This is a repost on behalf of our colleagues at Office of Equity & Inclusion. Original post here.

Balancing Inclusion and Free Speech
Wednesday, January 27
4pm, via Webex

What is our role in protecting free speech as a public university?
What should I do if I see or hear content that does not align with my values?
What is the difference between free speech and hate speech?
Is hate speech protected?
Can I be disciplined for my speech online? What about in a classroom?

Help us start a community discussion about the challenges of balancing our shared commitments to free speech and equity and inclusion. 

Please share your thoughts and questions when you register for the event.

Register Here

The Women's Center's Returning Women Students Scholarships Application for 2021-22 is available now via ScholarshipRetriever to undergraduate students who meet the eligibility requirements. 

The deadline for submission via ScholarshipRetriever is Friday, April 9, 2020. 

This common application which is called Women's Center: Returning Women Students 2021-2022 in ScholarshipRetiever enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students Scholarships with just one submission. Please note that this opportunity to apply will only appear in ScholarshipRetriever to students who meet the scholarship qualifications. The five available scholarships via the Returning Women Student Scholarship Application are:

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students 
• Jodi Mister/Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship
• AEGON Scholarship
• The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship
• The Rosalie Tydings Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship

Undergraduate students of any gender over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits and 2.5 GPA may be eligible. Students must be completing their first undergraduate degree. 

Students who are selected to be scholars are required to participate in the Returning Women Students Scholars + Affiliates program. For more information about the program, visit our website and be sure to attend an information session.

Information sessions related to the application process and scholars program requirements on: 

• Monday, February 22nd from 5:30-6:15pm OR 
• Wednesday, March 31st from 5-6pm (the focus of this session will be on crafting your personal essays)

Applicants are highly encouraged to attend an info session before submitting their application. For students who cannot attend a session live, a recording of the 2/22 session will be made available to those who request it. 

Application Deadline: February 15, 2021

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Due to the COVID-related campus closure, URCAD XXV will be held online again this spring. You will be able to view presentations, watch films, see video of dance and music performances, view artwork, and interact with presenters during the asynchronous event.

Last April, 251 students presented their research and creative work, and thousands of visitors logged on the URCAD online via an interactive platform called VoiceThread. Nothing can compare to being together to be able to celebrate all of the research, scholarship, and creative work of our talented UMBC undergraduate students. Experiencing the live dance performances, being able to talk face to face with students about their research, or being able to take a ride on a kinetic sculpture are things that are meant to be experienced in person, and the energy of hosting URCAD on campus is irreplaceable. But last year’s online event provided a unique experience for visitors to explore the presentations and to interact with presenters in really meaningful ways. The online format also expanded URCAD to a global event- visitors logged on from as far away as Korea and the U.K. 

Mark your calendars for the week of April 19-23, 2021 for URCAD XXV Online!

You can still view the presentations form 2020 here: https://urcad.umbc.edu/departments/

We will host several workshop to help students prepare their online presentations.

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) features research, scholarship, and creative work carried out by UMBC undergraduates. Student work is shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits, performances, and film. Over 300 presenters participate annually. Researchers work with faculty mentors on independent research, or research that is part of the mentor’s on-going projects.  They are from all disciplines, and can be working on a thesis, capstone project, part of a scholars or honors program, or they can be unaffiliated.This campus-wide celebration of achievement affirms UMBC’s commitment to the twin goals of research and a distinctive undergraduate experience.

All current undergraduates who have conducted research, scholarship or creative work in the last year may apply to present their results at URCAD. Mentors, fellow students, friends, family members, high school teachers and students, graduate school recruiters, and the general public are invited to attend.

URCAD 2021 Alumni Keynote Speaker

Klaudine Wakasa

Green Economy Advisor to International Governments

’08 B.S. Financial Economics, UMBC
’10 M.Sc. Gender Development and Globalisation, London School of Economics

Klaudine is a Strategy Advisor who has spent her professional career working with government, multilateral/bilateral organizations, and private sectors across the African continent – first as an Advisor within KPMG’s International Development Advisory Service; later as a Strategy Consultant with Dalberg Global Development Advisors; and currently as the Regional lead for the Government of Canada’s effort to build Clean Technology ecosystems in Africa, and for the United Kingdom’s goal of mainstreaming a ‘Green Economy’ approach into its work in Africa. 
(Read more about Klaudine here.)

Questions? Email aprilh@umbc.edu