8/28/25 Update
Students, faculty, alumni, and community members gathered at MATC to protest the termination of four staff members in the Multicultural Services office. The office is being eliminated and will be replaced by the new Office of Community Impact.
Protesters held a silent demonstration outside MATC President Anthony Cruz’s office and later displayed signs in the hallway, at the District Board meeting, and in the Cooley Auditorium during a live-stream of the meeting on Tuesday, August 26. Several individuals spoke to board members, urging them to reverse the decision.
Calls for Reinstatement and Concerns About Student Services
Kate Erickson, a full-time faculty member and president of the Wisconsin Indian Education Association, spoke about the college’s history with tribal higher education departments. She read from a letter and statement, highlighting past issues.
“After the retirement of our prior advisor, I had to step in and process student tribal paperwork in financial aid. Why is that?” Erickson said. “For at least six months after our previous advisor retired, the position was left vacant. Student paperwork and checks were literally piling up and as one of the only Indigenous faculty, students were coming to me for assistance.”
Erickson explained that at the time, the one staff member who knew how to disburse financial aid was on medical leave, and tens of thousands of dollars in checks were left on his desk. She said that after community outrage, Tanya Torress was hired as the American Indian Student Services advisor in 2013.
“Ending the American Indian advisor position will be the end of the relationship that the college has with the tribal higher ed departments,” Erickson stated. “In a nutshell, no more students with guaranteed tribal money coming in.”
Kelly Logan, the son of former American Indian counselor Patricia Logan, also spoke. He said the Multicultural Services office provided a safe and comforting space for him and other students, helping to save lives.
Staff Member Criticizes the Process
Floyd C. Griffin III, a current student services specialist in the Multicultural Services office, addressed the board. He shared that he learned of his termination the night after burying a parent. He criticized the administration’s abrupt decision-making and lack of communication.
“This is how MATC chose to handle this process at the most vulnerable and disruptive moments of our lives,” Griffin said. “We were given less than 15 minutes to choose between two last days, the day of notification or September 18. Immediately afterward, we were pushed into HR meetings by Dan McCologan with no chance to breathe, to process, or to prepare ourselves.”
He continued, “After years of commitment, this is how the college treats its employees of color: rushed, silenced, and discarded. There are questions that remain unanswered, and the silence around them only deepens the mistrust.”
Griffin asked why their manager was protected while four specialists of color were terminated, and why two new positions were created and kept “hidden” until after their termination notices were given. He also brought up a past incident where a senior vice president used “the language of lynching,” but was allowed to stay in a position of power. He drew a correlation between the college’s inaction then and its current decision to terminate the four specialists.
Other speakers, including Devin Hayden, Yeng Tha “Cloud,” Crystal Harper, and community representative Christine Rumman Ortiz, shared how the office was a safe space for students of color and first-generation students. Hayden noted the office provided resources like cultural events, free food, and bilingual services. “Cloud” proposed that the four staff members be reinstated as “success mentor specialists” to ensure their employment continues under the new Department of Education guidelines.
Although community members were given the opportunity to speak, the board does not respond to public comments for items that are not on the agenda.
8/27/25 Update
Yesterday afternoon some students stood outside MATC’s President’s office in silence and holding sighs in response to the Multicultural Affairs office being replaced by the Office of Community Impact. Students are unhappy with President Anthony Cruz’s decision to fire four staff members in the Multicultural office. The students say those individuals have helped support them emotionally, academically, and also assisted them in navigating their way around the campus. To express their opposition, students created signs that read “Do Not Fire Great Staff,” “Reinstate the Four,” “Multicultural is not for Sale”, and “We have no Confidence in the MATC President.” I spoke with Monique Valentine who was a student worker in the Multicultural Affairs office and this is what she had to say:
“We would like Ms.Tanya, Mr. Floyd and Ms. Annabelle to keep their jobs and we hope that the President will reconsider keeping them here. I am transferring to UWM and Mr. Floyd helped me write my essay to get into UWM. Ms. Tanya helps me a lot…She gave me advice and she helped me get a student job…When my pathway office was busy, Ms. Tanya helped me get my classes… they’re just great support.”
In addition, students and alumni shared their concerns over this decision with members of the MATC District Board at a meeting yesterday.
8/26/25 Update
A silent protest to support four people whose positions were eliminated in the Multicultural Services office is happening today at the Downtown Campus. It was originally scheduled for yesterday. From 8 a.m.-4 p.m. students can pick up handmade signs from the Multicultural office (M238) and they are encouraged to protest in front of room M200, the District Administration office, throughout the day.
The college says the position cuts in Multicultural Services were part of a “restructuring” of that office, which is being replaced by the Office of Community Impact. MATC kept the manager and the international student services specialist who are housed in the Multicultural office. Those individuals are being transitioned to the new office and two new positions are being created.
In an email to all MATC faculty and staff last week, MATC Vice President of Student Engagement and Community Impact, Michael Rogers said the restructure is part of the college’s strategy to serve all students while adjusting to the new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education.
Students are circulating a petition that you can sign here
8/22/25
Many MATC students and alumni are upset over the elimination of MATC’s Multicultural Services office and four staff members. They are gathering signatures for a petition to get the college to keep it. In addition, a student and alumni group has scheduled a protest for Monday, August 25.
This action follows an announcement earlier this week from MATC Vice President of Student Engagement and Community Impact, Michael Rogers. In an email to all MATC faculty and staff, sent on Wednesday, August 20, Rogers announced the “restructuring” of the Multicultural Services office and “establishing” the Office of Community Impact in its place. The new office will have two newly created positions, “one focused on specialized training and community transformation initiatives, and one focused on student mentorship programs.”
Roger’s announcement said the restructure is part of the college’s strategy to serve all students while adjusting to the new guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education. “This new office will champion holistic support for all students and cultivate increased partnerships within our community through high-impact practices, unique co-curricular opportunities and vibrant campus engagement.”
Here is a statement the MATC Times received from Marketing & Communications with additional information:
“Since February 2025 we have been working toward following the guidance issued by the Dear Colleague letter issued by the U.S. Department of Education indicating colleges and universities could face investigation and loss of federal funding such as student financial aid if they employ race-conscious practices in “hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.” That guidance prohibits positions with duties that provide services exclusively to students based on race or ethnicity. As such, throughout the year, we have been working to adhere to that guidance while continuing to serve all students at the same levels.
Fulfilling our mission to serve all students in our community while adjusting to this guidance from the U.S. Department of Education has been challenging. We are having to redefine roles and responsibilities within the college based on operational needs. This involves integrating and restructuring departments focused on specific student needs. The Office of Multicultural Services existed solely to serve students who identify as a specific race or ethnic group. However, not all positions were eliminated. We created the Office of Community Impact and transitioned some employees there. By doing this, we are able to champion holistic support for all students and cultivate increased partnerships within our community through high-impact practices, unique cocurricular opportunities and vibrant campus engagement.
The Office of Community Impact will house two newly created positions: one focused on specialized training and community transformation initiatives, and one focused on student mentorship programs. This is being done to align with a broader, more integrated framework focused on the overall student experience, emphasizing access, engagement and building intentional community partnerships that serve all students. These decisions are never easy and we do not take them lightly. We want to continue to stress our commitment and focus on supporting each and every one of our students, providing them with the resources they need to succeed. We are equally committed to supporting our affected employees during this transition.”
