Marquette University
PAE-8: Support Programs for Underrepresented Groups

Marquette has a plethora of support programs for underrepresented groups. Some examples include:

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). EOP has offered a full complement of support with the assistance of the Federal Trio initiative for the past 40 years. Their emphasis is on low income students, a substantial amount including underrepresented students.

Other academic support programs such as Student Educational Services (SES) provide support for underrepresented students in the form of tutoring and academic support. Within SES is the Urban Scholars Program, which supports approximately 40 underrepresented students and has a full time staff member who counsels the students from the time they arrive until their departure.

There are several special initiatives in the Colleges of Nursing (Project BEYOND) and Health Sciences (HCOP), which are designed to broaden participation of underrepresented students in health careers. Project BEYOND concentrates support on students studying for undergraduate degrees in Nursing (BSN) with the added benefit of supporting doctoral students as well. HCOP works with high school and college students and serves as a feeder to some of Marquette’s health science programs and to the School of Dentistry.

Many of the colleges support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds through social organizations. For example, the Law School provides support for student organizations representing race/gender/etc. The College of Communication supports a student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, as does the College of Engineering with National Society of Black Engineers. Similar initiatives to encourage student organizations can be found in the College of Education and the College of Business, and among students in the Colleges of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Lastly, under the direction of the Office of the Provost, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center provides a bridge space supporting scholarly work and educational programming on gender and sexuality. The GSRC fosters a campus climate in which the dignity of human beings and the diversity of gender identity and sexuality are respected and celebrated.

http://www.marquette.edu/gender-resources/index.shtml

In addition to being included in Diversity and Equity Coordination, Marquette’s Division of Student Affairs Diversity Committee helps support underrepresented groups across the university. Under the Diversity Committee, the Diversity Advocates program commits to the furthering of knowledge and fulfilling the mission that seeks a campus climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the entire variety of human experience. The Diversity Committee members are agents of that movement through providing support, mentorship, and advocacy to students, and an exploration platform for faculty, staff, and administrators of the Marquette Community.

http://www.marquette.edu/dsa/diversitycommittee/diversityadvocates/index.shtml

Marquette established its Office of the Ombuds during the fall of 2002 at the recommendation of its Gender Equity Implementation Task Force. In doing so, Marquette gave concrete expression to its care for the person, its quest for organizational excellence, and its commitment to justice and fairness. The goal of the Ombuds is to ensure that fair processes are firmly in place and that everyone has access to them.

http://www.marquette.edu/ombuds/

Please see above under the faculty section for programs supporting underrepresented groups. These programs apply to staff members as well.