MESC’s History

“The idea of the Middle Eastern Student Commission has been brought to the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) multiple times over the years, but became most salient from 2013-2015. None of ASUW’s current diversity commissions adequately represented Middle Eastern students on campus. Middle Eastern students felt that an institutionalized entity both advocating for students and fostering community building would have been a beneficial first step in addressing the obstacles faced by the Middle Eastern community on campus. Especially in light of the bias and discrimination many Middle Eastern students may face because of race, religion, and more, we thought it was an important issue to tackle.The ME Working Group sought to detail problems/barriers
facing Middle Eastern students on campus and come up with a list of solutions. One of those solutions was the formation of a Middle Eastern Student Commission within ASUW.”

– MESC Taskforce proposal, 2015