Admissions Counselor for Multicultural Recruitment and Outreach

The Admissions Counselor for Multicultural Recruitment and Outreach is responsible for sustained increase in the diversity of the UO undergraduate population by developing long-term relationships between the University and families from underrepresented populations. This work contributes directly to the university’s goal of recruiting a diverse student body, as articulated by the President and Provost and documented in the UO Academic Plan. The person in this position will coordinate the UO Opportunities Program, whose purpose is to establish strong relationships with the families of prospective students, starting when the students are young ( e.g. in middle or grade school). Maintaining these relationships over time will require this person to work with colleagues in the Opportunities program to counsel prospective students and their families about all aspects of the college experience, starting with the feasibility of college and the ways to meet its academic requirements and financial costs. The work resembles that of an admission counselor but is broader than that with an emphasis on sustained communication with families who are unfamiliar with the college experience. Such families are frequently members of ethnic minorities and we want to show them the feasibility of college while they and their children have time to prepare – that is, long before applications are due. Our approach is to identify interested families by working closely with middle school and high school counselors, Education Service District (ESD) diversity specialists, and ethnic community organizations, with a current focus on Hispanic/Latino students and families in Lane County and Native American families in the Native American Youth Academy Early College Academy, the Klamath Tribes, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

The person holding this position is responsible for designing and implementing programs that introduce these students and families to the opportunities for admission, financial aid scholarships, and for academic honors, and multicultural experiences at the UO. University specialists in all of these areas put on joint events in settings that are comfortable and convenient for the local communities. The goal is to create an atmosphere that fosters communication that is clear and direct – whether in English or Spanish– and that builds trust in the university. Because all of the work is collaborative, a key responsibility is the coordination of the efforts of other offices – specifically, the Offices of Admissions, Multicultural Academic Success, Institutional Equity and Diversity, and the Robert D. Clark Honors College. Other responsibilities are to help staff in various offices work effectively with underrepresented populations and to evaluate applications for scholarships.

The Admissions Counselor for Multicultural Recruitment and Outreach independently develops and implements recruiting initiatives to meet application and enrollment goals, and also conducts holistic reviews of freshman applications for their assigned territory, and others as assigned. The MCRO must be effective at independently planning recruitment strategies including high school visits, area receptions, and individual meetings.

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