The "Office of Multicultural Affairs" signs outside Faculty Offices 3 have gone down, replaced with signs that read, "Office of Belonging and Inclusion." Staffers held an open house in early September to reintroduce themselves to the campus community.

"'Belonging and Inclusion' reflects a broader and more holistic approach to diversity," Lewis said. "While 'multicultural affairs' often focuses primarily on race, ethnicity and cultural identity, the new name encompasses additional dimensions of identity such as gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and ability. The shift signals a commitment to all aspects of inclusion, creating a space where every student feels a sense of belonging, regardless of their identity."

The name change also reflects a shift at universities and colleges across the country, where the words "belonging" and "inclusion" are replacing more race or culture-specific terminology, he acknowledged.

"'Belonging and Inclusion' is more reflective of the current discourse in diversity, equity and inclusion work, which has shifted from recognizing diversity alone to fostering environments where all individuals feel that they belong and can contribute," Lewis said. He added that the name change better reflects CSULB's mission to increase a sense of belonging for students, and aligns with evolving best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion.

"Although the Office of Belonging and Inclusion has various cultural and identity centers, they do not define who belongs within the Office of Belonging and Inclusion or at CSULB," Lewis stressed.

Under the umbrella of the OBI, the Latinx Resource Center has also been renamed Nuestro Centro Latine Resource Center (LRC), a change that took place at the beginning of fall semester. According to Alondra Enriquez, assistant director of the LRC, "Latine" was voted on by students who use the center and reflects changing ideas of how the Latine student population wants to identify and describe itself. "Latine" is also an identifiable word in Spanish, as opposed to "Latinx."

In addition, the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Resource Center has been renamed the Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi (APID) Resource Center. "Desi" originally comes from the Sanskrit word "desa," and refers to people and cultures from the Indian subcontinent, or South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Assistant Director Shannyn Sayula said the change occurred during the spring 2024 semester.

"During the fall of 2023 we held engagement sessions with student and staff groups to discuss the name change," she said. "We also collected over 200 surveys surrounding input on the name change."

Non-Apparent Disabilities

The term "hidden disabilities" has been retired by the Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC), in favor of "non-apparent disabilities," to better reflect how people choose to describe themselves.

"We've learned that 'hidden' was not the best use of the word when exemplifying and describing disabilities that are not seen," said Mary Nguyen, director of BMAC. "'Hidden' purposefully says that a person with a disability is withholding this information intentionally by hiding it. So, there's a difference between choosing not to self-disclose, versus actively hiding it .… 'Non-apparent' does not imply any negative connotation. We see disability as a source of strength that is such a human experience."

The Beach has embraced the sunflower as a symbol of non-apparent disabilities, and during Disability Pride Month - observed in July - the CSULB mascot Elbee can be seen in front of the "Go Beach" sign holding a sunflower.

The BMAC website explains that non-apparent disabilities "can be physical, mental, or neurological, and their conditions [can] significantly affect daily activities such as studying, working, shopping and transportation. Although there are challenges, people with non-apparent disabilities can function actively in their schools, workplaces, families and hobbies."

Some examples of non-apparent disabilities, according to the BMAC website, include Alzheimer's disease, autism, diabetes, dyslexia, long COVID, migraine, multiple sclerosis, narcolepsy, Parkinson's, stuttering and Tourette syndrome.

"We see disability across humanity as a source of strength," Nguyen said. "We just updated it this year, this summer, after a lot of conversations, understanding how language evolves and changes. Language changes all the time."

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