Latinx Faculty and Staff Association hosts 2024 Welcome Back Reception.
Wayne State University’s Latinx Faculty and Staff Association (LFSA) recently hosted its seventh annual Welcome Back Reception for students, faculty and staff to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept.15 to Oct. 15. The event celebrates the many contributions made by those who identify as Hispanic and Latino and serves as an opportunity to promote inclusivity, learning and engagement at a university-wide level.
From goods and services sold by Wayne State’s Latino/a student entrepreneurs to the promotion of professional clubs and organizations, the event provided opportunities for students, faculty and staff to network and try something new.
Centered around a large dance floor in the middle of the Student Center ballroom, attendees enjoyed a special performance by Ballet Folklórico de Wayne State University, the university’s first and only Mexican folkloric dance group. Though the dancers weren’t the only ones busting a move; new and old friends put their song requests in with the DJ and hit the dance floor themselves, but not before enjoying Latin-inspired coffee and sweet treats sold by student vendors.
“Wayne State University is committed to uplifting our Latino, Latina, Latinx community and celebrating Hispanic heritage on campus this month and year-round,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Ph.D. “Our Office of Inclusive Excellence is pleased to support the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association in engaging a wide variety of events and activities, as well as opportunities to share ideas and feedback.”
Veronica Beltran, assistant director of student engagement and culture at the Wayne State Law School and LFSA outreach and engagement officer, told attendees, “Through the university’s proclamation and the actions that have followed, Wayne State has reaffirmed the significance of the contributions that Latinos have made in our campus community and continues to push for Latino/a success. Student leadership, alumni accomplishments, faculty and staff representation all encompass the university’s living promise to empower all.”
Seven percent of Wayne State’s total student body identifies as Hispanic or Latino, 52% of whom are first-generation students.
During her remarks at the reception, Provost Clabo reminded attendees of the university’s affiliation with the Latina-led organization, Excelencia in Education, and President Kimberly Andrews Espy’s appointment to its national network of Presidents for Latino Student Success (P4LSS). These affiliations will assist the university in assessing the institutions contributions to the Hispanic and Latino community, acknowledging successes, challenges and opportunities for how the university can continue to support Latino students.
“This is work that we’re committed to,” said Melissa Miranda Morse, chair of the Wayne State Latinx Faculty and Staff Association and associate director of the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies. “With a mission to build an inclusive community, the LFSA is here to provide support; this work is important and necessary, not just for our students but for our faculty and staff.”
By Katheryn Kutil