Harper College is currently observing summer hours. Most offices close at noon on
Fridays. Certain areas, including InZone, the Health and Recreation Center, athletics,
park district and special events will continue to operate on Friday afternoons.
Harper’s Cultural Center Building D, Room D-281 (above Starbucks)
Under the vision of Dr. Avis Proctor, Dr. Tamara Johnson led the opening of the Cultural
Center in November 2021, thanks to the research and request of many Harper employees
and students. The Cultural Center at Harper College is a culturally-affirming, educational
lounge and event space for students and employees. Serving as an academic and social
counterspace (learn more about counterspaces below), employees and students are encouraged
to build connections, express their identities and values, engage in dialogue, and
enjoy a place where they can have a sense of belonging on campus. Brittany Barber serves as the Manager of the Cultural Center.
The Cultural Center enhances the Harper community by:
Providing a culturally-affirming place for studying, connection, learning, and celebration
Creating opportunities for students and employees to engage in a variety of activities
ranging from educational workshops and trainings to invited guest speakers and events
that highlight diverse cultures and experiences
Offering meeting space for employee and student organization meetings
Encouraging and supporting an authentic sense of self so that all Harper faculty,
staff, and students feel a strong sense of belonging and connection to the Harper
community
Stop by and see for yourself why over 2,000 people attended the Cultural Center in
Spring 2022!
Looking For an Event Space?
The Cultural Center hosts a variety of opportunities for Harper faculty, staff, and
students to get involved. If you are a student organization or employee department
seeking to host an event in the space, please click the link below to submit your
reservation request.
The Cultural Center offers:
A kitchenette for use by students and employees
Three computer stations
A variety of games like giant Jenga, Uno, Monopoly, cards, dominos, and more
Large and small conference rooms with large televisions and universal design furniture.
Each conference room is equipped with technology for Bluetooth, virtual cameras for
streaming and conferences, and internet access
A podium with an attached microphone
Light refreshments, hot coffee and hot water for tea
Dry-erase boards and markers in each conference room
Bean bag chairs for comfort
Books that can be borrowed and articles on a variety of diversity, equity and inclusion
topics
A Bluetooth speaker and cordless microphone for use while in the Center
A wide range of music that plays daily throughout the space
An Interfaith Prayer Space for prayer, reflection and meditation near the Cultural Center for Harper faculty,
staff and students to use while the Center is open. Located on the second floor, room
D290. Near the elevators!
Calendar
Every month the Cultural Center offers a host of signature programs and exciting events.
Check out our latest programs and upcoming events.
What is a Counterspace?
Counterspaces can provide opportunities to increase human, cultural and social capital
that is often limited to lower-income and racially marginalized communities. They
provide space for students and employees who come from oppressed and marginalized
populations to feel validated and appreciated for their stories, and allow them to
unpack other challenges and questions they have.
Counterspaces provide safe spaces that simultaneously validate and critique one’s
interconnected self and group identity—that would enable radical growth. (M. Keels, pg. 2).
Counterspaces are known to become effective spaces where students can feel safe and
comfortable, where they can get back a bit of their mental bandwidth that is depleted
by daily pressures (Cia Verschelden, Bandwidth Recovery, pg. 97) and one model is commonly known as a multicultural center.
A center, like the one opening in the early fall at Harper College, can also be seen
as identity-affirming spaces to help students maintain a strong sense of self while
striving for school success (M. Keels, pg. 34).