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Since the establishment of the MISA Office in 1970, its name has changed several times, from the original, Office of Special Programs to Office of Minority Affairs (1973), Office of Minority Programs (1974), Office of Intercultural Affairs (1986), Office of Multicultural Affairs (1989) and finally to the Center for Multicultural and International Student Affairs (2001).

The most recent name change and evolution of the office reflects the integration of support services for international and students of color under one umbrella. This combination of services and offices is rare in higher education with the College of St. Catherine as the only other Twin Cities school with this unique organization. There have been seven directors of the office: Oliver Leavy (1970-74), Barbara Simmons (1974-78), Yolanda Williams (1979-85), Daniel Abebe (1985-1989), Starletta Barber Poindexter (1989-1998), and Carlos Sneed, director since 1998.
Carlos Sneed states, “I think that different directors were responding to the different issues of their time, the growing numbers and needs of students of color and the university climate for students of color. They responded to national issues and campus issues, and the changes in the office name and office functions correspond to those changes"

Despite these transformations throughout the existence of the MISA Office, its mission has always existed to "support, assist, empower, and promote the success of students of color” and, most recently, international students at Hamline University as well.

MISA is the over-arching office responsible for various diversity, multicultural and international initiatives on campus.

Some of its signature programs include Student of Color and International Student Orientations, World Fest, Student of Color Retreat, “This is My Story” panels, Conference on Race and Ethnicity (HU-CORE), Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration and Social Justice Symposium, and numerous cultural history and awareness events.

Currently, the MISA houses 12 student organizations: PRIDE Black Student Alliance (1969), Asian Pacific American Coalition (1990), Hmong Student Association (1995), Native American Student Association (1996), Alma Latina (1998), the Multicultural Alliance (1998), International Student Organization (1999), Fusion (2003), Students of South Asia (2003), Hamline African Student Association (2003), Students for a Free Tibet (2005), and the Hamline International Graduate Student Association (2005).

MISA is more than an office that supports international and domestic students of color on the Hamline University campus. It works to connect students of various backgrounds and experiences to help them to appreciate and explore the value of culture and identity. It strives to educate and expose all students to the idea of a larger, more inclusive community by addressing issues of inclusion, justice and community.

Last, but not least, MISA works to empower and build stronger leaders on the Hamline University campus to fulfill Hamline’s vision of creating more compassionate citizens of the world.

In its 35 years, the MISA Office has done a remarkable job of remaining true to its mission to “better serve and retain students, MISA staff and initiatives help create a campus community where the needs of students of color and international students are addressed and where multiculturalism and diversity are appreciated, celebrated and advanced.”

For more information about the MISA Office, including its staff, services, programs, history and evolution, please visit its website, http://www.hamline.edu/multicultural or stop by the office located in the basement of Old Main.