Office of Multicultural Affairs Staff

DIRECTOR

Jesse L. Dixon Jr.
E-mail: dixonjl@uwec.edu

I came to the UW-Eau Claire as an undergraduate student in 1991 after serving as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force for 21 years. I joined the Office of Multicultural Affairs' staff in 1994.

• Manage the programmatic, personnel and budget functions of Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Direct and supervise the coordination of programs and staff who provide opportunities for African American, American Indian, Asian American (special emphasis on Southeast Asian), Hispanic/Latino students
• UW-Eau Claire Multicultural/Disadvantaged Coordinator, University of Wisconsin System
• Administer, implement and evaluate multicultural student recruitment, retention and cultural programming
• Supervise staff who advise, counsel, and monitor academic progress for targeted students, and connect these students with a broad range of activities, services, and learning opportunities
• Provide leadership in shaping and providing a supportive campus learning environment for enrolled and prospective students
• Assist staff in establishing and maintaining office systems that assure timely and accurate management of data, budget, program and student outcome reporting. Help to ensure that the GEAR UP program and its objectives are accomplished in accordance with federal regulations regarding the grant
• Supervise coordination of multicultural precollege programs
• Serve as a resource for students, faculty, and staff on multicultural and diversity initiatives and issues
• Manage, coordinate and provide student services through advising/counseling for multicultural students
• Provide leadership in professional and community network building and program planning
• Collaborate with all levels of the University and with individuals and groups external to the campus
• Initiate contact with prospective students at recruitment fairs in Wisconsin and Minnesota
• Coordinate semi-annual Chili Feed (recruitment program)
• Coordinate student involvement with volunteer service projects during the annual UW-Eau Claire Alternate Winter Break program in Washington, D.C.

• Coordinated a campus-wide, comprehensive retention program for multicultural students
• Provided leadership for academic support programs and university life programs to meet the needs of a diverse student population
• Coordinated multicultural student development programs, including leadership, cultural and career exploration
• Served on Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) Minority Participation Program Committee
• Served on the CVTC Diversity Task Force
• Provided leadership opportunities for African American, American Indian, Asian American (emphasis on Southeast Asian), and Hispanic/Latino students
• Advised, counseled, and monitored academic progress for targeted students, and connected these students with a broad range of activities, services, and learning opportunities
• Served as a resource for campus-wide retention efforts
• Assisted in the evaluation and monitoring of university programs and policies directly affecting multicultural students
• Created and secured funding for American Bank Diversity Scholarship, 1998
• Coordinated the "Reach for the Stars" and "Dimensions in Nursing," precollege programs

• Developed and implemented special efforts to recruit multicultural students
• Served as a liaison to the Office of Admissions in developing activities and events to increase diversity
• Composed specialized letters to prospective students of color
• Coordinated group and individual campus visits and tours
• Initiated and maintained telephone contact with prospective students through enrollment
• Coordinated and developed specialized field recruitment partnerships for multicultural students through contacts with high schools and colleges, community educational opportunity offices, Department of Public Instruction, churches, state and local agencies, ethnic centers and precollege programs

Education

Presentations

• Counseling and problem resolution
• International affairs
• Personnel supervision and working with diverse populations
• Commanding English Language Program: Recruitment and Retention tool for Southeast Asian Students
• Dialog on Diversity presentation of the film series "Race: the power of an illusion"
• Radio, newspaper, and television interviews on multicultural issues

Professional Development

• Presenter: National Conference on Multicultural Affairs in Higher Education, Orlando, FL, March 2004
• Presenter: National Conference on Multicultural Affairs in Higher Education, San Antonio, TX, October 2002
• President: Wisconsin Education Association of Student Support Programs (WEASSP), 2000 - 2001
• Presenter: National Council for Educational Opportunity Associations (NCEOA) Washington, D.C., 1998
• Guest lecturer: Ethnic diversity and multicultural issues at high schools, university undergraduate and graduate classes, and community events, 1994 - Present

Campus Involvement

• Deans and Directors Committee, 2003 - Present
• University Senate Budget Committee, 2003 - Present
• University Senate Academic Staff Personnel Committee, 2003 - Present
• Design for Diversity Committee, 2003 - Present
• Network Excellence in Teaching Council, 2003 - Present
• Enrollment Planning Advisory Committee, 2002 - Present
• University Senate, 2001 - Present
• Plan 2008 Recruitment Taskforce, 2001 - Present
• Multicultural Precollege Coordinator UW System, 2001 - Present
• Academic Staff Public Representation Organization (ASPRO) member, 1998 -Present
• Campus search and screen committees to fill administrative or professional staff positions, 1995 - present
• Serve on several campus scholarship committees, 1994 - Present
• Member, Multicultural Scholarship Committee, 1992 - Present
• University Affirmative Action Committee member, 1996 - 1998
• University Academic Staff Grievance and Complaint Review Committee member, 1996 - 1998
• Assisted UW-Eau Claire Social Work Department Instructor in revising syllabus for the Social Work with Minorities course, 1994
• National Association of Social Workers member, 1993 - 1995
• American Society on Aging member, 1993 - 1995
• Children's Center (UW-Eau Claire), Advisory Board member, 1993
• Constitution Committee Social Action Coalition member, 1992
• Social Action Coalition (UW-Eau Claire), past president, 1992
• Veterans Club (UW-Eau Claire), co-founder and parliamentarian, 1991 - 1993
• Association of Student Social Workers (UW-Eau Claire), 1991-1993
• Black Student Association member, 1991 - 1993

Community Involvement

• Member of the Eau Claire Human Rights Coalition, 2003 - Present
• Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) Diversity Advisory Council, 1998 - Present
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) lifetime member, 1998 - Present
• Wisconsin Education Association of Student Support Programs (WEASSP), 1998 - 2001
• Association for Multicultural Education, 1992 - Present
• HIV Health Care Consortium Board Member, 1992 - Present

Related Work Experience

AWARDS