James Farmer Multicultural Center Advisory Committee – September 1, 2026
Action Items
- None
Minutes
James Farmer Multicultural Center Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
Attendance
· Joey Yang
· Marion Sanford, JFMC Director
· Lindsey Crawford, Secretary
· Don Lee
· Rachel Graefe-Anderson
· Coorain Devin, Chair
1. Welcome
Meeting called to order; attendance recorded as above.
2. New Minutes Procedure
· Minutes are now due 10 days prior to the next meeting and will be approved via email going forward.
· Previous minutes were approved.
· Coorain and Lindsey attending training session tomorrow for new process
3. Director’s Report
a. Cultural Programming Updates
· Over 11 cultural celebrations will be held this year.
· Cross-Cultural BBQ on Aug, 27,2026 was very successful. It served as the kick-off event of the cultural programs for the year. Over 300 students, staff, and administrators attended.
· Latino Identities Month (Sept. 15, Oct. 15) is the first month-long celebration for the year. The kick-off event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15th at 4 pm on Ball Circle. It is co-sponsored with the Latino Student Association.
· Quimbao Latin Band (Sept. 19, 7:00 PM) is the major performance for the LIM celebration. It will take place in the Underground.
· The month of October will host four different celebrations: (1) the second half of LIM, (2) the Disability Awareness Month celebration for the whole month of October, (3) the Gender and Sexual Minorities and Allies celebration after fall break, and (4) the Asian Cultural Celebration after homecoming weekend.
b. Other Center and Campus Initiatives
· 2026 Civic Engagement and Leadership Summit (Sept. 19, 10 AM) – this event is co-sponsored with the UMW NAACP College Chapter. The registration process is open for students. The summit will address current issues in various areas, such as education access, healthcare, environmental, economic, etc.
· The RISE Peer Mentoring program has launched. The Meet & Greet activity took place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 5 pm in the Digital Auditorium. There are 29 new students as mentees and 25 upper-class students as mentors in the program. A couple of upcoming activities include a trip to a FredNats game and a workshop on “How to Survive College 101” in September.
· There are nine students who are serving as Farmer Fellows this year. They have already conducted 17 educational sessions to the new students about the ASPIRE values, character, and civil discourse. The program is currently considering a “Farmer Fellows” initiative for classrooms. The Farmer Fellows will be participating in upcoming Admissions Open House events, as well as facilitating other sessions to different peer cohort groups.
4. Announcements
· Lindsey and Coorain will attend a training session on Wednesday.
5. Next Meeting
· Date to be sent out two weeks in advance to allow time to confirm minutes.
6. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned — thank you to all attendees!