UMBC is continuing to redefine excellence in higher education. The Office of Equity and Inclusion is committed to inclusive excellence and facing the challenge of understanding our position in society and our role in dismantling structural racism.

The UMBC community was invited to learn about our Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center and our campus’s connection to a national framework addressing race equity on September 24. The Shriver Center’s Choice Program, along with community partners, shared how structural racism has impacted youth development in Maryland and how we all can become agents of change.

Thank you to the panel members who presented and over 350 community members who attended!

Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation in Our Communities Town Hall
Thursday, September 24, 4pm-6pm
View a recording of the event here or on OEI's website.
Responses to Q&A coming soon!

Please look for more Empowered University events.

And, remember, no matter where you are, dear survivors, we see you. We believe you. You matter. Always.

9/18/20

Two years ago, our campus community came together and demanded to be heard.  Faculty, staff, and students sat down with President Hrabowski and campus leadership to voice urgent concerns over how UMBC prevents and responds to reports of sexual misconduct.  That group of activists became known as the “Sunday Group.” Through protests, conversations, and listening sessions, the Retriever Courage initiative was created to address our community’s experiences and to make UMBC a safer, more caring, living, learning, and working environment for all.

Change requires the courage to speak out, listen, learn, and take action.  Our community showed tremendous courage two years ago when we began the mission of Retriever Courage and it has continued to show courage as campus-wide changes were made. Thanks to our community’s continued commitment to this work, we have been able to complete many of the recommendations made for our campus, including making an online Title IX reporting form that permits anonymous reporting, a new campus card with resources listed on the back, creating and staffing the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and establishing the Inclusion Council. 

We have been able to accomplish a great deal in the last two years, but there is more to do and we are committed to doing it in collaboration with the ongoing anti-racism work happening in our country, and on our campus, right now. The Inclusion Council, which was formed to advise the Office of Equity and Inclusion and whose members serve as ambassadors for the office across campus, has launched working groups, one of which is focused on sexual misconduct and harassment to help with this work. There are also other campus partners working with the Office of Equity and Inclusion in an advisory capacity. This work remains important to our campus community.  

While COVID-19 has disrupted our world and changed how our community comes together, it has not changed our commitment to the values of Retriever Courage.  Our community faces new challenges now and we must adapt to address the barriers created by an online world.  We are still listening and we are still working. 

Nadia BenAissa ‘20

Member, UMBC Inclusion Council 

Co-Founder, We Believe You

University of Maryland College Park, with the help of University of Maryland Baltimore and University of Maryland Baltimore County, will be hosting the Restorative Practices in Maryland Higher Education Biannual Meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2020, 9:00am-1:30pm est. 

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The BRAVE consortium, comprised of eight area colleges and universities in the Baltimore region focused on survivor centered, trauma informed approaches to sexual assault, stalking, dating and domestic violence, invites you to attend a training presented by Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence “The Connection Between Rape Culture, Prevention and Bystander Intervention”. The training will take place Thursday, September, 17 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Virtually.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) would like to extend a warm welcome to the new and returning UMBC Retrievers today, at the start of the Fall 2020 semester!

OEI is open and fully operational, with staff working remotely. Please visit the OEI website to learn more about the team. 

The diversity of UMBC’s community and our commitment to inclusive excellence are among our greatest strengths. We are committed improving equity and inclusion at UMBC.

OEI is responsible for promoting and coordinating the University’s core values of inclusive excellence and equity, and has primary responsibility for managing UMBC’s efforts related to Title IX as well as other civil rights issues, including discrimination, harassment, hate and bias. If you are experiencing discrimination, you can report it using OEI’s online reporting form.

Also you can reach out to our office directly:
410-455-1717

We want to offer our support and wish you success this semester!

The OEI Team