The Marva Rudolph Diversity Award is awarded to an office, program, department, or college that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and made consistent contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion at UT. The award is named in memory of Marva Rudolph, an associate vice chancellor and director of the Office of Equity and Diversity who passed away in 2014 after more than twenty years with the university and more than thirty years of dedicated work in diversity and inclusion.
Educational Advancement Program
The Educational Advancement Program is making great strides in the university’s ongoing efforts to enhance campus diversity and inclusivity.
The EAP is a federally–funded program that provides supportive services to first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities. It has been in existence at UT since 1978 and falls under the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
This program currently serves 250 students and has changed many of their lives in remarkable ways. EAP staff are committed to advancing the education of their diverse student participants through academic advising, tutoring and workshops, and other resources.
Without the resources provided by the EAP, many of these students would not be able to attend college. Because of the motivation they received from the EAP, many of them have realized they can go on to graduate school.
“These classes helped close the gap in education, which seemed like a never-ending reality for many of us,” a former EAP graduate wrote in his nomination letter.