UMass president explains response to Supreme Court, state community college spending

PRESIDENT MARTY MEEHAN. WELL, IT WAS A YEAR AGO THAT THE SUPREME COURT ENDED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. WHAT’S BEEN THE IMPACT OF DIVERSITY AT UMASS? WELL, WE ARE MORE DIVERSE NOW THAN WE’VE EVER BEEN. WE TOOK THE SUPREME COURT DECISION. WE READ IT, GOT TO UNDERSTAND IT, AND WE CAME UP WITH A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN OUR DIVERSITY. AT THE SAME TIME, COMPLYING WITH THE SUPREME COURT DECISION. I’LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID. WE OPENED UP, UH, WE OPENED UP A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU’RE ON THE TOP 10% OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLASS, YOU’RE GOING TO BE GUARANTEED OUT OF THE GATE $5,000 A FIRST YEAR AND $5,000 A SECOND YEAR. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE. AS AS AN INCENTIVE TO GET YOU TO TO COME TO UMASS, WE’RE AT 44% PEOPLE OF COLOR IN IN UMASS. AND THAT’S ABOUT WHAT WHAT THE POPULATION IS. UMASS BOSTON IS THE MOST DIVERSE FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION IN NEW ENGLAND. AND THE THIRD MOST DIVERSE IN THE COUNTRY. THE OTHER THING I WOULD TELL YOU IS WE’RE BRINGING IN DIVERSITY ON EVERY LEVEL. THE LEADERSHIP AT UMASS HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DIVERSE. WE’VE TALKED ABOUT JAVIER REYES AT UMASS AMHERST, THE FIRST HISPANIC LEADER IN 161 YEARS. UH, MARCELO SUAREZ-OROZCO OVER AT UMASS BOSTON, THE FIRST LATINO LEADER IN THAT. THE HISTORY OF THAT PLACE, WE HAVE. UH, LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BRIEFLY. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE IT IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR PEOPLE 25 AND OLDER. BUT THERE WAS THE PUSH TO GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT ON THE UMASS SYSTEM? WELL, WE WE TAKE ABOUT 44% OF OUR, UH, TRANSFER STUDENTS COME FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES. SO WE CERTAINLY IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY. SO I’M FOR ANYTHING THAT CAN GIVE ACCESS TO COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS. UM, A LITTLE PAUSE ON IT, THOUGH. IF SOMEBODY IF SOMEBODY GETS INTO A UMASS ENGINEERING PROGRAM, ANY OF OUR CAMPUSES ARE UMASS NURSING PROGRAM OR A COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM AT UMASS, THEY NEED TO COME TO UMASS TO COMPLETE THAT PROGRAM. 100% OF THE PEOPLE IN THOSE PROGRAMS GET JOBS, AND YOU CAN’T TRANSFER INTO THOSE PROGRAMS. USUALLY BECAUSE WE WE WE FILL UP WITH THEM RIGHT AWAY AND NOBODY LEAVES THE PROGRAMS AND THEY GRADUATE. SO I THINK IT’S NOT, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGE ISN’T EXACTLY APPROPRIATE FOR EVERYONE. IF SOMEBODY CAN GET INTO A PRESTIGIOUS PROGRAM AT UMASS, THEY REALLY NEED TO COME TO UMASS. BUT OVERALL, LOOK, WE WORK REALLY WELL WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES. I MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM THAT THAT I WORKED AH, HARD WITH LANE GLENN, THE PRESIDENT, UP AT NORTHERN ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE’LL SEE WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DECIDES ON IT. I WILL SAY THIS. THE GOVERNOR SUPPORTED THE IN THE LEGISLATURE, DID, UH, MASS GRANTS PLUS PROGRAM THAT HAD HISTORIC INCREASES IN NEED BASED FINANCIAL AID. I THINK THAT’S AN INVESTMENT WORTH MAKING. THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED $80 MILLION IN HER BUDGET. THIS YEAR. THAT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT THING. AND IF THEY CAN INCREASE THAT, THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY GIVE THOSE IN NEED FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES. I ALSO I HAVE TO PUT IN A PITCH THAT I THINK THE PELL GRANT SHOULD BE DOUBLED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. IF IT DID, THAT WOULD PROVIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR THOSE. QUICKLY. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT COLLEGE ATHLETICS. IT’S REALLY ENTERED A NEW ERA. SUPERSTARS LIKE CAITLIN CLARK SHOWING THE WAY TO FAME AND FORTUNE. ATHLETES CAN NOW MAKE BIG MONEY THROUGH NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS. UMASS IS A DIVISION ONE SCHOOL. HOW HAS THIS CHANGED THE GAME? UM, WELL, IT’S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIGURING OUT WHETHER OR NOT STILL WORKING IT THROUGH. YES, STILL WORKING IT THROUGH. BUT BUT YOU MENTIONED CAITLIN CLARK. ONE OF THE THINGS I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS WOMEN’S SPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES. JUST TAKING OFF. IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS I ALWAYS SUPPORTED WHEN I WAS IN POLITICS. TITLE NINE. AND THOSE PROGRAMS NOW HAVE RESULTED IN WOMEN’S SPORTS TAKING OFF, AND I THINK IT’S A WONDERFUL THING FOR FOR NOT JUST THE WOMEN, BUT FOR THE, THE PUBLIC AT LARGE IN THE COUNTRY. ALL RIGHT. OUR THANKS TO MARTY MEEHAN FOR JOINING US. GREAT TO BE HERE, SHARMAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE IS NEXT. THE KAREN REED CASE ENDS IN A MISTRIAL AND THERE’S NO VERDICT ON WHAT COMES NEXT. HOW DEEP IS THE POLITICAL FALLOUT? WE’LL TALK ABOUT THA