UMass Boston’s Diversity and Student Outreach Initiatives Studied on a Global Scale

The University of Massachusetts Boston's diversity and student outreach initiatives are being studied on a global scale. Margaret Fairman, director of the Office of Prospective Students & Scholarship at the University of Queensland, Australia, visited UMass Boston earlier this month to obtain information on programs aimed at recruiting and retaining minority youth.

Coordinated by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Fairman met with Carol DeSouza, director of ADA compliance; David Lemmel, director of Urban Scholars; Liliana Mickle, of academic support services; Lisa Johnson, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management; and Luciano Ramos, director of community partnerships on June 7 in the Quinn Administration Building.

"Ms. Fairman's visit underscores the importance of equal access to education for underprivileged youths abroad and in the U.S., and the significance of sharing information to create programs that effectively address the barriers to educational success," said Chief Diversity Officer Juan Nunez.

The University of Queensland is one of Australia's leading learning and research institutions and a member of the global Universitas 21 Alliance, a network of universities that aim to enhance the quality of university outcomes through international benchmarking. Fairman oversees the university's Young Achievers program, an initiative aimed at addressing the financial and practical barriers preventing Indigenous and first generation students from attending college.

Fairman will compile the information she learned at UMass Boston into a report that will be presented at her home institution. The meeting served as a positive platform to showcase UMass Boston's successful student outreach, scholarship, and mentoring initiatives and increase the university's profile on a global scale.