The ASUC Senate passed a bill Wednesday night approving a memorandum of understanding with the multicultural center, an agreement which will require the campus to fund improvements to the temporary center.

The association, campus administrators and student representatives from the Third World Liberation Front began negotiations last semester to renovate the center at its temporary Heller Lounge space until a permanent location is established, according to Krystle Pasco, a representative of the Third World Liberation Front.

The three-year agreement, which expires on June 30, 2011, calls for a minimum of $200,000 for renovation of the temporary center.

"It was set forth mainly to secure a temporary space, ensure that renovations will take place and that a permanent space will be chosen in the future. It has a double purpose," Pasco said.

Campus officials could not be reached for comment.

The temporary center will see more space after the renovations, as the neighboring Open Computing Facility is moving to the basement of Eshleman Hall.

Improvements such as room partitioning and better sound amplification will be beneficial, said ASUC President Van Nguyen.

A similar memorandum to guarantee the temporary space for a three-year period was passed in 2005, but new aspects have been added to this agreement in order to keep the campus in constant communication with students, Nguyen said.

Currently, the multicultural center is part of a long-term, larger plan to re-develop Lower Sproul Plaza.

"We've definitely made it a point that the money that will go towards the renovation will not be coming from students' pockets," Pasco said. "It's important that it's a collaborative effort amongst students and the university."

The memorandum is set to be officially signed following spring break.

"I'm really happy with the resolution that we've reached. There are things that the campus needs to be accountable for and it looks like it's heading in the right direction," Nguyen said.

Tags: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, MULTICULTURAL CENTER, ASUC SENATE