By: MSI Student Council Members – Kristine Jan Espinoza, Ray Fletcher, & Natalie Gutierrez
The UNLV Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Student Council has been working behind-the-scenes in preparation for the upcoming MSI Week at UNLV from March 1-5, 2021. To us, hosting MSI Week is important to really highlight UNLV’s critical role in enrolling and call-to-action to be truly serving, especially, minoritized students. There are still many on campus who do not know that UNLV is a dually-designated MSI.
Over the past few weeks, members of the council worked together to brainstorm ways of celebrating and honoring the university’s dual Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designations. This included brainstorming MSI week activities that can broadly support students, faculty, and staff even during this shift to predominantly remote teaching and learning environments. The MSI Student Council also wanted to introduce themselves and highlight the individual projects the student council members have been leading since the start of the academic year.
During MSI week, the MSI Student Council will be reaching out to the UNLV campus community and the greater Las Vegas community with financial support. In consideration of the MSI Student Council’s role within the task force to develop and contribute to UNLV resources, a donation of $20,000 USD has been made to match the donation of Charles Schwab Bank to the SOS Emergency Relief Fund. In appreciation of the courage and dedication of NSHE health care workers the MSI Student Council will be offering a week-long lunch event at the Dining Commons. Additionally, a donation will be made to the Undocumented Student Program (USP) and the Immigration Clinic to support UNLV student DACA renewals and applications. In continuity of the First Generation Week celebration of 2020, our co-sponsored Essay Contest Scholarship with the Black Mountain Institute, will be announcing the winners on Friday, March 5th, at 12:00pm PST. Our signature event of MSI week will be a “Conversation with Faculty: UNLV as an MSI, AANAPISI, and HSI” panel to be held on Friday, March 5, 2021, from 3:00-4:00pm PST. The purpose of the faculty panel is meant to create a space where faculty can share their experiences and ideas for where UNLV can go next, especially now that UNLV holds dual AANAPISI-HSI designations. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Renee’ Watson, one of the MSI Student Council advisors. This free event is open to all undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff. To join in the March 5th conversation, Zoom registration with @unlv.edu or @unlv.nevada.edu address is required: www.tinyurl.com/MSIpanel
Week-Long Event:
The MSI Student Council is sponsoring an NSHE Health Care Workers Lunch Appreciation
Monday, March 1, 2021:
Minority-Serving Honoree Appreciation
Tuesday, March 2, 2021:
Let’s Talk UNLV Podcast with Dr. Renee’ Watson and Dr. Keith Rogers
MSI Student Council individual projects and student involvement opportunities
Wednesday, March 3, 2021:
Announcement: SOS Emergency Relief Fund
MSI week blog post
Thursday, March 4, 2021:
Announcement: USP and Immigration Clinic Appreciation
MSI Student Council individual projects and student involvement opportunities (cont.)
Friday, March 5, 2021:
First Generation Week 2020 Co-Sponsored Essay Contest Scholarship with the MSI Student Council and Black Mountain Institute. Essay Winners Announcement and Reading
Conversation with Faculty: UNLV as an MSI, AANAPISI, and HSI; Zoom registration required: www.tinyurl.com/MSIpanel
Keep up with the MSI Week events on the UNLV MSI Student Council Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/unlv_msisc/
