Programs
The Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) was created as a result of campus leadership, local community support and the activism of African American law students. After the 1968 “Project 500” initiative to increase campus enrollment by 500 African American students was successful, Latina/o, Caucasian and Asian American students also began matriculating through the project. As a result of these increasing numbers, students and staff felt that a permanent campus program was needed to increase retention and provide services for the enrichment and development of the current and future underrepresented students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their vision and persistence resulted in the development of the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP).
In the late 1980’s, the Educational Opportunities Program was renamed the Office of Minority Student Affairs due to the growth in the number of programs being administered by the EOP. Currently, OMSA coordinates over a dozen programs and services for students. The department also has a second location on campus called OMSA East, or the Academic Service Center.
OMSA assists an array of talented students to realize and define their potential. Students assisted through OMSA’s Outreach programs range from students in the local and Chicago k-12 school districts to undergraduate seniors currently studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Each program was developed as a result of student need and their input and participation is always welcome.
For more information, call the Office of Minority Student Affairs at (217) 333-0054.
