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University of Massachusetts, Boston

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
100 William T. Morrissey Blvd
Boston, Massachusetts 02125
Phone
(617) 287-6100
School Information
"Reacting to social upheaval, urban unrest, and a rapidly increasing demand for higher education, the Massachusetts Legislature established the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1964. The second university in the UMass system, UMass Boston opened its doors in 1965 at a renovated building in Park Square downtown. The university moved to its present campus on Columbia Point in Dorchester in 1974. In 1982, Boston State College was incorporated into UMass Boston, eliminating duplicate programs. The university took over Boston State’s remaining graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as its evening division. These additions created momentum for UMass Boston to expand both its degree offerings (including doctoral programs) and its presence in the community" (Source: https://www.umb.edu/the_university/history). The student to faculty ratio is 16 to 1 and the total enrollment is over 16,000. UMass Boston offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate programs.
General Information
UMass Boston responded to the death of George Floyd by creating the George Floyd Honorary Scholarship Fund. The university recently appointed a Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Black Life. The school offers numerous resources for diverse students. At this time, no mandatory Critical Race Training is required of all students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion provides an "Inclusive Excellence Workshop Series" which is "part of the university's efforts to become an antiracist and inclusive institution." The workshop supports "faculty, staff, and graduate assistants in their roles on campus, focuses on Non-Binary Identities and Pronoun Use, Micro-Aggression Basics, and Implicit Bias."
  • Student Multicultural Affairs at UMass Boston develops "trainings and dialogues that build skills and foster a sense of belonging and critical consciousness for all."
  • As part of its "Commitment to Anti-Racism," the Writing Center states that it would adapt its "processes of self-assessment and consultant training to offer more opportunities to reflect on race, racism, and their effects on us as individuals and on the institutions and communities we operate within."
  • The Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration at UMass Boston sponsors DEI trainings for staff in order to "guide MOPC in making short-term and long-term changes for [the] dismantling of institutional racism, inequity, and exclusionary practices."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • UMass Boston's General Education program includes a "diversity requirement" where students "will have an opportunity to learn about human diversity...."
  • The UMass Boston 2022-2032 Strategic Plan states, "We are intentional in cultivating antiracist values—in our curriculum, across our research enterprise, in the transdisciplinary scholarship we produce, and in the community-university partnerships we build."
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • UMass Boston commemorates Black Lives Matter Day by hosting numerous "issues-focused seminars and a BLM ceremony" in addition to raising money for related charities.
Program and Research Funding
  • The College of Liberal Arts has a Race, Ethnicity, and Literature minor.
  • The university created the George Floyd Honorary Scholarship Fund which " serves as a definitive step toward change by acknowledging and addressing the oppression faced by students, alumni, faculty, and staff."
  • On July 27, 2020, the university announced that its Chancellor established the "Endowed George Floyd Honorary Scholarship," which would "provide financial support to talented students who otherwise may find it difficult or impossible to pay for a college education." The Chancellor stated, "'UMass Boston’s students of color -- like their peers across the nation -- face economic and social barriers to their education, exacerbated by COVID-19’s malignancy, placing too many of our students at an educational disadvantage'."
  • The goal of the "UMass Boston Social Justice Case Study Competition" is to "[p]rovide the UMass Boston campus and the Boston higher education community an opportunity to engage more deeply with the issues of social justice, epistemology, and the experience of students of color influenced by the dual pandemics of racism and COVID-19."
  • In September 2022, UMass Boston announced (as part of the Report to the Board of Trustees) that its Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy received a $100,000 grant over two years in order to "help fund the establishment of the Youth Wellness Corps Fellows program, an initiative that will offer underrepresented UMass Boston undergraduates interested in health careers internships in organizations and health centers focused on health equity in communities of color ravaged by COVID-19."
  • The William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture at UMass Boston "aims to serve as an intellectual hub to support the mission of social justice for Black communities" and to "address the concerns of Black communities in Boston and Massachusetts through critical research, public advocacy, and community engagement."
Resources
  • UMass Boston lists numerous definitions for anti-racism related terms.
  • The College of Nursing and Health Sciences' Office of Student Success and Engagement "strengthens the educational experience of the diverse student population through a comprehensive roadmap of resources and support."
  • The Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement lists numerous resources for anti-racism, including "How to Be an Anti-Racist" by Ibram X. Kendi.
  • On October 20, 2020, UMass Boston announced that "Marcelo Suárez-Orozco established the position of Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Black Life."
  • The university provides anti-racism resources which includes a link to the Black Lives Matter webpage as well as several reading recommendations such as "How to be Anti-racist" by Ibram X. Kendi and "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin DiAngelo.
  • UMass Boston offers a course titled "Critical Race Theory in Higher Education" which is "designed to provide students with an opportunity to understand Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its application to the field of higher education."
  • The Restorative Justice Commission at UMass Boston is "committed to fostering a campus climate that prioritizes racial and social justice, equity, and the principles of restorative justice." The RJC has "endorsed" several initiatives, including "UnDoing Racism Trainings" and the "Social Justice Peer Mediation Training Team."
Symbolic Actions
  • Regarding diversity and inclusion, UMass Boston states that it is "committed to becoming the leading anti-racist and health-promoting public research university."
  • As part of its Anti-Racism Resources webpage, UMass Boston issues the following statement: "In response to ongoing police brutality, systemic racism, and white supremacy, it is (and has been) necessary for us to step forward and put in the work to dismantle these oppressive systems and structures that unequivocally and disproportionately impact not only our UMB students, but our local communities as well."
  • The Writing Center's "Commitment to Anti-Racism" reads in part as follows: "The Writing Center and its staff acknowledge the existence of race and racism and the ways in which these concepts manifest through linguistic discrimination and other ideologies. We strive—internally as a staff and with our students—to find ways to challenge racism in language and writing education."
  • The Center for Social Development and Education's "Racial and Social Justice Commitment" reads in part as follows: "[W]e recognize and denounce the racist foundation of our society which pervades every aspect of American life. We join those across the country and across the world protesting for justice for the victims and an end to police violence." The statement goes on to say, "In line with this mission, we stand firmly in solidarity with the voices of Black Americans demanding to be heard, and our voices join millions of others in affirming that 'Black Lives Matter'.”  
  • On October 3, 2024, UMass Boston announced that it received the 2024 Higher Ed Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for "demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion."
Last updated January 27th, 2025
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