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MSU Denver
The Center for Equity & Student Achievement (CESA) is the MSU Denver area in Student Affairs explicitly focused on students’ sense of belonging and engagement with a lens of equity and understanding of how their social identities contribute to their University experience and career pathways. CESA provides student support with an emphasis on addressing inequities experienced by students and houses several centers and programs aimed at increasing college retention, persistence, and graduation rates of historically underrepresented student populations.
Departments within CESA include: Center for Multicultural Engagement & Inclusion (CMEI) and related programs, LGBTQ Student Resource Center, Veteran & Military Student Services, TRIO Student Support Services, College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), Immigrant Services Program, Met Media, and First-Generation Initiatives.
Gender Inclusive Restrooms
Gender-inclusive restrooms provide a safe, private facility for transgender, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people, families with children, and people with disabilities who may need assistance.
Lactation Spaces
Lactating and/or chestfeeding/bodyfeeding students, employees, and visitors may need a private space to express milk from their body (typically using a manual or electric pump when a baby is not feeding directly from a parent’s body). While the frequency of need to do so varies, some may need to express milk every 2-3 hours. As such, having access to an appropriate space on campus to do so is important so that these students, employees, and visitors can fully participate in academic and co-curricular experiences when they need to be on campus for longer periods of time. Without adequate space to express milk, both lactating people and babies can suffer health-related consequences. Likewise, some parents may prefer a private space to feed their baby while on campus and so lactation spaces can serve this purpose too; however, it is important to note that parents have a right to feed their baby in any space that they occupy (not a requirement to feed in designated lactation spaces).
Our Departments
Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI)
The Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI) supports students’ sense of belonging in college and affirms their identities by building community through participation in student organizations (currently over 120 options), Met Media, fraternities and sororities (currently eight), racial equity and leadership programs, student travel and professional development funding, student gathering spaces, and campus events.
College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
CAMP, a U.S. Department of Education grant-funded scholarship program, is designed to meet the academic, financial and social needs of migrant/seasonal farmworkers and their children in pursuing higher education. While the program provides its most intensive assistance during the first year of college, the CAMP team is available to assist students throughout their college experience.
First-Generation Initiatives
First Generation Initiatives supports students by providing community-building opportunities, workshops on skills needed during and after college, as well as empowerment around leadership and the first-gen identity. We are honored to be a part of their educational journey and believe first generation students are powerful, resilient and tenacious. They are #fearlessfirst. Welcome to our first-gen family!
Immigrant Services
The Immigrant Services Program supports and builds community for students who weren’t born in the U.S. or come from families with immigrant backgrounds. We help our DACA, undocumented, refugee and immigrant students succeed in college through writing and language development support, assistance with financial aid options and scholarship essays, social events and resources around legal assistance or healthcare options.
LGBTQ Student Resource Center
This tri-institutional student service supports all genders and sexualities in the campus community using a model of CARE: Community Building, Advocacy & Support, Resources and Education. The LGBTQ Student Resource Center seeks to remove the barriers that LGBTQ students have in accessing their education on an equitable basis.
TRIO Student Support Services
TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) is a federally-funded grant program which serves students who are first-generation, differently-abled (disabled) and low-income. Our services include advising, college and life-skills workshops, graduate school visits, access to a computer lab and much more!
Veteran and Military Student Services
The Veteran & Military Student Services program is dedicated to supporting the more than 1,000 military service members, veterans and their family members who choose MSU Denver each year through assistance with the certification of VA education benefits, tuition assistance programs, an active Veteran and Military Services Center, and numerous workshops and programs designed to empower military-affiliated student to achieve their academic, career and personal goals.
Contact Us
Center for Equity & Student Achievement
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM
Meet Our TeamPhone: 303-615-0022
Email: [email protected]
Office Location:
Student Success Building
2nd Floor – #237
Auraria Campus
Mailing Address:
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Center for Equity and Student Achievement
Campus Box 62
P.O. Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362
In order to be compliant with the social distancing recommendations in mitigating the community spread of the coronavirus, the Center for Equity and Student Achievement centers and programs have taken several steps to maintain student support and engagement opportunities online.
Effective Monday, March 16 at 5 p.m. we will be operating remotely until further notice.
At this time, the University has limited face-to-face operations and CESA staff are prepared to assist you virtually and are committed to maintaining our key operations during this period. Please email [email protected] or call 303-615-0022 (please leave a voicemail) and a staff member will get in touch with you shortly. To connect with specific CESA centers/program staff, please visit their specific website (below) and/or email the staff directly.
This is a difficult time for many members of our community. If you are struggling and have an urgent need to speak with someone, the University has a mental health crisis and assistance line available to students (at no cost). That phone number is 303-615-9911. Professional mental health staff are available 24/7 to speak with you at that phone number, in the event that this may be helpful. Additionally, the MSU Denver Counseling Center will have virtual therapy appointments available shortly—please check their website for more information on how to access this service (note: The Counseling Center’s virtual appointments are not intended for emergency/crisis needs- please call 303-615-9911 for emergent needs).
Medical questions, concerns, or needs (related to COVID-19 or otherwise) can be directed to the Health Center at Auraria. Please call the Health Center at Auraria directly at 303-615-9999 to discuss your situation. Calling is a preferable way to initiate contact with the medical professionals on staff at this time, though the Center remains open. The Health Center’s normal business hours are Monday-Thursday from 8am-5pm and Fridays from 8am-3pm.
NOTE: Any Auraria campus emergencies should be immediately reported to the Auraria Campus Police Department by calling 303-556-5000.
For more information regarding MSU Denver’s plans to return to campus in the fall, visit the Safe Return to Campus website.