Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Schools In Focus: KSU’s New Multicultural Student Center

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 12/08/20

Schools In Focus is a podcast dedicated to the design, planning and management of educational facilities and campuses. Listen in as senior editor Yvonne Marquez chats with industry experts, facility managers, architects, security and safety professionals, and other thought leaders. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Today's episode is on Kansas State University's new multicultural student center.

Schools In Focus, Episode 9: KSU's New Multicultural Student Center

Schools In Focus podcast logo on the left and Ishita Banerjii's headshot on the right.  

Kansas State University debuted a brand-new building last month. The Morris Family Multicultural Student Center is a space for campus organizations to advance student diversity, social justice and inclusion. The team of architects and designers behind the project was mostly made up of women.

In this episode of Schools In Focus, I spoke to Ishita Banerjii, project architect at Hollis + Miller, to talk about the new multicultural student center. The building features various gathering spaces from dance studios, huddle rooms, and a commercial kitchen.

We discuss the vision behind the center, how the team incorporated feedback from numerous student groups, and the significance of having a multicultural student center on campus in the Midwest.

KSU Multicultural Student Center. Courtesy of Hollis + Miller.

“In the long run, KSU does identify this as an opportunity to advance enrollment on campus,” Banerjii says. “Being in the Midwest, it’s kind of hard to let the word out of how welcoming they are towards the multicultural community or the diversity on campus. Essentially, they see this as an opportunity to reach out to students who would not consider KSU just for its location or the possibility of being accepted or not on the campus.”

Listen in to learn more about the new building.

Where to Listen

Schools In Focus is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Subscribe today, or listen below!

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • AAADM Announces Building Safety Month Initiatives

    The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) recently announced its support of Building Safety Month as declared by the International Code Council (ICC), according to a news release.