Dr. Michael L. Jackson has elected to step down from his position as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Southern California (USC), effective at the end of this academic year (June 30, 2013) announced USC President C.L. Max Nikias.
Jackson has served in several key leadership roles at USC over the past 18 years and has assisted the university in becoming one of the top destinations for students around the world. Under his leadership the university established the Office of Student Support and Advocacy and the Trojans Care for Trojans program to support students in crisis; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgendered Center; the Office of Veterans and Transfer, the Office of Fraternity Leadership and Development; the Office of Parents Programs; and the Hong Kong Parents Association.
He also oversaw and was a big supporter of the USC Black Alumni Association and was a big supporter in assisting USC in diversifying its student enrollment as well as its faculty. Assembly member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer who is a board member for the BAA and whose assembly district USC sits in stated, “losing a faculty member like Dr. Michael Jackson is hard for USC or any institution to overcome. His commitment to USC and his commitment to diversity within the university was more than just a job, but a demonstration of the quality of the man. I wish him great success in his future endeavors and I am confident that USC will do everything in its power to find a replacement for Dr. Jackson who is as equally committed to diversity has he was.”
