by David Hoffman and Craig Berger
When UMBC opened in 1966, the campus consisted of a few brick buildings and dirt paths. The first students, faculty and staff members complained about having to walk through dust and mud, but the absence of sidewalks was by design. Campus planners wanted to see where people walked before paving the paths. UMBC's pioneers literally blazed new trails with their feet, a process that has been repeated in every subsequent generation (most recently with a short path connecting The Commons and Biology buildings to the existing network of paths approaching the AOK Library).
Those winding and diagonal campus trails are a good metaphor for the spirit of everyday democracy is deeply embedded in the culture of our UMBC community. If you're just arriving at UMBC, prepare to co-create! All of us make this community together. Here we recognize and value each other as complex human beings, each with stories of our own, each of us integral to the whole. In the next few years, UMBC will grow and change in part because of what the freshmen, new transfer students, and new faculty and staff will contribute. Together, all of us will make something new, something our own, and in doing so we will embody and extend UMBC's best traditions.
We want to introduce a few online resources for people at UMBC who want to make the most of their time here by getting involved as co-creators of their communities, on campus and beyond.
Co-Create UMBC is the blog we write to support UMBC's co-creators, in part by making the UMBC community visible to itself. We'll be sharing profiles of UMBC community members; involvement leadership opportunities; and reflections grounded in our own stories and experiences.
BreakingGround is a UMBC initiative linking people, courses, community projects, and research through a philosophy of hopeful, creative action for positive social change.
The Shriver Center is UMBC's center for applied learning, civic engagement, and community-based service.
UMBC Student Life supports student leadership development, campus and community engagement, student organizations and campus events.
Join the UMBC Serves group on MyUMBC for updates from the Shriver Center and UMBC Student Life about opportunities to get involved in service.
The Women's Center advances gender equity from an intersectional feminist perspective through co-curricular programming, support services, and advocacy for marginalized individuals and communities.
When UMBC opened in 1966, the campus consisted of a few brick buildings and dirt paths. The first students, faculty and staff members complained about having to walk through dust and mud, but the absence of sidewalks was by design. Campus planners wanted to see where people walked before paving the paths. UMBC's pioneers literally blazed new trails with their feet, a process that has been repeated in every subsequent generation (most recently with a short path connecting The Commons and Biology buildings to the existing network of paths approaching the AOK Library).
Those winding and diagonal campus trails are a good metaphor for the spirit of everyday democracy is deeply embedded in the culture of our UMBC community. If you're just arriving at UMBC, prepare to co-create! All of us make this community together. Here we recognize and value each other as complex human beings, each with stories of our own, each of us integral to the whole. In the next few years, UMBC will grow and change in part because of what the freshmen, new transfer students, and new faculty and staff will contribute. Together, all of us will make something new, something our own, and in doing so we will embody and extend UMBC's best traditions.
We want to introduce a few online resources for people at UMBC who want to make the most of their time here by getting involved as co-creators of their communities, on campus and beyond.
Co-Create UMBC is the blog we write to support UMBC's co-creators, in part by making the UMBC community visible to itself. We'll be sharing profiles of UMBC community members; involvement leadership opportunities; and reflections grounded in our own stories and experiences.
- Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC.
- Like the Co-Create UMBC Facebook page.
- Follow Craig Berger on Twitter.
- Follow David Hoffman on Twitter.
BreakingGround is a UMBC initiative linking people, courses, community projects, and research through a philosophy of hopeful, creative action for positive social change.
- Join the BreakingGround group on MyUMBC.
- Like the BreakingGround Facebook page.
The Shriver Center is UMBC's center for applied learning, civic engagement, and community-based service.
- Join the Shriver Center group on MyUMBC.
- Like the Shriver Center Facebook page.
- Follow the Shriver Center on Twitter.
UMBC Student Life supports student leadership development, campus and community engagement, student organizations and campus events.
- Join the UMBC Student Life group on MyUMBC.
- Like the UMBC Student Life Facebook page.
- Follow UMBC Student Life on Twitter.
Join the UMBC Serves group on MyUMBC for updates from the Shriver Center and UMBC Student Life about opportunities to get involved in service.
The Women's Center advances gender equity from an intersectional feminist perspective through co-curricular programming, support services, and advocacy for marginalized individuals and communities.
- Join the Women's Center group on MyUMBC.
- Like the Women's Center Facebook page.
- Follow the Women's Center on Twitter.
For everyone just arriving here, welcome to UMBC! We're looking forward to learning your stories and discovering what we can create together. To everyone else: Welcome back! Let this new journey begin.
