A LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY by Victor Mora
Associate Director
Dear Colleagues and Friends, I am writing to let you know that I will be retiring effective October 31, 2021. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this wonderful university for the last 31 years. It has been rewarding to work with a wonderful group of talented colleagues over the years in conceptualizing, developing, and improving tools that have significantly advanced methods and protocols for how the university conducts enrollment management. One of these is EMA. I was privileged to be one of its founding members and develop its approach to supporting the undergraduate outreach and recruitment efforts across the university. It has also been rewarding to have had the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of the Hispanic/ Latinx community at OSU in various capacities. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work with many outstanding colleagues in the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Center for Latin American Studies. I came to Ohio State in 1990, to head the Hispanic Affairs component of the Office of Minority Affairs (now Office of Diversity and Inclusion). In the mid 1990’s, I transitioned to the Office of Admissions where I could apply my background in marketing at a larger scale. Despite this change in career, my engagement and commitment to the Hispanic/Latinx community continued over the years. In the early 1990’s I worked with faculty, staff and students and the central administration in the implementation of the Hispanic Action Plan. Resources and initiatives were channeled through the Hispanic Oversight Committee, which reported directly to the provost. We addressed community needs, such as academic enrichment, adaptational support services, methods to keep our community connected, and cultural affirmation and enrichment initiatives. Some examples of these initiatives that resulted from these collaborative and dedicated efforts include: • The creation of the Latino Studies minor in Comparative Studies • The creation of a Latinx psychologist at Counseling and Consultation Services to provide support to students with cultural adaptational issues • The creation of ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? to provide a mechanism to keep our comunity connected
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