As a central tenet of its Catholic character and institutional mission, the University of San Diego endeavors to expand the diversity of our student body, better reflecting the breadth of God’s creation and enhancing academic excellence and learning for all students.
Pauline Berryman Powell
Pauline Powell works behind the scenes in her role at USD, and she loves every minute of it. Every once in a while, though, she’s pushed to the front of the stage to show her face. Even in those moments, she says she’s fine with it — if it benefits students.
“I’m able to enact change in my role and that’s exciting to me," says Powell.
She has been enacting change at the University of San Diego for two decades. In that time, she has witnessed the campus transform and grow into a more diverse and inclusive place. To this very day, Powell is a part of that continued effort to create a campus where all walks of life are not only welcomed, but can thrive academically.
What’s amazing about my job is that I can affect change right away. I’m able to help the students, I’m able to help the faculty, I’m able to have an impact. The late U.S. Congressman John Lewis had a phrase about doing something for the greater good: ‘Good trouble.’ I try to stay in good trouble by mixing it up and asking questions: ‘Why are we doing it like that? Because we’ve always done it like that? Maybe there’s another way to resolve this issue.’ I’m going to keep asking those questions. There’s a word in Swahili that I learned years ago: It’s called harambe, which means, ‘Let’s get together and push.’
A sample of initiatives related to Student Access and Recruitment:
- USD changed its practices to remove standardized tests from the admissions process. This is reflected for undergraduate admissions as well as for certain graduate programs such as those in the Knauss School of Business, certain College of Arts and Sciences programs and the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.
- USD meets the full financial need of Torero Promise
- USD implemented a Transfer Merit Scholarship and revised its undergraduate transfer credit policy to be more accepting and transparent.
- USD is focusing on growing its concurrent enrollment program for local high school students
- USD is participating in a variety of outreach programs specifically designed for underrepresented students, such as national Hispanic fairs, Cal-SOAP programs, and 100 Black Men of Chicago
- USD also hosts an admitted student fly-in program for admitted Black and Hispanic students.
- Student Financial Services developed a budget worksheet to assist incoming, first-generation and high-risk students to plan for their specific cost of attendance at USD as soon as tuition and fees are approved by the Board of Trustees.
- For more information, contact the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management.
- Alumni Relations has worked with admissions to support recruiting efforts for underrepresented students, including significant involvement with alumni affinity group leaders.
- For more information, contact the Senior Director of the Alumni Association.
- The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies developed a partnership with Spelman College (a historically Black college) for a combined degree (undergraduates from Spelman will continue their graduate studies at USD). For more information, contact the Dean of the Kroc School.
- The School of Law continues to expand its admissions outreach to pipeline programs such as Just the Beginning (JTB.org), Hispanic-serving institutions (CSUs, UTEP, Texas State University, Trinity, UTSA, UNM, NMSU), and historically Black colleges and universities (Howard, Morehouse/Spelman, Tuskegee U, Florida A & M, Dillard). For more information, contact the Director of Law Admission.
- USD’s School of Law identifies leaders in affinity groups to reach out to applicants who may not have a family background in the law or graduate school. The school utilizes alumni mentors to work closely with students who are first in the family to graduate. The school will continue to grow diversity scholarships for these students.
- For more information, contact the Director of Law Admission.
- USD has implemented website enhancements to include tools to help communicate transparency and to educate first-generation students on financial aid and costs to attend the university, such as an online calculator and financial aid tutorial videos.
- USD has created accessible and impactful admissions materials and touchpoints throughout the entire admissions funnel and considers specific needs for Hispanic students as it relates to language or other barriers of entry, including digital, print and in-person experiences.
- For more information, contact the Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
- Parent and Family Relations distributes a first-generation parent guide to help define and explain terminology to new families from traditionally underrepresented populations. For more information, contact the Director of Parent and Family Relations.
- The Office of Undergraduate Research expands access to and recruits students who have been historically underrepresented and underserved in higher education through the Pre-Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) and National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) programs.
- For more information, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Areas of Focus