Institute for Cultural Unity
The Institute for Cultural Unity is Alfred University's source of diversity education and multicultural programming. The Institute for Cultural Unity is a resource center that develops self-awareness and respect for others through the sharing of experiences and cultures. We recognize that we are equal members of a shared community. We listen to experiences and opinions with civility to inform perceptions. We build an emotional bond, sharing our commonalities and valuing our differences.
Staffed Office
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat: 12 noon - 4 p.m.
Sun: 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Contact:
Email
Led principally by students, the governing body of the Institute for Cultural Unity is comprised of the following student organizations and their leaders:
- African Student Association
- Art Force 5 (Drawn to Diversity) (AU's Outreach effort which champions creativity over conflict)
- Asians in America
- Caribbean Student Association
- Hillel at Alfred (AU’s Jewish Culture and Heritage Organization)
- International Student Club (AU's Global Awareness Club)
- Poder Latino (AU’s Hispanic Culture and Heritage Organization)
- Saudi Student Club (AU's Saudi Student Social and Cultural Organization)
- Spectrum (AU’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Ally Serving Organization)
- W.H.E.B+ (AU's Religious Organization for Lesser Known Faith Traditions)
- Umoja (AU’s Black Student Union)
Institute for Cultural Unity Office
The Institute for Cultural Unity is located on the first floor of the Powell Campus Center and it houses a main suite, a study room and a conference room.
To reserve any of these spaces, please contact one of our Institute Coordinators during office hours. You can reach us by email at ICU.
Diversity programming and student groups affiliated with the ICU hold priority when it comes to reservations.
The Main Suite
The main suite of the ICU is designed to be a multi-purpose meeting space for up to 30 individuals. It is equipped with a Panasonic 42" 1080p LCD HDTV that is connected to a PC through VGA display and audio to create a "smart room." The TV also has 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, and connections to University cable.
The ICU Meeting Lounge
The Lounge can seat 6 - 8 individuals to have small group meetings. This is a perfect space to have executive board meetings for clubs and organizations.
The Study Room
The study room is a great place to get work done with comfortable seating and two networked computers that have print capabilities. There is also a white board and dry-erase markers and materials for students to use. Any student is welcome to use the study room during office hours, and we encourage them to take us up on the offer!
Alfred University consciously and intentionally recognizes, acknowledges and honors that it sits on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Onöndowa’ga:’ or “Great Hill People.” With a proud and rich history, the Seneca Nation of Indians, also known as the Keeper of the Western Door, are the largest and westernmost of the Six Nations that constitute the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Nations, a democratic government that pre-dates the United States Constitution.
This territory is covered by The Dish with One Spoon Treaty of Peace and Friendship, a pledge to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. It is also covered by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States Government and the Six Nations Confederacy, which affirmed the rights and sovereignty of both the United States and the Haudenosaunee.
Today, Alfred NY, Allegany County and New York State at-large are still home to Seneca people who continue to assert their tribal sovereignty. They act as caretakers and stewards of this land while actively maintaining their culture, ceremonies and languages on this territory. By offering this land acknowledgement we reaffirm our commitment to working to hold Alfred University more accountable to the needs of the Seneca and of other First Nations peoples. We acknowledge our gratitude for the opportunity to work for and with First Nations people in this place, as we pay our respects to our Seneca Nation relatives on their lands.
Institute Staff
Chief Diversity Officer: Angie Taylor
Advisor: Kash LaPlante
As a student-led resource center, the Institute for Cultural Unity employs several motivated and passionate Work-Study students called Agents of Change to manage its day-to-day operations. The Agents are responsible for communicating on behalf of the ICU, coordinating and maintaining the facilities of the ICU, and acting as peer educators regarding diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism.