Center for Undergraduate Excellence’s move to Memorial Hall raises accessibility concerns among students, faculty
The Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) was moved to Memorial Hall’s third floor, where it can only be accessed via stairs. Photos by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer
The Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) was recently moved from its 415 E. Walnut Ave. location to Memorial Hall’s third floor over the summer. At this new location, CUE is inaccessible to those who face mobility obstacles because Memorial Hall only has stairs. There are no elevators or lifts present in the building.
The center was originally located in Smith Hall before being moved to its Walnut location in 2018 because, at the time, Smith Hall was inaccessible as it only had stairs. The Hall was then renovated to accommodate students, faculty and staff who face mobility obstacles. The renovations were completed in 2019.
The Walnut location was considered accessible to all visitors because it had a ramp for those with mobility issues and only consisted of a single story. It also had a kitchen and a backyard where CUE often held events, as well as a conference room where students could gather. CUE was there for several years.
CUE not only offers research and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate students, but it also provides grants to students to help fund their projects and attend conferences. CUE even offers resources to Chapman alumni.
An ambassador program is also present at CUE composed of students who have conducted their own academic research and now serve as representatives for the Center. These ambassadors aid other students who are pursuing projects such as STEM research or creative activities.
CUE ambassador cannot access Memorial Hall’s third floor
Sophia Rubino is in her fourth year in Chapman’s integrated master’s program in film studies, and she has also been a CUE ambassador since her junior year. Rubino uses crutches as her primary mobility device, and she is also an ambulatory wheelchair user.
In the beginning of this semester, Rubino was notified that she had to pick something up on Memorial Hall’s third floor.
“After basically crawling up the staircase, there was nothing there for me,” Rubino said.
Rubino has not formally reached out for any accommodations regarding Memorial Hall. She noted that she is rarely on the main campus because she is a Dodge student.
“It's almost like talking to a wall sometimes when you're asking about these things,” Rubino said. “I was told when I was having a meeting with somebody about accommodations very similar to that of Memorial Hall, that us disabled people should just be able to cope with what's given to us.”
“It’s almost like talking to a wall sometimes when you’re asking about these things. I was told when I was having a meeting with somebody about accommodations very similar to that of Memorial Hall, that us disabled people should just be able to cope with what’s given to us.”
According to Rubino, CUE Operations Manager Lisa Kendrick told her to let Kendrick know if she needed accommodations because the building has no elevators.
“I haven't had any problem yet this semester, beyond the one instance of me just trying to go up there,” Rubino said. “And I was on the verge of tears because a flight of stairs should not be sending people into some kind of rage.”
Rubino does not think requesting to add an elevator to the building is plausible, so instead, she would like CUE to be moved to an accessible space.
“I think that non-disabled people don't realize that accommodations actually help them as well,” Rubino said. “It's one of those things I don't even know how to explain because it should just be there for everybody and people I think like to make this specifically a disability issue.”
Ambassador reacts to move from Walnut House to Memorial Hall
Senior biochemistry and molecular biology major Kevin Nguyen has been a student scholar ambassador for CUE for about one year. The Walnut house evoked “homey” and “cozy” feelings for Nguyen.
“It was easy to have meetings or just spread out if we ever needed to within the house,” Nguyen said. “But the biggest thing I liked about the house is that it had a kitchen, which meant that whenever we had events involving food, we could always just cook at the CUE house.”
“We had barbecues, we had a Thanksgiving in a sense,” Nguyen said. “It was just nice that the house was big enough to accommodate like 20, 30 people in addition to having room to have events.”
Nguyen was “appalled” at the news of the move because of the communal atmosphere the Walnut house brought to the program, where it no longer felt like an office. He was also concerned about the accessibility for students, finding it “jarring” that the Walnut house was more accessible than Memorial Hall.
On Aug. 1, Dean of Students Jerry Price communicated CUE’s move to all Chapman students via email.
CUE offers a variety of services and events for students, from research and scholarship opportunities to an ambassador program that helps students pursuing their own research.
Memorial Hall is a historical building built in 1921 and includes an auditorium. Before entering, there is a small sign in the shrubbery that points to a secluded ramp on the side of the building, which those with mobility issues can use to enter the auditorium. The doors of this accessible entrance to the auditorium are often locked if there is not an event occurring.
Walking through the main doors of Memorial Hall, the only options are going up a flight of stairs to the first floor or going down a flight of stairs to the basement. Memorial Hall’s third floor is only accessible by stairs and includes faculty offices, conference rooms and a kitchen area.
“How do you get to the third floor to contact us when there is no way to get up to the third floor?” Nguyen said. “So that's one of the biggest reasons why I hate the third floor. Maybe if it's on the first floor, it'd be a little easier to deal with, but the fact is it's on the third floor and CUE is meant for students.”
“How do you get to the third floor to contact us when there is no way to get up to the third floor? So that’s one of the biggest reasons why I hate the third floor. Maybe if it’s on the first floor, it’d be a little easier to deal with, but the fact is it’s on the third floor and CUE is meant for students.”
An employee on Memorial Hall’s third floor compared the journey of walking up to the third floor to “climbing a mountain.”
More ambassador program unease about new location
Dr. Anna Leahy, the former director of CUE, thought the Walnut Avenue location was an ideal spot for the program.
“We were so excited to get that space, not only because it was accessible, but because it had meeting space for students, and that allowed the CUE to grow the ambassador program,” Leahy said. “We had piloted it when I was director, but we didn't have the space to really sustain it, and the Walnut Avenue house gave us the space to sustain it.”
Leahy is worried that CUE’s move to Memorial Hall will hurt the ambassador program.
“My other concern would be that students who are interested in the ambassador program might perceive it as inaccessible and unwelcoming because they can't get to the office itself,” Leahy said. “So, I think it sends the wrong message to students who might be interested in becoming ambassadors or getting involved with CUE activities more broadly.”
“My other concern would be that students who are interested in the ambassador program might perceive it as inaccessible and unwelcoming because they can’t get to the office itself. So, I think it sends the wrong message to students who might be interested in becoming ambassadors or getting involved with CUE activities more broadly.”
Junior applied human physiology major Madeleine Chang is in her second year as an ambassador for the CUE.
Chang found the move “a little frustrating” because over the summer, the ambassadors were planning on expanding their vision for the fall semester, under the impression they were remaining in the Walnut house.
“We have maybe 15 people, so it's a larger group and now we have to reserve a room, which isn't as difficult,” Chang said. “But it was nice before because having the house gave us more flexibility with being able to work with other people's schedules.”
She also stated that the Memorial Hall’s third floor being composed of faculty offices removed the “personal aspect” of CUE.
There is also an uneasiness regarding CUE’s annual two Student Scholar Symposiums. Posters are required to be printed for the students participating, so they pick them up at CUE. Leahy estimates the printing can reach up to about 100 posters. Both Leahy and Chang are worried about how students can come pick up the posters at the new location.
The ambassadors have not yet met at the new Memorial Hall location and are looking to places other than Memorial Hall out of a concern for meeting space. They held a meeting on Sep. 29 at the Argyros Forum, an accessible building on campus.
“I think we do need to find other spaces because, for the ambassadors, we cannot meet there,” Chang said.
For students who cannot access the third floor of Memorial Hall, Provost Norma Bouchard is offering accommodation.
“Right now, the provost gave us another office on the first floor of Memorial,” Chang said. “I believe that it is meant to be accessible for students with disabilities, but it's also kind of singling them out because we're treating them differently. It's a little more difficult while the house is handicap-accessible. It was easier.”
Reasons for CUE’s relocation and the provost’s accommodations
Bouchard is currently in her third year in this role. She noted that CUE’s move was in a series of department moves on campus because of Chapman’s limited space.
First, the graduate education office was integrated into the office of research. The vice president of graduate education was already located on Memorial Hall’s third floor, so the provost wanted to merge these offices. Now, the third floor of Memorial Hall includes all the undergraduate-related offices.
“I wanted to have faculty-related offices as connected as possible, as well as student-relating offices,” said Bouchard.
The provost has an empty office on the first floor of Memorial Hall for anyone who can’t access the upper floors of the building. She welcomes everyone to use it if they need to.
“You can have a conference for students, anybody who needs it can use it,” said Bouchard. “Problem is that you still need to come up a little bit, but it's available.”
This office has not been used since May 2022.
“The inaccessibility is a reality in this building, and sadly, nobody is taking advantage of this office,” Bouchard said.
The provost has received communication from faculty who are concerned about Memorial Hall’s inaccessibility.
“When they reach out to me and say, ‘Well, what do we do?’, if there is an accessibility issue, I say, ‘Well, I have an office next door to me, you're welcome to use it anytime,’ and no one’s used it,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard continued: “I've seen a few students that have visible disabilities. I'm not sure if they navigate the campus because it would be difficult for them, say in a wheelchair, to even come up here. Because it's just the way (Memorial Hall) is. I want to think, I hope that faculty and staff probably find places where they don't have to go upright.”
Future plans for new student success center
In Chapman’s 2023 to 2028 strategic plan, a student success center is set to be added to DeMille Hall, where it will stand at three stories tall. Provost Bouchard stated that it is a long-term plan due to the expensive cost of the project.
The motivation behind the student success center is so students can access information regarding academic guidance, financial aid and other resources all in one place. Upon its completion, CUE will be moved into the newly renovated and accessible student success center. As of now, there is no start date for when construction will begin, and according to Bouchard, the project “is not going to happen next year for certain.”
“It could take longer, but that's the idea,” Bouchard said. “My own little move has really been focused on thinking logically about having people in close proximity as much as we can because they are a community.”
Abbey Umali is in her third year of her master’s program studying school psychology. She also attended Chapman for her undergraduate education and was a part of the Student Government Association (SGA) during her junior and senior years. Umali recalls President Daniele Struppa coming into an SGA meeting and mentioning plans for a student success center then.
Accessibility concerns and recommendations
Umali uses a wheelchair and recommends Memorial Hall have a call button, so someone can assist those with mobility obstacles. She’d also like to see better signage indicating the accessible access through the auditorium and having a sign with a phone number people can call to receive accommodations upon arrival.
“When I've gone to Memorial for concerts and things, the first time I did it, it took me a minute to figure out how to get in there,” Umali said. “Because the entrance is all the way in the back and especially if you got tickets to something, sometimes that door might not be open because it's going straight into the auditorium, at the front of the stage.”
Sophomore film production major Alexa “AK” Neilson has a condition that hinders her joint mobility. She uses a wheelchair due to her limited range of motion.
Neilson finds CUE’s move to the third floor “disheartening” because it is a student-facing service in an inaccessible building. She is also concerned about the consideration of accessibility regarding decisions like these.
“It's not clear to me that they are considering it in the first place,” Neilson said. “I don't think that it’s malicious. I think that it's not even thought about in the first place, and I think that's the biggest issue. I know that there are things that aren't always possible with accessibility, but I think thinking about it should always be possible.”
“It’s not clear to me that they are considering it in the first place. I don’t think that it’s malicious. I think that it’s not even thought about in the first place, and I think that’s the biggest issue. I know that there are things that aren’t always possible with accessibility, but I think thinking about it should always be possible.”
Since CUE is just an additional resource students can seek out if it aligns with their interests, Neilson may avoid the Center altogether because it poses accessibility challenges for her.
“An access issue would just deter me completely,” Neilson said. “Because, obviously, I'm a college student, I'm busy. I have stuff to do. And to have to deal with that on the side is enough to deter me from doing something.”
“An access issue would just deter me completely. Because, obviously, I’m a college student, I’m busy. I have stuff to do. And to have to deal with that on the side is enough to deter me from doing something.”
Disability services not involved in move, but ready to help
Jason McAlexander has been the director of Chapman’s Disability Services for about 13 years. He stated that Disability Services had not been involved in the decision-making process to move CUE to Memorial Hall, nor were they notified of the move, and that it is commonplace for disability services to not be involved in campus planning matters.
McAlexander has suggested renovating Memorial Hall over the past few years. Disability services has not yet worked directly with the CUE concerning accommodations for those with mobility issues since the recent move. So far, disability services has not received communication from any students seeking accommodations to receive the CUE’s services.
Disability services takes a reactionary approach to making accommodations for students. For instance, if a student needs to arrange a meeting with a faculty member, but the meeting place is in an inaccessible space, the student can contact Disability Services. The office will then help make accommodations so a student can meet with a faculty member in an accessible space.
The department is always eager to help those seeking accessibility services and to partner with other departments on campus to ensure that students with disabilities can access all their classrooms and meeting spaces.
“We would make sure that if (a student) has a meeting in that building, that whoever they have the meeting with would come out and have an arranged meeting somewhere accessible, whether they could work something informal out on the campus or if they needed to set up a meeting space, those things,” McAlexander told The Panther.
If you require accessibility accommodations or want to reach out to Disability Services, you can email them at DS@chapman.edu or call (714) 516-4520. Their office is also located in Argyros Forum 203.
Clarification: A previous version of the article had the following paragraph under the subhead “Ambassador reacts to move from Walnut House to Memorial Hall”: “An ambassador program is also present at CUE composed of students who have conducted their own academic research and now serve as representatives for the Center. These ambassadors aid other students who are pursuing projects such as STEM research or creative activities.” This paragraph was moved to above the “CUE ambassador cannot access Memorial Hall’s third floor” subheading to help clarify some information about CUE’s services.
