Schools In Focus: KSU’s New Multicultural Student Center

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

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Mesa West Capital Provides Loan to Refinance University of Georgia Residence Complex

    Mesa West Capital recently announced that it has provided a $133.9-million, short-term, first mortgage loan to developer LV Collective (“LV”) to refinance a student housing complex near the University of Georgia, according to a news release. Rambler Athens, a 750-bed residence hall adjacent to the campus, was completed in August 2024.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

Digital Edition