Welcome new member Karin Oen-Lee, Department of Visual Arts!
Stay tuned for new group swag and the next event. And spread the word about our group!
SEP 8 11:30 AMAsian Studies Welcome ReceptionJoin the UMBC Asian Studies community for some food & fun!Performing Arts & Humanities Building : Sculpture Forum |
Jasmine A. Lee, MSW, PhD (she/her)
Associate Vice President, Community & Culture
Co-Director, Center for Social Justice Dialogue
jaslee@umbc.edu Connect with me via Webex Personal Room: https://umbc.webex.com/meet/jaslee | 640903142
912, Admin Building, 1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
Dear UMBC Faculty and Staff,
We are excited to invite you to partner with the Division of Institutional Equity in an ongoing, community-wide effort to foster a more loving, inclusive, and just campus: Culture Builders.
Culture building is the intentional practice of developing shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape how we live, learn, and lead together. In a time marked by polarization and a loss of shared humanity, creating an inclusive culture requires all of us. Each of us has a role to play.
More than a semesterly speaker series, Culture Builders is a call to action. It’s a space where faculty and staff can deepen their commitment to inclusive excellence by:
Engaging in critical conversations about identity, community, and belonging
Centering shared values that draw us closer across lines of difference
Exploring practices and programs that support inclusive engagement, teaching, service, leadership, and scholarship
Co-creating a campus culture where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported
We invite you to join the fall '25 Culture Builders Cohort as a thought partner, co-sponsor, and co-facilitator. This fall’s shared text will be Critical Hope by Dr. Kari Grain—a powerful exploration of how we can lead with clarity, complexity, and care in the pursuit of justice.
Drawing from the book’s key themes—including the importance of grounded action over naïve optimism, leading with imagination, and cultivating hope through reflection and radical relationships—our fall cohort will focus on how these practices can shape UMBC’s culture of inclusive excellence. Explore the fall themes HERE.
Small cohort experience: Only 8 Culture Builders will be selected per semester. Culture builders will represent their office/department.
Shared learning: Culture Builders will participate in three virtual dialogues (July, August, and September) to explore the book and identify themes and values that can inform institutional change. We will provide each participant with a free copy of Critical Hope.
Campus engagement: Each Culture Builder will host a fall event, program, or learning opportunity connected to cohort themes. We will provide up to $500 in funding per event.
Community connection: All Culture Builders will promote and attend the fall Culture Builders keynote event in November. We will host and fully fund this event and provide 20 free copies of Critical Hope to audience members.
To explore the ideas behind the book, you can listen to the following podcast interviews with Dr. Kari Grain: Critical Hope for Educators: Equity Analysis, Possibility, and Responsibility. You might also read The Social Justice Turn: Cultivating "Critical Hope" in an Age of Despair by Kari M. Grain and Darren E. Lund.
If you’re already leading equity-centered work or seeking a way to begin, this is your invitation! Become a Culture Builder and help shape the culture we want to see at UMBC.
Join the Fall 25 cohort by replying directly to this email or emailing culture@umbc.edu. Please include your name, role on campus, and institutional location (office, department, etc.). If you have any questions or would like to talk more, please do not hesitate to reach out.