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An historic analysis of the development and implementation of equal educational opportunity programs at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, 1964-1990
Abstract
This case study is intended to heighten awareness and draw attention to the fact that in spite of the enlightened intent of the Brown decision and the educational opportunity initiatives of the Great Society, broad, dramatic and troubling inequalities continue to separate American society today. These inequalities are pervasive and show themselves along racial, social and economic parameters. Across America, and most dramatically in urban cities like Boston, disparities in employment, income, housing, health, and educational attainment are pervasive. As a result, there is a compelling need to continue to expand educational opportunities. The primary purpose of this study will be to provide a detailed account of the development and evolution of educational opportunity programs at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. This study will examine the interplay between the university's mission and the development and implementation of programs designed to advance equal educational opportunity for historically under served students. Woven within the fabric of this analysis will be a contextual discussion of certain public policy and economic events at the national level which influenced the development of programs at the Boston campus. The study will begin in 1966 with the establishment of the College Preparatory Program and chronologically trace the development of a unique set of other educational opportunity programs at the University. The study will conclude with a discussion of the Upward Bound Math Science Initiative funded in 1990. Each of the programs studied will be reviewed from a number of different perspectives. The analysis will show the specific need each program was designed to address as well as the specific goals, objectives, and activities that would be implemented to meet these needs. The study will also highlight significant developments over time and key lessons learned. This study will, therefore, trace the evolution of policy and programmatic initiatives which were developed and pioneered at the University of Massachusetts at Boston to address education needs of disadvantaged students. In doing this, important insights will be gained into the contextual and programmatic elements which most effectively meet the needs of this increasingly important population. Finally, this study will show that as UMass/Boston is pulled to become a more traditional university, the educational opportunity programs discussed in this study play an important role in helping the campus to maintain a clear focus on services and programs designed to address the disadvantaged student population cited in UMass/Boston's founding principles.
Subject Area
Education history|Higher education|Multicultural Education
Recommended Citation
Desmond, Charles Frank, "An historic analysis of the development and implementation of equal educational opportunity programs at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, 1964-1990" (1992). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9233055.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9233055