Cultural Center Requirements

By being in the cultural center, you understand and agree that:

This is a safe space for diverse identities. Folks are to feel safe, seen, heard, and affirmed in the Cultural Center. This assurance should come from the environment, staff, faculty, and students in the Cultural Center.
Only one person can nap on the bean bag chairs at a time. Students and staff should NOT lay on one another/cuddle on the couches or bean bag chairs.
All individuals gathering should be mindful of noise levels (music, conversations) affecting peers, faculty, and staff in the space.
Music is played in the Cultural Center daily. This includes a wide variety to appeal to different identities.
Food that is being served in connection with an event in the space is not to be taken by those who are NOT attending the event. If there is food left afterwards, the organizer of the event can offer this food to non-attendees in the space, but it is not required.
All property of the Cultural Center must remain within the Center. Property includes furniture, office supplies and building equipment. General rule of thumb: if you or your group does not own the item in question, then it cannot be removed from the building. Cultural Center property such as TV’s, sound systems, and computers are only to be operated by Cultural Center staff or groups with approved reservations.
Furniture such as tables and chairs may be used and rearranged within the space for meetings and events, but the furniture must be returned to its original location immediately following the meeting or event.
- The exception is the “study area” of the center. These tables and chairs are not to be moved.
Violence or threatening conduct of any kind which may affect the safety of you and others at the Cultural Center, whether it is directed against a Harper student, staff member, or faculty member, will not be tolerated. Everyone in the Harper community should be treated with respect at all times. Folks in the Cultural Center are expected to refrain from cursing loudly, argumentative discussion, “horseplay,” or other conduct that may be dangerous to others. Firearms, weapons and other dangerous hazardous devices or substances are prohibited from the Cultural Center and Harper College.
Clean up after yourselves/group. No garbage is to be left behind. Do not leave food in the sink.

You are expected to abide by these requirements when using the Cultural Center. These requirements are intended to keep everyone safe as many diverse identities and groups find refuge and connection here. Failure to comply may result in removal from the Cultural Center and/or the student misconduct process (Harper Early Alert Team).

Cultural Center Policies, Procedures, and Resources

Policies

It is the expectation that all policies and procedures be followed and respected by all individuals, organizations, and departments that use and/or visit the Cultural Center and the Interfaith Prayer Room.

General Guidelines

Hours of Operation: Please reference the Cultural Center page on the DEI website for the most up to date information regarding hours of operation. Overall, the Cultural Center is open for informal use and reservation Monday through Friday. The CC is NOT available for evening reservations and visits after operating hours. All visitors should enter through the double-door main entrance of the CC. Visitors can exit through the main entrance or through the side door. The side door is to remain locked and closed at all times; it is not to be propped open unless a registered event indicates the need to do so.

Noise: The CC is an open-access, multi-use, safe space on campus for diverse identities. This means that faculty, staff and students utilize the space for a variety of reasons including relaxation and connection; studying; office hours; meetings; workshops; trainings; and discussions. Diverse music is played consistently in the space which streams through the entire CC at a volume that does not disturb neighboring offices. During different events and reservations, the music may be changed or turned off entirely. Unless an individual has a reservation or is a staff member, the music in the Cultural Center should not be touched.

Furniture: All property of the CC must remain in the CC. Property includes chairs, couches, pillows, computer equipment, dry-erase board markers and erasers, tables, bookshelves, dry erase boards, cellphone chargers, kitchen equipment and tables. Essentially anything that originated in the CC must remain in the CC. Furniture such as tables and chairs/coaches can be used and rearranged for formal and informal meetings, but all furniture must be put back in place for the individual(s) and/or group(s) exit the CC. Organizers of events are responsible for returning the space to its original set up at the conclusion of the event. Failure to clean up will result in a bi-annual revaluation of the group’s reservation privileges and could lead to losing reservation privileges for a semester.

Code of Conduct: The CC prohibits expression that is not protected by law in this facility, such as that expression described by the following legal terms: defamation, incitement to unlawful conduct, imminent threats of actual violence or harm, obscenity, fighting words, copyright or trademark violation, criminal or civil harassment, sexual harassment, trespass, and false advertising. HARPER STUDENT HANDBOOK

Violence-Free Workplace: Violence or threatening conduct of any kind which may affect the psychological, emotional, and/or physical safety of you and others at the CC or Interfaith Prayer Room, whether it is directed against a Harper student, staff member, or faculty member, will not be tolerated. Everyone in the Harper community should be always treated with courtesy and respect. Harper community members are expected to refrain from argumentative discussion, “horseplay,” or other conduct that may be dangerous to others. Firearms, weapons and other dangerous hazardous devices or substances are prohibited from the CC and Interfaith Prayer Room.

If you feel that your safety is being threatened by anyone, or are aware of any violation of this policy, you should report the incident to the Cultural Center Manager and submit a HEAT form right away. If the situation is life-threatening, contact Harper Police immediately. You may be assured that your complaint will be kept as confidential as possible and that you will not be penalized in any way for reporting a threatening or violent situation. In addition to taking disciplinary action when appropriate, the CC may, if deemed necessary, seek criminal prosecution and cooperate with law enforcement.

Reservations:

Legacy of Cultural Spaces: Cultural spaces were founded in the 1960’s and 1970’s due to Black student activism. Their activism, which was met with violence and disdain, stood against the hostile environments at college campuses. As a result of their persistence and passion, the Black student movement inspired the creation of Black cultural centers. The movement also led to additional, diverse student activist groups advocating for their own spaces on campus, inspiring the creation of Latine/x centers, LGBTQIA+ centers, and Asian centers, to name a few.

Harper College’s Center for Multicultural Learning (CML) served as the institution’s first cultural space. The CML served Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ students, providing advising, counseling, programming, and mentorship opportunities. In 2013, the CML was closed. Upon the arrival of Dr. Proctor in 2019, faculty, staff and students advocated for the recreation of the CML which led to the present-day Cultural Center, located in Building D, Room 281.

To honor the legacy of cultural spaces and the CML, the CC priorities reservations in the space that honors Asian, Black, disabled, Latine/x, LGBTQIA+, and/or Muslim experiences. Please be mindful of this when submitting your request. Cultural Center staff will respond to your request within 72 hours. Please contact harperdei@harpercollege.edu with any questions.

Eligibility

Harper faculty, staff, students and student organizations recognized by Student Engagement are invited to use space in the CC, with the expectation that the aforementioned identities and experiences are at the forefront of our acceptances.

Reservations for student organizations, faculty, and staff must be submitted through the online form located on the DEI website.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel a reservation, please do so no later than 2 business days before the time of the reservation. While this is not a requirement, it will help us to give the space to another interested group. In the event of an emergency, the CC reserves the right to cancel a booked reservation. Notification will be sent via email.

Damages

All persons and event organizers are responsible for costs of damage, repair and clean up arising from their use of the CC. Examples of such costs related to event reservations include the cost of cleaning carpets or furniture or repairing special fixtures and equipment. Items lost during a group’s reservation must be replenished by the group.

Restricted Spaces

Access to the front desks, offices and computers assigned to the CC staff members are limited to CC staff only. Please do not use supplies or chairs from any desk without permission. Computers are password protected.

Food and Beverage

The following policies are created to maintain a clean and functional environment for everyone.

Storage

Food may be stored in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to your scheduled and approved event. The food must be clearly labeled with your organization name and event date. Food that is not labeled may be discarded or eaten.

After the event, any food that is stored in the refrigerator is free for all to take. The CC reserves the right to dispose of any food in the refrigerator to maintain cleanness in the kitchen.

A small number of disposable plates, napkins, and utensils are kept in the kitchenette. Please be sure to bring your own supplies of disposable paper products for your events.

For individuals using the space informally, food can be kept in the refrigerator until the end of the day. All food that does not belong to CC staff will be disposed of by the end of the day.

Clean-Up

Any utensils or dishes associated with a catered event must be removed at the conclusion of the event or they will be thrown out. The CC is not responsible for returning dishes and utensils to caterers and does not have the space to store these items until the caterer can pick them up. Please plan accordingly.

All food-related items not placed in the refrigerator or non-perishable must be emptied and thrown away in the garbage cans in the CC.

All dishes and food utensils should be washed after use and return borrowed dishes/utensils.

Groups are responsible for restoring the space they reserved to its original condition upon the conclusion of their event. Failure to clean up or remove event materials will result in a re-evaluation of the group’s reservation privileges and could lead to a loss of privileges – including a semester-ban for egregious inferences.