UMass Lowell

Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council

Fostering an Inclusive Campus Community

Creating & Sustaining Working Partnerships

Across Difference

Jaime Nolan-Andrino

Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs

Introduction/Background:

The concept of Ubuntu
“I am because we are”

Ubuntu is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other.

The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of southern Africa.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “You cannot exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks of our interconnectedness.We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”

Nelson Mandela explained Ubuntu as follows: Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve?

Unity and Diversity, Diversity and Unity

Program Goals and Objectives:

The Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council, is being developed to accomplish a central program objective; to create opportunities whereby working partnerships, alliances and networks across difference are developed. The logistics of the council have been developed in such a way to accommodate and meet the unique needs of individual groups, affirm individual group identity while fostering a sense of community among all student participants, allowing for productive and important networks to be developed. This network will not only provide organizational support, access to resources, and other benefits to emerging leaders and their respective groups/organizations, it will benefit the larger UMass Lowell community by enhancing the climate for building and sustaining an inclusive campus community.

Goals:

  • Provide student organizations with opportunities to work across differences in an informal setting which will result in building capacity for more formal working partnerships
  • Develop networks through which resources are shared and organizations’ missions are furthered
  • Develop alliances
  • Build coalitions
  • Build community

Program goals will also address key skill sets:

1).Analytical tools and skills required to think critically about,

and address issues around working across difference

2).Preparation for dealing with the dynamics of changing

diversity locally (the UMass Lowell campus) and globally

3).Develop capacity/ability to form effective coalitions and

partnerships in and among diverse communities

Council Logistics

  • The council is comprised of the presidents (or a designee if needed) of student organizations that have an emphasis on a community/culture./religion.
  • Association of Students of African Origin (ASAO)
  • Latin American Student Association (LASA)
  • Haitian Student Association (HSA)
  • Vietnamese Student Association (VSA)
  • Cambodian Student Association (CSA)
  • International Student Association (ISA)
  • Muslim Student Association (MSA)
  • South Asian Student Association (SASA)
  • Pride Alliance
  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
  • Jewish Student Association
  • Newman (Catholic) Student Association
  • The council will coordinated by Jaime Nolan-Andrino, Director of Multicultural Affairs.
  • The committee will be co-chaired by Jaime Nolan-Andrino, Brenda Evans, Director, Student Activities and Leadership, James Kohl, Director, Residence Life.
  • Funds from the Multicultural Affairs budget have been earmarked as a working budget for the council.
  • To be considered for funding, presidents or designee will present a proposal to the council.
  • Priority will be given to collaborative projects/programs.
  • All programs/projects must have an objective that supports inclusive community.
  • The council will review proposals and will vote on whether a project/program receives funding.
  • Leadership from the identified groups will come together three times per semester.
  • The council will develop programming and/or will develop action plans through which groups w ill support each other’s programs.
  • The council will also serve as a vehicle through which students can voice concerns, get feedback and develop solutions to problems.
  • The Chancellor and/or Executive Vice Chancellor will come to one meeting per semester.
  • An annual report will be written and a presentation made at the last meeting of the spring semester.