The Educational Opportunity Program at °®¶¹´«Ã½ is named the Michael V. Boyd EOP Center in honor of the late Michael V. Boyd, EOP Director, 1986 - 1994. In honor and recognition of Michael's contributions to the University and EOP, the Educational Opportunity Program Center was officially named for Michael V. Boyd in a ceremony on May 12, 1995.
Michael was born in Union, South Carolina on August 17, 1956. At an early age, he moved to Rome, New York, where he completed his high school education at the Rome Free Academy. He was a °®¶¹´«Ã½ alumnus, earning a BA in Political Science and Afro-American and African Studies in 1978, and an MA in History in 1987. He was pursuing his doctorate in History at the time of his death.
Prior to coming to the University, he served as an EOP Counselor and Financial Aid Counselor at Broome Community College from 1981 to 1983. He held a number of positions at the University, including Assistant Director of Admissions and Assistant Director of EOP before being named Director in 1986.
He was active in many campus and professional organizations and served on a number of campus-wide committees, including the President's Task Force on Strategic Planning, the Presidential Commissions on Academic Freedom of Speech and the Minority Student Retention Committee. He served as faculty fellow for Dickinson Residential Community and was a member of the Administrative Judicial Board. He was the advisor for the African Cultures Module, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Students of Color Support Center (SCSC). Michael also established, and was the advisor to, the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (JUMP) along with BU and EOP alumni Kevin Hoo '00.
Michael was awarded the 1992 - 93 University and Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. He was voted EOP Director of the Year by the statewide Council of Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOPD) in 1993 as he ended an unprecedented two-year term as elected council chair.
Michael understood the importance of the need for under-represented students to receive a college education. He believed in working hard to achieve success, and wanted all students to be successful. He made every effort to assist students so that their dreams might become a reality.
Michael was a caring person, kind and well known for his compassion and generosity. He was very supportive of students and offered wise counsel, especially encouragement, to students in their difficult times. He was known to give his personal money to students with special circumstances, to provide groceries for those who needed it and to visit students' sick in the hospital.
Michael led by example and was a positive role model for many. His commitment to the University, mission and goals of EOP were unquestionable. Michael's leadership helped raise the retention and graduation rates of °®¶¹´«Ã½'s EOP, making it the strongest in the State University of New York. Due to his legacy, the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Educational Opportunity Program remains number one in the state.