The Undergraduate Advising Center announces the formation of OACES
The Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success (OACES) opens, combining the Office of Minority Education and the Advising & Student Belonging pillar
Vivian Hir–The Tech
On Aug. 7, 2025, Vice Chancellor David Darmofal SM ’91 PhD ’93 sent an email to the MIT community announcing the formation of the Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success (OACES). Pronounced “oasis,” the new office combines the staff and programs of the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC)’s Advising & Student Belonging (ASB) pillar and the Office of Minority Education (OME). While the OME was founded in 1975, the UAC was more recently created in 2023 to help undergraduates receive individualized advising throughout their MIT undergraduate experience. Former interim deputy OME director Sadé Abraham is the Associate Dean and Director of OACES. Abraham and Prof. Kristala L. J. Prather ’94 were co-chairs of the transitional working group for OACES.
According to an MIT Faculty Newsletter article co-written by Abraham, Prather, and Darmofal, the naming of OACES came from a desire to build upon the legacy of the OME and “champion the success” of students who have experienced challenges prior to or at MIT, including those who identify as first-generation or low-income (FLI) students, transfer students, or as members of underrepresented and underserved groups. However, the letter states that OACES is open to all students.
Prior to President Trump’s second term, the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in 2023, which prevented colleges, including MIT, from considering race as a factor in admissions. Recently, universities across the country have removed and rebranded their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs following federal targeting of diversity initiatives in higher education. The Trump administration has launched investigations into dozens of institutions for their diversity practices. In July, Harvard University closed its undergraduate diversity offices, which supported minorities, LGBTQ students, and women.
Changes regarding the OME’s name and organizational structure were previously discussed in a town hall meeting in May 2024. In the meeting, options for the OME’s future branding included a suggestion to remove the word “minority” from the organization’s name or create a completely new acronym. During the Q&A session, students expressed concerns about the impact of the changes on the OME’s programming and resources, as well as the significance of the renaming.
The OACES working group believed that incorporating the OME into the UAC would help strengthen both organizations, given that the ASB pillar reflects the Institute’s “changing demographics” that include FLI and transfer students. “Both share a commitment to academic success, mentorship, and belonging for students from historically marginalized backgrounds and/or those who have navigated unique paths to MIT,” the faculty newsletter stated. The OME’s former faculty advisory council will be merged into the new Advisory Council, and the OME’s former student advisory council will remain and be renamed as part of OACES.
The OME’s former website (ome.mit.edu) now redirects to OACES (oaces.mit.edu). According to an archived OME homepage from June 12, 2025, the OME’s mission was to academically and professionally support students of “underrepresented minority groups,” which include African American, Latino, and Native American students. The updated OACES homepage does not mention specific minority groups.
The OACES office did not respond to The Tech’s request for comment by time of publication.