BYU Office of Belonging opens new space in Wilkinson Student Center

BYU’s Office of Belonging recently opened up its new office space in the Wilkinson Student Center.

The Office of Belonging welcomed visitors into their new space with an open house event featuring a walking tour with opportunities to meet student employees and full-time faculty.

The new office is also a shared space, combined with Multicultural Student Services and International Student and Scholar Services.

Shana Clemence works as a communications manager for the Office of Belonging. “It’s kind of a one-stop place for students on campus to come in and, first, get their needs met and access services, but also, a space for them to come in and experience belonging on campus,” she said.

For some student employees, working closely with other campus resources is an opportunity for more teamwork.

Rosie Aguirre, a student employee, works as a program coordinator for Multicultural Student Services. “It’s really cool that we each have our own individual thing going on, but we can still work together and be here in this place,” she said.

For Aguirre, working together in the same space with those other resources helps provide more opportunities for connecting with students. 

“It’s one thing if you go online and read about it, but it’s another thing if you talk to somebody that has actual experience and that actually knows because you can form those connections,” Aguirre said. “That’s what the office is all about.”

Working to form connections with students can help bring more people in to visit the numerous resources available in 2400 WSC.

Clemence said, “We need everybody on campus to really be involved in the work of belonging, for it to be something that will be adopted fully on campus and make a really big change here.”

“Inclusion means everybody,” Aguirre said. “We don’t pick and choose who it’s for.”