OneGoal – Massachusetts Announces New Board Chair
Former UMass Boston interim chancellor Barry Mills joins education nonprofit
BOSTON, Oct. 26, 2018 — OneGoal, a national college access and success organization, announced today that Barry Mills, former interim chancellor of University of Massachusetts Boston and president emeritus at Bowdoin College, was appointed as chair of their Massachusetts board of directors.
“We are looking forward to having Barry join our OneGoal community,” said Patty Diaz-Andrade, executive director of OneGoal – Massachusetts. “His experience leading two of New England’s well-respected institutions, as well as his demonstrated commitment to our students’ success makes Barry a valuable addition to our board and we’re honored that he will join OneGoal to continue his advocacy for students in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.”
As board chair, Mills, will act as a liaison between the board of directors and senior leadership at OneGoal – Massachusetts. Mills was appointed interim chancellor of UMass Boston in July 2017 and served nearly two years in the role, where he stabilized the university’s financial standing. Prior to that, Mills led Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, his alma mater, for 14 years before retiring in 2015.
“As a first-generation college student, I know firsthand the tremendous power of higher education to change lives,” said Mills. “I look forward to helping OneGoal – Massachusetts reach more young people, as well as empowering students to achieve their greatest potential.”
OneGoal is a unique three-year program, that begins as an in-school, credit-bearing class taught to a cohort of students, known as Fellows, in junior and senior years of high school, and continues with one-on-one remote support from the same teacher through their first year of postsecondary education. OneGoal builds all aspects of the curriculum, trains and coaches teams of educators, and partners with schools and institutions to create the conditions to deliver the course for all students.
Now in its third year in Massachusetts, OneGoal is working alongside more than 600 students and partners at 12 high schools, as well as seven post-secondary institutions, including University of Massachusetts Amherst. OneGoal inaugural cohorts of Fellows enrolled in college this fall, and continue to build their network and skills, with the support of their OneGoal Program Directors as they navigate their chosen college or other postsecondary pathway.
About OneGoal
OneGoal is a coalition of teachers, students, school leaders and education advocates working to close the degree divide and ensure all young people have an equitable opportunity to achieve their greatest postsecondary aspirations. We collaborate closely with public schools in low-income communities, providing teachers with a robust curriculum, technology, training and coaching to implement our three-year model with a group of 25 students (called Fellows) per cohort. Teachers (called Program Directors) support the same group of Fellows beginning in 11th grade and bridge the gap through their first year after high school graduation. In communities where students typically have a 22 percent chance of graduating from college, 81 percent of OneGoal’s high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution and 86 percent of those who enroll persist one year later. OneGoal works in Chicago, Houston, Massachusetts, Metro Atlanta, New York and the Bay Area.