Meet Michael Jeffries

What is your title?

Associate Dean of Students and Director of Minority Student Affairs. 

How long have you been at the University of Illinois?

31 years. 

How long have you been working in your current position?

27 years.

What is your educational background?

I have a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Technology from Eastern Illinois University and a Masters in Educational Administration. I’m working on my doctorate for Educational Organizational leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.

What are your current job responsibilities?

I’m responsible for providing the leadership in coordinating retention services and achievement programs for underrepresented minority students and participants in the Educational Opportunities and President’s Award Programs. Basically, I work with our staff, college deans and faculty to facility systems to attract students to the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and provide support and assistance to 4,000 students annually. Together we promote an invitational climate to meet the academic, personal and career development needs of students.

What are some issues minority students face when they come to the University, and how does the Office of Minority Student Affairs help students overcome them?

When you’re six percent of a large population at the place where you live, you don’t receive the requisite reinforcement and nurturing you need on a day-to day basis. You often do not see a reflection of yourself at the high or low administrative level at universities, and college’s underrepresented students do not see a reflection of themselves among faculty and teaching assistants in the classrooms.  

When I came to the University I was sent to recruit minority students within two weeks after being employed. Most of my work today is developing and implementing achievement programs relating to retention and personal goals students are developing. McNair (graduate school preparation) and LawMap (law school preparation) are signature programs; we are working to develop or refine other ones.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Meeting people from various backgrounds and hearing about their hopes and dreams about the future. I love watching freshmen bloom; helping other students and campus leaders. I think that my favorite days are when I receive telephone calls, emails or visits from alumni from our programs that are doing wonderful jobs in a host of careers across the country.

What are you most proud of accomplishing professionally?

Being connected and involved with professional organizations that continue to have an impact on minority achievement and encouraging students not to just go on to undergrad, but also graduate school. It is a wonderful feeling to see former students you worked with who are professionals in various roles at the University or who are working at various agencies in Champaign County.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Trying to bring understanding and attention on issues you hope will be resolved. Putting people on a page to create a pathway for all students, not just those who had a high test score. Trying to remain patient when I have strong feelings on access and opportunity and what it would mean for all of us to have a diverse workforce.

Where can students find you when you’re not at the office?

I try to get around places, like the Union. The last couple of years, I was taking classes, I spent a lot of time on the computer. I do serve on several regional and national educational committees. I generally carry a laptop with be to be accessible to students and my staff when I am out of town

What advice do you have for students?

They owe it to themselves when they come to this world-class University to find a way to connect and meet as many people as possible while they’re here. They have access to more people and resources here that they are likely to find once they leave the University.

What would you like to see at this University?

I’d like to see the black and Latino representation at the same percentage level of participation as they are in the state. That would be my hope. That would be my dream. I probably won’t see this accomplished before my professional career ends at Illinois, but hopefully I will leave a legacy for others to run the next leg of a race to make Illinois the best public University in the land and to continue expanding opportunity for residents who are from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.