Overview
For over 50 years, C-MAP, the Carnegie Mellon Action Project, and its later iteration, the Carnegie Mellon Advising Resource Center, provided a space for Black and other underrepresented students at a predominantly white institution to gather, find support, and build community. The University Archives is proud to be home to the legacy of C-MAP, CMARC, and related programs.
The Carnegie Mellon Action Project (C-MAP), Upward Bound, SCOPP Collection documents the history of early diversity initiatives at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University. Founded in 1968, C-MAP focused on the recruitment and retention of Black students and provided both academic and social support on campus. In the 1980’s, C-MAP expanded to serve Hispanic, Latinx, and Native American students. Renamed Carnegie Mellon Advising Resource Center (CMARC) in 2006, the center’s focus was broadened once again to include first generation students and served students until closing its doors in 2017. The collection also tells the stories of earlier initiatives for minority high school students, including Upward Bound and the School College Orientation Program of Pittsburgh (SCOPP). Many of the programs and events born out of C-MAP and CMARC are still a part of campus today. The spirit of C-MAP/CMARC’s work and commitment to diversity and inclusion lives on in the critical work currently underway in the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
This collection contains materials related to the C-MAP and CMARC community, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Highlights include records related to student life, such as photo albums and memorabilia associated with Buggy, SPIRIT, Hoopla, SAMS, Origins, and more. Records related to the program's administration, including annual reports, event programs, and program marketing materials, are also included.
This collection is open for research by faculty, students, alumni, and the public. To make an appointment to view materials, email archives@cmu.edu.
Updates
Several substantial donations were made in 2022 and will more than double the size of the current collection once opened to the public in the next two years after processing. These donations include records of C-MAP and its successor, CMARC. Materials include hundreds of photographs, VHS recordings of events, programs, and lectures, annual reports, and marketing materials. The materials also cover programs such as the Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science (SAMS), Coaching Minority Progress and Academic Success in Science (COMPASS), SPIRIT Fashion Show, and more. These records have been prioritized for archival processing starting later in 2024.
Donate
Do you have materials related to your experience with Upward Bound, SCOPP, C-MAP, or CMARC, and would like to contribute to this important collection? The University Archives is actively collecting materials related to C-MAP's history and iterations.
To learn more about our scope and the materials we collect, visit our donation guide.
To donate materials, please contact us for a consultation.
Past Events
C-MAP/CMARC 55 Years Later: Affirming Black and Underrepresented Minority Student Experiences
April 14-15, 2023
During Spring Carnival 2023, the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, in partnership with the Carnegie Mellon Black Alumni Association, hosted a two-day event that brought community members together to reconnect and view materials from the University Archives.
View photos from the event.