University of Texas at Austin
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

The primary outlet for enrolled student support is the Multicultural Information Center. The purpose of the DDCE’s Multicultural Information Center (MIC) is to empower students to be agents of social change by providing diverse educational opportunities, leadership development, and support services. The MIC promotes awareness of issues related to culture and diversity and supports the retention and matriculation of all students at The University of Texas at Austin. The MIC houses the following six student agencies: • Afrikan American Affairs • Asian/Desi/Pacific Islander American Collective • Latino Leadership Council • Longhorn American Indian Council • Queer People of Color and Allies • Students for Equity and Diversity From the DDCE Impact Report 2009: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/pdf/DDCE_ImpactReport.pdf Another important undergraduate resource is the Gender and Sexuality Center. Established in 2004, the mission of the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) is to provide safe spaces for all members of the UT Austin community to explore, organize, and promote learning around issues of gender and sexuality. The center also facilitates a greater responsiveness to the needs of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities through education, outreach, and advocacy. The center, now part of DDCE, is guided by a strategic plan developed by the center’s staff and members of the GSC’s Advisory and Working Group comprised of students, faculty, and staff, and community members who also provide feedback, conduct outreach, and evaluate programs and services. One of the center’s major goals is to contribute to the successful transition of first-year students to the UT community and ensure students’ graduation, as well as integrate women and LGBTQ students into campus life and improve the efficacy of LGBTQ and women student leaders. From the DDCE Impact Report 2009. For students in residence halls: The Division of Housing and Food Service in Student Affairs (not DDCE) employs an Assistant Director for Diversity and offers several programs focused on students living in residence halls (nearly 8,000 of 30,000 undergraduates, and the majority of the freshman class every year). For first-generation college attendees, the Gateway Program and Longhorn Link: The Gateway Program was started at The University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1994 to maximize the academic success and social connections of new first generation and underrepresented students at UT Austin. Gateway Scholars has expanded to include UTransition, a learning community for first generation and underrepresented transfer students, the Achieving College Excellence (ACE) Program, a service for students who seek additional academic assistance, and the Welcome Program, a diversity education program for incoming first-year students, and Longhorn Connection. Pasted from The Longhorn Link Program - Student Support Services - is a federally funded TRiO program. This program is funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The University of Texas at Austin was awarded funding in the Fall of 2001. The program provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements, and serves to motivate students towards the successful completion of their post secondary education. The goal of the Longhorn Link Program is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants and facilitate the process of transition from one level of higher education to the next.

The Office of Institutional Equity, which has a staff of six persons handles all reports of discrimination and harassment and oversees compliance related to affirmative action, veterans’ employment, Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System. OIE provides toolkits for students, faculty, staff and administrators that include information needed about educational training around the issues of diversity, discrimination, harassment and disability as well as incident report forms, informative posters and links to university and external resources.

Reference websites: Multicultural Information Center http://www.utexas.edu/student/mic/MIC/Welcome.html Division of Housing and Food Service http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=6&scode=0&id=2619 Campus Resources (All) http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/campus/index.php Faculty Council http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/ Staff Council http://www.utexas.edu/staff/council/ Diversity Education Institute http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/dei/campus_programming.php