Dear UMBC Community,

We are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for several awards recognizing outstanding contributions within our UMBC community. We encourage you to nominate individuals, faculty, staff, organizations, and student athletes who have demonstrated excellence, leadership, and meaningful impact.

Please use the appropriate form below for the specific award you would like to nominate someone for. You only need to complete the form for the award you are submitting a nomination for.

Submit nominations by March 29, 2026. 

1. The Jessica Soto Perez Memorial Award. Open to all graduate students EXCEPT E-Council or Senators: Award Nomination Form

2. Community Leadership Award. Open to GSA E-Council and Senators with multiple roles: Award Nomination Form

3. Graduate Student Athlete Award Nomination. Open to UMBC graduate students who demonstrate excellence in both academics and athletics: Award Nomination Form

4. The Donald Creighton Outstanding Faculty Award. UMBC faculty who actively mentor and support graduate students: Award Nomination Form

5. The Outstanding University Staff Award: Award Nomination Form
   

6. The Outstanding GSO Award. Graduate Student Organization (GSO) that significantly enhances the graduate student experience: Award Nomination Form

Thank you for helping us recognize the outstanding members of our community.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards,
GSA 

Do you know a faculty member or academic department that goes above and beyond to make learning more accessible and inclusive for all students? Now is the time to recognize them!

The UMBC Accessibility Trailblazer Awards celebrate individuals and departments who are pioneers in creating accessible course materials, inclusive content, and teaching practices grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These trailblazers help ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed.

We especially encourage student nominations, but nominations from colleagues are also welcome.

• Deadline to submit nominations: April 30
• Accessibility Trailblazer Award Nomination Form

Awardees will be recognized by the Department of Accessibility & Disability Services (ADS), which houses the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS). They will receive certificates of recognition, be acknowledged by their Deans and senior leadership, and be celebrated with the UMBC student community. Finally, they will also be featured on the ADS bulletin board and highlighted in our quarterly newsletter to recognize their commitment to accessibility and inclusive teaching practices.

Take a moment to recognize someone who is making a meaningful impact on accessibility at UMBC!

Questions? Contact the ADS office at (410) 455-2459 or disability@umbc.edu.

Inclusive excellence has long been a cultural touchstone at UMBC. Before now, we haven't had a definition or any other shared language to describe what we mean. This is your chance to inform our definition. Leaders in the Division of Institutional Equity have drafted a framework for inclusive excellence, and we want your input! 

The framework aims to articulate our community's shared commitments in a way that can communicate our values, guide action, inspire new collaboration, and support the development and implementation of UMBC's next strategic plan.

Join The Centers for Social Justice Dialogue and Democracy and Civic Life for UMBC Talks, which are 90-minute, co-facilitated dialogues designed to support your engagement with the framework. Each UMBC Talk will be the same, so please sign up for the one that best suits your schedule. We hope to see you there. Come and leave your mark on this important moment in UMBC's history. 

Spring Semester Open Forums

Friday, April 10, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., UC 312 -Foregrounding faculty and staff experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Wednesday, April 15, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., UC 312 - Open to everyone. Conversations will be held in mixed groups.

Friday, April 24, 10:00 a.m. - noon, UC 312 -Foregrounding graduate student experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Friday, April 24, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., UC 312 -Foregrounding undergraduate student experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Tuesday, April 28, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., Virtual - Open to everyone. Conversations will be held in mixed groups.

Stay tuned for potential additional dates! Download the attached flyer to post or share.

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UMBC Talks is a collaborative initiative that aims to enhance the sense of community, vibrancy, and well-being at UMBC through guided community conversations that reestablish our commitment to inclusive excellence and foster a sense of pride for what it truly
means to be a UMBC Retriever. Using this framework offers a dialogic process for gathering community input on shared values.

If you have any questions about this feedback process, please feel free to reach out to Drs. Ciara Christian and David Hoffman at culture@umbc.edu.

These events 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.