SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program
White Paper
Introduction
The SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) was created to support, empower and engage
students who are traditionally under-represented in higher education. Specifically, students were invited
to the program who identified with at least one of the following categories:
1. first generation college students,
2. students of color, and
3. students who receive a Pell grant (as a proxy for income).
Rationale
Students from traditionally under-represented populations often do not achieve the same levels of
academic, personal and professional success in college as their peers. They graduate at lower rates and
often have lower GPAs. Because many of these students work for pay more often (and for more hours)
than their peers, they are not able to take advantage of as many co-curricular activities. Further, these
students participate in lower rates in experiential opportunities, such as study abroad, domestic
exchange, and internships because they don’t have the financial resources to take advantage of them.
Graduation Rates
Across the campus, students from traditionally underrepresented groups graduate at lower rates than
their peers (see Table 1). While UMass has improved the 4- and 6-year graduation rates overall, rates for
students from minority groups and those from families of lower incomes are still lagging. Comparable
data for students who are the first in their families to go to college are not available but there is much
overlap between that population and the other two.
Table 1: UMass Amherst 4- and 6-year Graduation Rates
Comparison of FOUR YEAR graduation rates by minority and Pell grant status
Entering
Class
Fall 2004
Fall 2005
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
Fall 2009
Fall 2010
All students Minority
52.5%
39.7%
51.6%
38.0%
54.2%
44.3%
58.7%
47.3%
62.8%
54.7%
65.7%
56.8%
66.8%
59.8%
% point
difference
-12.8
-13.6
-9.9
-11.4
-8.1
-8.9
-7.0
*
URM
33.5%
33.1%
42.0%
41.0%
48.7%
52.1%
52.1%
% point
difference
-19.0
-18.5
-12.2
-17.7
-14.1
-13.6
-14.7
Pell Grant
40.4%
40.4%
43.6%
46.8%
53.4%
58.6%
58.7%
% point
difference
-12.1
-11.2
-10.6
-11.9
-9.4
-7.1
-8.1
Grad
year
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Comparison of SIX YEAR graduation rates by minority and Pell grant status
Entering
Grad
% point
% point
% point
Class
All students Minority difference URM*
Pell
Grant
difference
difference year
Fall 2004
68.8%
59.9%
-8.9
53.8%
-15.0
59.6%
-9.2
2010
Fall 2005
67.4%
59.3%
-8.1
55.8%
-11.6
60.8%
-6.6
2011
Fall 2006
70.5%
66.3%
-4.2
61.1%
-9.4
66.5%
-4.0
2012
Fall 2007
72.9%
67.6%
-5.3
60.2%
-12.7
66.2%
-6.7
2013
Fall 2008
75.7%
74.7%
-1.0
70.6%
-5.1
72.2%
-3.5
2014
Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Office of Institutional Research
*URM = Underrepresented Minority - this category includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander, Hispanic Latino, and those who declared multiple race/ethnicities (except Asian and White).
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SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program
White Paper
Feeling Like an Outsider
In addition to the problematic graduation rates, there is anecdotal data suggesting that many students of
color, those from lower income backgrounds, and first generation college students have difficulty
adapting to college life. They often report feeling disconnected from the campus. Students of color in
particular describe their classrooms as lacking diversity; and they commonly feel pressure to “represent”
the views of all members of their racial or ethnic group. This feeling of disconnectedness can contribute
to lower rates of success.
The 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) provides some evidence to support these
stories. UMass Amherst students ranked themselves lower than students at comparison institutions on
the following aspects of college life:
 Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own
 Had serious conversations with students who are very different from you in terms of their
religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values
Furthermore, they ranked the University lower than students at peer institutions on:
 Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic
backgrounds
SBS Data
In the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, forty-two percent of all students fit at least one of the
three categories we identified for this project. Table 2 further details these figures.
Table 2: SBS Student Demographics
Number
Total undergraduate student enrollment for SBS in fall 2014*
3,746
Total minority percentage for SBS in fall 2014*
811
Pell Grant recipients for SBS in fall 2014**
643
First Generation College Students for SBS in fall 2014***
821
Combined list of students who fit at least one of these categories
1,577
*Source: SPIRE data retrieval (12-13-14), students self-report minority status
**Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Office of Financial Aid
***Source: Educational Advisory Board, Student Success Collaborative
%
100%
21.6%
17%
22%
42%
Building the Program
Working together, the Director of Student Success and Retention and the Director of Diversity
Advancement in SBS began to plan Academic Leadership Fellows Program in the Fall of 2014. They
invited faculty and staff in the College and across campus to serve as a steering committee for the
program (see attached list). The steering committee functions as a sounding board and idea-generator for
the program. Members of the steering committee were selected because of their interest and experience
in working with underrepresented students and for their wide-ranging connections across campus.
Inviting Students to Participate
As noted above, the list of students who fit at least one of the three identified categories totaled more
than 1,500. Each student was sent an invitation to participate in a new program designed to help students
have access to more academic and leadership opportunities. It was intentional that the invitation did not
reveal that students were chosen because they are from under-represented groups. Through other efforts
to reach these students, it has become clear that they do not respond to anything that they perceive as a
“remedial” program. Steering committee members explained that students were selected based on a
number of variables that demonstrated their academic and/or leadership potential.
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SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program
White Paper
Student-Led Planning is Key
Out of the 1,500 students who were invited to participate, 150 have expressed an interest in being
Academic Leadership Fellows. This smaller group feels like a reasonable number of students with whom
we can start to build a program. Over the fall semester, there were two meetings for the Fellows. During
the first of these, the steering committee introduced the idea for the program and quickly engaged the
students in developing their own list of activities and opportunities to implement. The second meeting
was devoted to prioritizing the list of activities generated in meeting one, discussing the process of
electing students to serve on the steering committee, and determining the program participation criteria.
Before the close of the fall semester, the Academic Leadership Fellows had elected six students to serve
on the steering committee. Over the spring semester, we expect to hold three meetings for all of the
Academic Leadership Fellows. At two of these meetings, students will hear from a faculty member whose
path to success might not be considered “traditional.” At the third they will hear brief research
presentations from faculty they have nominated. In addition, student steering committee members will
each facilitate a subcommittee that will be tasked with planning activities or connecting Fellows with
events that are already scheduled on campus. Students will receive a certificate of completion at the end
of the semester if they attend all three ALFP meetings and three additional ALFP-sponsored events.
The initial participant group only accounts for 10% of the chosen population, however, we are continuing
our efforts to reach the larger group with invitations to programs that are planned for the spring and
subsequent semesters. We anticipate the program will grow as word gets out of its existence, and its
benefits.
Program Possibilities and Funding Ideas
The following list combines program ideas generated by students and also those suggested by steering
committee members. These are events and activities that could take place this spring.
Event/Activity
Staffing
Cost
Mixers/social gatherings as a way to mingle
Steering committee with student
$1,800
(3 @ $600 ea.)
informally with faculty
leadership
Social Justice Speaker Series (existing) add
Steering committee working with
$675
(3 @ $225 ea.)
lunch/dinner for AL Fellows with speaker
Social Science Matters committee
(10 – 12 Fellows at each event)
Assistance with graduate school applications
Faculty and advisors
$0
Mentoring – student to student, faculty/staff to Faculty, staff, alumni
$500
student, and alumni to student
(this will be arranged on an ad hoc (stipends for
coffee/meals)
basis this year)
Opportunities to network or job shadow
Steering committee and alumni
$800
(1 event on campus)
alumni
Support for research with faculty
Steering committee members
$6,000-8,000
(3 or 4 scholarships
Research opportunities and scholarships
reaching out to faculty for
at $2,000 ea.)
opportunities
Scholarships to support unpaid internships
Steering committee and SBS
$16,000-20,000
(8 – 10 @ $2,000 ea.)
scholarship coordinator
Opportunities to attend and present at
Steering committee and SBS
$1,500-2,000
(3 or 4 at $500 ea)
leadership or field-specific conferences
scholarship coordinator
More focused professional and career planning Steering committee with Career
$0 (we will partner
on these efforts)
Services
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SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program
White Paper
Future Plans
Additional events and activities suggested by students include the following:
 GRE & LSAT prep classes – these are semester long programs for up to 30-60 students each
 Small introductory seminars – students suggested creating a 1-credit social justice seminar
 Tutoring – this could be accomplished in two ways: 1) through the existing tutoring in the library,
and 2) by developing a peer to peer tutoring program that would use AL Fellows as tutors
 Create dedicated space for the program: Students feel that there are not enough spaces where
they can go to work together or congregate informally. An office where student steering
committee members could work on projects and a nearby lounge space would add value and
legitimacy to the program.
Conclusion
The goal of the SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program is to provide opportunities for students from
traditionally under-represented groups to better connect to campus and develop their academic and
leadership skills. Over time, the program will improve the retention and graduation rates for these
students and perhaps also improve the campus climate for students who are often in the minority.
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SBS Academic Leadership Fellows Program
White Paper
Steering Committee Members
Jackie Brousseau-Pereira, Director of Student Success & Retention, College of Social and Behavioral
Sciences (Program Coordinator)
Mari Castaneda, Professor of Communication and Director of Diversity Advancement, College of Social
and Behavioral Sciences (Program Coordinator)
Enobong Anna Branch, Associate Professor of Sociology
Bryan Coutain, Lecturer and Chief Undergraduate Advisor, Political Science
Wilma Crespo, Co-Director (interim), Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success
Sid Ferreira, Director of Enrollment Services & Residential Academic Programs
Adina Giannelli, Graduate Student (education) and President of Graduate Student Senate
Mark Lange, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education & Executive Director of the SBS Advising
Center, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Katherine Mallory, Lecturer and Chief Undergraduate Advisor, Social Thought and Political Economy
Leonce Ndikumana, Professor of Economics
Ventura Perez, Associate Professor of Anthropology
Razvan Sibii, Lecturer and Chief Undergraduate Advisor, Journalism
Leah Wing, Senior Lecturer, Legal Studies
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