In his 2019 Presidential Address, President Michael R. Lovell charged a steering committee with putting together a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Educational Opportunity Program during the 2019-2020 academic year. The steering committee will be led by Rana Altenburg, vice president, Office of Public Affairs; Maureen Hoyler, president, Council for Opportunity and Education; Dr. John Su, vice provost for academic affairs; and Dr. William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence. A full committee with representation from faculty, staff, students and EOP graduates has now been formed and is meeting regularly. View the committee members and watch for updates on the EOP 50th Anniversary website.
Marquette will mark this important anniversary by commemorating the past, celebrating the present, and imagining the future of EOP. Specifically, there are plans to execute events that include the entire campus, alumni and Milwaukee communities – and in particular – EOP alumni, students, faculty and staff. This will be a campus and community-wide celebration that will reflect the energy, enthusiasm and momentum of EOP and help educate the campus community on the history and importance of EOP at Marquette.
The Educational Opportunity Program was established in 1969 to make a Marquette education more accessible to culturally distinct students. Today, EOP continues to serve students historically underrepresented in higher education, including students who have the potential of being the first in their families to graduate from college and students from diverse economic backgrounds. EOP was created under the leadership of Dr. Arnold Mitchem, who went on to serve as the president of the Council for Opportunity in Education.
The program started with just 40 students and one staff member, and flourished into what became the model program for other Educational Opportunity Programs and the United States Department of Education’s federally-funded TRiO programs, which are located at college campuses throughout the country. Today, EOP comprises five programs: Student Support Services; Upward Bound; Upward Bound Math and Science; Educational Talent Search; and McNair Scholars.
Watch for updates on the 50th anniversary celebration of EOP in Marquette Today.