Editor's Note: This feature is part of a series of stories commemorating Black History Month. For more stories highlighting Black Excellence at UC Merced, visit news.ucmerced.edu/news/black-history-month.
Students come to the Black Academic Success & Engagement office for any number of reasons: They need help with time management or academic coaching or accessing support programs.
But what they all find in coordinator Liana Williams: a caring adult. Williams and the student coordinator for BASE, Chi Ude, are a "small but mighty team," Williams said.
Williams coaches students and directs them to other organizations if needed. Ude provides peer support, helping guide fellow students through their journeys at UC Merced.
BASE originated with the Valuing Black Lives Initiative that started at UC Merced in 2020 and is aimed at supporting students of the Black diaspora through all facets of their college careers. Williams, who came to the campus in 2022, is the program's first coordinator.
"I act as a success coach," she said. "I work with students on time management, test-taking, graduation preparation and mostly just making sure they succeed in the college environment."
BASE's stated goal is "To inspire all students to learn, find their purpose and passion, and develop as individuals to achieve their goals" by supporting growth inside and outside the classroom. "With success in mind, our vision is to empower Black students to achieve excellence and connection to their communities," the website reads.
The organization focuses on students' mental, physical and financial health by supporting programs and services that encourage healthy lifestyles and career planning.
Williams also works with a number of other organizations and Office of Social Justice Initiatives & Identity Programs on campus, including the AFRO Living Learning Community and the Black Excellence Symposium. She refers students to service providers such as the university's Counseling & Psychological Services and Tutoring Hubs. BASE conducts goal-setting workshops for students and helped support a visit to Washington, D.C., for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
BASE also helped bring back the Black Graduation ceremony, now known as the Afropolitan Graduation.
"I was able to step in and able to help with other campus partners bring it back to life," Williams said.
"The larger commencement is great, but at the more intimate ceremony, students get to celebrate with the people with whom they've gone through this big thing in their life," she said. "Our Black community here is small. Most of us know each other well."
William serves another important function for Black Bobcats, providing a listening ear and a reminder that students aren't alone.
"College can be a great time and also a lonely time," Williams said. "If you need somebody in your corner, I am there, and we are going to figure it out."
