In
August 2021, the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being opened its
doors as the newest identity-based space at UMBC. The Gathering Space is
a multi-faith spiritual identity space shared by 22 religion and belief
organizations. As religion and belief organizations began to move into
the Gathering Space, it became abundantly clear that there was a
significant need for additional prayer, reflection, and meditation
spaces on campus.
As our campus and community continue to navigate health and wellness crises, students with closely-held religious identities face additional burdens of living their truth safely as they practice their religious obligations and build community around their religious identities. As recently as January 2022, citizens across the country have experienced being accosted, threatened, and more because of their religious and spiritual practices–these events have impacted our very own campus community.
Initiatives
for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b) strives to support all
students across identities and takes seriously our need to advocate for
students living at multiple intersections of marginality, including
religion or spiritual identity. As we continue to deepen our
infrastructure for spiritual and religious diversity and interfaith and
pluralistic engagement opportunities at UMBC, i3b is excited to announce
additional prayer spaces on campus. Through working closely with Dean
Keith Bowman from the College of Engineering, Dr. Timothy Hackman in the
Albin O. Kuhn Library, and Ryan Sheldon from the English Language
Institute, we have secured three additional spaces to expand additional
accessible options for prayer, reflection, and meditation.
New Spaces:
Room 367 - Library
This space is designated only for prayer, reflection, and meditation, and can accommodate up to 3 people praying at a time. The space is equipped with a small bench and prayer mats. UMBC ID is required to access the space, using a card reader. This space is available according to Library building hours.
Room 234 - Information Technology Building (ITE)
This space is designated only for prayer, reflection, and meditation, and can accommodate up to 3 people praying at a time. The space is equipped with a small bench and prayer mats. UMBC ID is required to access the space, using a card reader. This space is available according to the Information Technology Building hours of 7:30 am to 11:00 pm.
English Language Institute - Center for Global Engagement, 207 University Center
The English Language Institute is designated as an accessible space for prayer, reflection, and meditation. The number of users is dependent on available space at the time of need. Students should visit the front desk of the Center for Global Engagement on the 2nd floor of the University Center to check for available prayer space. UMBC ID or sign-in is required to access the available spaces. The space options include unused classrooms that may have a general classroom furniture setup.
Additional Spaces:
Women’s Center - Suite 004, Ground Floor, The Commons
The Maxine Tracy Wellness and Lactation Room inside the Women’s Center is designated as an accessible space for prayer, reflection, and meditation. This space is available according to Women’s Center Hours. This space can be reserved by contacting the Women's Center staff at 410-455-2714 or womenscenter@umbc.edu. This space is also available outside of the Center’s hours of operation when The Commons is open through reservations only. Please reserve the space using this form.
The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity - Suite 2B23, 2nd floor, The Commons
The Mosaic Center is designated as an accessible space for prayer, reflection, and meditation and can accommodate up to 3 people praying at a time. UMBC ID or sign-in is required to access the available spaces. The space is available Wednesday - Friday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Mosaic Center hours).
Pride Center - Suite 2B23, 2nd Floor, The Commons
The Pride Center is designated as an accessible space for prayer, reflection, and meditation and can accommodate up to 3 people at a time. UMBC ID or sign-in is required to access the available spaces. The space is available Monday - Thursday from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm; Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Pride Center hours).
Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being - 103, Center for Well-Being
The Gathering Space is designed for congregational or large group prayer, as well as other faith-oriented, mindfulness, or spiritual well-being activities. The Gathering Space can accommodate up to 26 people praying at a time. UMBC ID or sign-in is required to access the available spaces. The space is available from Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 10:00 pm (Gathering Space Hours).
*If your department or college is interested in exploring space options to expand and support prayer needs on campus, please contact i3b@umbc.edu.
Apply by March 15th using the link below
Institute Term: June 6-10, 2022
Georgetown University
Washington DC
The Georgetown University Political Science Pre-doctoral Summer Institute is a week-long training program for students who are considering pursuing a PhD in political science or a closely related field. The Institute offers an opportunity to meet other undergraduate students with similar interests, and to interact and network with faculty and graduate students from Georgetown University. You will learn more about the substance and methods of political science and about political science PhD programs, discuss your research interests, and workshop application materials.
The discipline of political science poses and answers critical questions about governance and power. The questions our discipline asks depend in large part on who is posing them. For political science to contribute to meeting the diverse challenges of the 21st century, faculty and graduate students must have the background, expertise, and perspective to engage in fundamentally new thinking, questioning, and theorizing. The Political Science Pre-doctoral Summer Institute (PS-PSI) seeks to encourage those outcomes by increasing the diversity of applicants to political science PhD programs; boosting the acceptance rate of under-represented and disadvantaged students; enhancing the diversity of PhD programs; and thereby improving inclusion and equity in the profession and contributing to a more comprehensive study of politics.
The PS-PSI pays for your travel expenses and for your lodging at Georgetown, and provides you with a $1,000 stipend. We offer you relevant materials in advance of the PS-PSI to help you prepare; provide the materials you will use at the Institute; and connect you with excellent resources to help you continue your path forward after the Institute.
Apply by March 15th using the link below
]]>March 3rd 11am-3:45pm
Four Sessions
For over 30 years, preLaw Magazine has been the only media source that helps serious, prospective law students better understand the law school landscape.
In this free virtual event, “preLaw symposium: Choosing Your Law School”, we bring in deans, admissions professionals from top-ranking law schools to give you the latest trends and information in law school academics and programs. With topics such as Best Value Law Schools and Diversity, you will leave this event with a better understanding of which law school is best for your needs. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with hundreds of students like yourself and world renown schools and deans.
See you there!
]]>The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) will be hosting a virtual information session for the Undergraduate Diversity Fellowship next Thursday, February 24 at 12:00 PM Pacific Time/3:00 PM Eastern Time.
For anyone who is interested in attending, they can RSVP by emailing jsiangco@nbr.org to receive the WebEx link or if they are unable to attend, they are also available for one-on-one consultations virtually.
Applications for NBR’s Undergraduate Diversity Fellowship are due by March 27, 2022.
Find more information about the fellowship at the website listed below.
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