University Cultural Centers: History, Identity, and Activism at the Nexus of Museums and Academia

Higher education has become increasingly important in the global economy over recent years, yet many people in the United States struggle to access this level of education. Campus cultural centers exist in every state in the country to help these students, yet their interaction is limited, and there is little understanding of the field as a whole, especially among museum and academic professionals. I decided on three main goals for this project: 1) to provide a historical backdrop for campus cultural centers at Predominantly White Universities (PWIs), framing the field within the histories of academia and museums; 2) to provide a data set about campus centers, classifying institutions by what types of centers they have and layering regional geography, ABCC affiliation, and public/private distinctions for further analysis; 3) to examine how the history of centers helps us better understand the current field, and the potential future for campus cultural centers in the United States.