The Umoja Club aims to support the retention of Black transfer students by cultivating a social support network in order to help students navigate the campus. The mission to cultivate a community of authentic student leaders that prioritize improving access and making higher education more equitable for marginalized and underserved student groups resonates with the Umoja Club. Our club is guided by the Umoja practices of community building, communal intelligence, mentoring, mattering, and encircling diversity, just to name a few. These practices are centralized in the work that we do, allowing us to enhance the cultural and educational experiences of underrepresented students. These practices also establish a network of community and connection amongst the students that we serve, thus holding us accountable in our commitment to success for historically under-resourced students.Â
While our organization is tailored to the experiences of African-American, Black, and Umoja-identifying students, our main goal is to foster a community that serves underrepresented students. Any and all students of the University of California, Irvine are welcome to become a member of this club and be voted into any available officer positions, regardless of race, color, religion, sexual preference, physical/ mental disability, etc.
Our organization has planned to host various events centered around retention, reflecting our commitment to providing continuous networking and social opportunities. See our events page to get involved!
The Umoja Community Org has a unique distinction from the Umoja Program since it is completely student-led. We offer a space to socialize and have peer support in a way that can contribute to your experience on campus while getting you connected to services offered by the Umoja Program. The Umoja Program is led by UCI faculty and housed within the Transfer Student Center where they offer a variety of services such as book loans, one-on-one advising, and workshops.