As part of UMBC's ongoing commitment to fostering equitable and inclusive learning and working environments, we're excited to offer departments a meaningful opportunity to strengthen community, repair relationships, and build trust across campus through Restorative Practice sessions. These offerings include multiple circle types, facilitated by partners in the Division of Institutional Equity (DOIE), and tailored to the unique needs of faculty and staff departments.

We invite faculty, staff, supervisors, and department leaders to discover how restorative practices can empower your teams to cultivate cultural competency, equity, accountability, and community care. These collaborative sessions provide a dedicated space to enhance communication, deepen connections, and foster a more inclusive work environment. To learn more or explore how these practices might benefit your department, please reach out to the Community & Culture team at culture@umbc.edu.

 DOIE RESTORATIVE OFFERINGS

Restorative circles, community conversations, and dialogues

Circles provide structured, equitable spaces for dialogue and connection. Whether used proactively to build community or responsively to address harm, circles honor the voices and experiences of all participants through guided conversation. DOIE offers various circle types, including community-building, learning, restorative dialogue, healing, resetting, and re-entry circles to support faculty and staff (individuals, groups, departments).

Reach out for DOIE support when: Your department wants to strengthen culture proactively, address interpersonal tensions or misunderstandings, process the impact of bias incidents or crises, support colleague reintegration after conflict or leave, or explore challenging topics related to equity and inclusion.

Restorative Conferences: Formal Support for Complex Situations

In DOIE, restorative conferences are structured, facilitated meetings designed to address significant harm, policy violations, or formal workplace conflicts, particularly when navigating identity-based issues, community climate, and cultural differences. These conferences bring together affected parties with institutional representatives to repair relationships, establish accountability, and create clear paths forward.

Reach out for DOIE support when: There has been a formal complaint, policy violation, or significant identity-based interpersonal harm; parties are ready to engage voluntarily in structured dialogue; institutional representatives need to be part of the resolution process; or clear, documented agreements and follow-up are essential.

Group Facilitation: Retreats, Listening Sessions & More

DOIE provides customized facilitation for departmental retreats, listening sessions, and other gatherings where skilled, restorative facilitation helps groups navigate complexity and move toward shared goals, particularly when navigating identity-based issues, community climate, and cultural differences.

Reach out for DOIE support when: Your department is planning a retreat and needs skilled facilitation; you want to gather qualitative feedback through listening sessions or town halls; your team is navigating organizational change or climate concerns; or you need support creating inclusive dialogue spaces for sensitive or complex topics.

*Available Facilitators: Jasmine A. Lee, Associate Vice President for Community & Culture/Co-Director of Social Justice Dialogue, and Sy Simms, Learning and Development Specialist, and other trained members of the Community & Culture team and UMBC campus.

Learn More & Get Involved

We encourage all campus partners to take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen our shared culture of equity and belonging.

For questions about requesting restorative practices support, scheduling a circle, or determining the best approach for your department, please visit doie.umbc.edu or contact the Community & Culture team at culture@umbc.edu.

To participate in a Restorative Practices training hosted by Student Conduct and Community Standards, visit https://conduct.umbc.edu/programs/restorative-practices/events-and-workshops-offered/.

The Division of Institutional Equity joins the Mosaic Center and our many campus community members in recognizing and honoring Black History Month. 

Black History Month is celebrated each year in February to honor the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. The 2026 Black History Month theme is "A Century of Black History Commemorations". This month, the Division of Institutional Equity invites you to engage through our "Read, Watch, Listen, Participate" list to celebrate, connect, and explore.

To request accommodation(s) or to inquire about event accessibility, please get in touch with each program office directly. All sessions are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Events on campus

Join us at UMBC events throughout the month to connect, celebrate, and learn together

February 2 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | The Commons: Mainstreet
Hear Our Stories: Celebrating Black History Month
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic/events/149873

February 4 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | The Commons: 2B23

Music & The Mosaic (Black History Month x The Grammy Edition!)
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic/events/149962

February 6 | 10:30 am - 4:00 pm | University Center Ballroom
2026 Black Excellence Summit: Roots of Success: Grounded in Community
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic/events/148764

February 6 |  7:00 pm  - 10:00 pm | UC Ballroom 
BSU Groove Theory - Black Excellence Summit After Party! 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTn2ExeEaIg/

February 12 | 6:30 pm | Chesapeake Arena 

Divine 9 Greek Night
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUGsLiAD7Cw/

February 16 | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Webex
Beyond the Book: The Gesture That Fit
Exploring Black Masculinity & Sexuality w/ Linton Taylor
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter/events/149975

February 18 | 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm | The Commons: 329
Black History Month Discussion Panel "Black History: Under Attack, but yet Unbroken." 
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter/events/149976

February 25 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Library Gallery 
Chat n Chew: All about Love
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doie/events/149152

Explore

Visit the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture located in downtown Baltimore to learn more and be inspired by the lives of African American Marylanders.

Read

This reading list features powerful stories by Black authors that capture the richness, humor, complexity, and beauty of Black life in the United States.

• Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer
• Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
• Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall
• American Street by Ibi Zoboi
• The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

Watch

This must-watch collection highlights the brilliance, resilience, and lasting contributions of Black individuals who have shaped history, culture, science, law, and sports in the United States. 

• 10 things about Dr. Carter G. Woodson - Father of Black History Month.  Link: https://youtu.be/f2-qjMiTQqw?si=zZHELAzDzSPWL3jU

• Malcom X

• Hidden figures

• Marshall

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

• 42

Listen

Through storytelling, music, culture, and conversation, these podcasts highlight the everyday joy, innovation, and contributions of Black people—past and present.

• The Nod 

• The Read

• Code Switch

• Questlove Supreme

• Oprah's Super Soul

Tanyka M. Barber (she/her)

Online Courses via Vector Solutions

Dear UMBC Community,

UMBC remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment where every voice is heard and valued. The campus climate shapes the lives of us all, and understanding our community's diverse experiences is crucial to ensure we are upholding our core value of inclusive excellence.

Last spring, our community took part in a Community, Engagement, and Belonging survey, led by the Division of Institutional Equity and its vice president, Tanyka Barber. We hope you will join us and the Rankin Climate team to hear results from the survey on Monday, February 9. The presentation will highlight what we are doing well and where challenges remain, helping us better understand the perceptions of our learning, living, and working environments related to sense of community, engagement, and empowerment across faculty, staff, and student bodies. The presentation is an important step in ensuring our university continues to be a place where all individuals feel supported and able to thrive.

Join in-person: Fine Arts Building Recital Hall, Room 118, 12 – 1 p.m.
Join online: Livestream available for the full campus community

Registration is required. 

This will be an opportunity to learn, reflect, and ensure your voice is part of our collective effort toward a more inclusive UMBC.

Best wishes,

Join Us at the Dialogue Symposium!

We are thrilled to invite you to the Dialogue Symposium: Bringing Campus and Communities Together, a unique space to explore how dialogue can deepen connection, foster inclusion, and shape the way we work together across campuses and communities. This event will feature interactive sessions, hands-on workshops, peer-led exchanges, and kick off with a dynamic keynote fishbowl conversation you won't want to miss. Register today!

Meet Our Keynote Speakers

We're honored to present a distinguished group of leaders whose work advances dialogue, inclusion, and community engagement:

• Dr. Felipe Filomeno — Professor of Political Science and Director of the Global Studies Program at UMBC. His interdisciplinary work on immigration, civic engagement, dialogue, and human development brings a global and community-centered lens to the conversation

• Dr. Bridget Turner-Kelly — Associate Professor in Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Turner-Kelly's expertise in student development and campus community building highlights how dialogue supports belonging and transformational learning.

• Rhonda Fitzgerald — Executive Director of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, where she brings decades of leadership to efforts empowering campuses and communities to use sustained dialogue for conflict transformation and inclusive engagement.

• Dr. Brighid Dwyer — Vice Dean for Academic Excellence & Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences and Vice Chair of the Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center Board. Dr. Dwyer brings decades of leadership in higher education and intergroup dialogue, offering insight into structural and educational approaches to inclusive campus climates.

What Makes This Keynote Special?

Instead of a traditional panel, our keynote will be presented as a fishbowl conversation — a structured, participatory dialogue method in which a small group discusses key questions in the center while others observe and engage. This format allows for vibrant, inclusive exchange and reflects the very principles of active listening and shared meaning-making that dialogue advocates. 

Whether you're new to dialogue or an experienced practitioner, this conversation will offer rich insights into the benefits and challenges of dialogue as a campus and community approach, and create space for reflection, connection, and shared learning.

Don't Miss Out — Register Today!

Spaces are limited, and interest is growing. Whether you're an administrator, educator, student, facilitator, or community member, this symposium offers opportunities to build skills, connect with peers, and be part of shaping dialogue practice across our region.

Register now and be part of this engaging, thought-provoking event! Link to register: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qT4mFIw7bWNZFY

We look forward to seeing you there — ready to listen, share, and learn together!

This January, the Division of Institutional Equity has the following lineup of events and opportunities for the UMBC community. All events and opportunities across the division are open to full participation by all community members. Here's how you can get involved!

Start by Believing: Supporting Disclosures of Sexual Violence
January 14 | 12 pm - 1 pm | Virtual

This is a virtual interactive workshop in collaboration with UMBC police. The workshop is designed for faculty and staff who may be the first person a survivor confides in. Participants will learn about the start by believing campaign, build confidence in responding to disclosures of sexual violence, and strengthen our trauma-informed, survivor-centered campus community. Please use this link to register for the workshop.

Accessibility Made Easy
January 6 - 27 | 11 am - 12 pm | Virtual

Faculty are invited to schedule one-on-one practical sessions with members of SDS throughout January for hands-on support to improve ally score from red to green. SDS members Tori Jakpa and Michael Canale would also provide support on accommodations, working with students with disabilities, and general digital accessibility concerns. Please use this link to schedule a session.

Accessibility Tour: Wayfinding, Skywalks, and Resources
January 28 | 12 pm - 1 pm | In-person

Join the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services for a guided tour of UMBC's "Campus on a Hill". Accessibility is everyone's responsibility, and this is a great opportunity to learn about campus accessibility features, challenges, and how you can be an effective Accessibility Ally! Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/events/148914

Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities Under Title IX 
January 12, 23 & 30 | Virtual

These virtual training sessions will cover topics such as an overview of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights (ECR),  what constitutes prohibited conduct under university policy, responding to a disclosure, procedures for reporting and resolving reports of prohibited conduct, trauma-informed care, confidentiality, and other applicable policies and procedures. The training session will last for approximately 50 minutes, and the WebEx link will be sent to registrants within 24 hrs of the training time. Please use these links to register for a session: January 12, January 23, and January 30. 

SDS Open House
January 28 | 12:00 pm | Mathematics/Psychology: 222 | in-person