In 1970, the CUNY Graduate School and University Center established the Office of Expanded Educational Opportunity (OEEO), coordinated by Mr. Dean K. Harrison, to provide leadership in the recruitment and retention of minority students into doctoral programs, which later included the MAGNET (Minority Access/Graduate Networking) Program, launched in 1990. In addition, OEEO, as an entity in Student Affairs, maintained records on minority recruitment, admission, financial aid and academic progress. In 1995, the office was reorganized and its name was changed to the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs (OEODP). Currently, the office is under the direction of an Executive Officer (EO) and reports to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.
The current mission of OEODP is to provide leadership and support to academic programs in the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the doctoral programs at The Graduate Center. This mission is not only directly linked to the mission of the University at large, but also to the mission of The Graduate Center, which is to "strive also to enhance access to doctoral education for traditionally underrepresented groups." At present, OEODP fulfills its mission through a series of programs designed to recruit underrepresented groups into CUNY doctoral programs and to provide financial, academic and social support to promote their retention and degree completion.
OEODP aims to: (1) increase the number of underrepresented groups pursuing the doctoral degree across disciplines at The Graduate Center; (2) provide academic support in the form of workshops and mentoring to bolster degree completion; (3) provide opportunities for the professional growth of program participants and postdoctoral fellows; (4) offer opportunities for social and academic networking, both locally and nationally.
Dean K. Harrison came to the CUNY Graduate School in 1970 to head the newly established Office of Expanded Educational Opportunity. This office was a CUNY initiative to increase the numbers of minority students entering graduate programs.
Dean was an activist in the cause of making graduate education accessible to minority students, an option which few viewed as available to them. While not a public figure, he was known nationally among a core group of educators whose dedicated efforts quietly led to an increase in the number of African-Americans and Hispanics who became Ph.D.s. Dean K. Harrison’s activities in higher education had national impact.
Dean K. Harrison’s efforts were instrumental in increasing the number of minority Ph.D.s at the CUNY Graduate School and also, consequently, had an impact on the national number of minority Ph.D.s in academic fields in which they are underrepresented. Many minority alumni are employed by agencies which address the social and economic issues facing the city and the nation. Dean K. Harrison loyally served The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York and retired in 1994 after 24 years. The Dean K. Harrison Fellowship Fund was set up in his honor.
Dean K. Harrison was born on September 5, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois. As a young man he came to New York City and enrolled in the Washington Square College of New York University and received a B.A. degree. He then earned M.S. degree in Education from the School of education at New York University.
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