An official ballot dropoff box is now available in The Commons between the CIC desk and Flat Tuesdays. Any registered Maryland voter may submit a mail-in ballot. For more information, contact the Center for Democracy and Civic Life at civiclife@umbc.edu

President Sheares Ashby has signed the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge's commitment to 100% voter participation. UMBC has joined more than 625 college presidents and chancellors in committing to full student voter registration and participation in all elections. By signing the pledge, UMBC has committed to ensuring all eligible students are able to register to vote and cast informed ballots in the general elections and beyond. Further, the University has committed to fostering campus cultures that support nonpartisan student civic learning, political engagement and student voter participation. 

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a nonpartisan, national initiative of the 501c3 Civic Nation, recognizing and supporting campuses as they work to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and full student voter participation. The Challenge encourages higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, and make democratic participation a core value on their campus. 

In April 2023, UMBC was recognized for increasing democratic engagement, and Musa Jafri ‘24 was named to the Student Voting Honor Role. 

Graduate Students, 

We are reaching out to introduce an exciting opportunity for you and your mentor to enhance your mentoring relationship through the Ph.D. Mentoring Workshop from MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence).

The MORE Ph.D. Mentoring Workshop seeks to establish an environment where Ph.D. students and their faculty mentors can gather to improve the depth and productivity of their mentoring relationships through an afternoon of learning and engagement.

When: May 3, 2024, noon to 3:45 p.m.

Where: bwTech@UMBC South Campus, 1450 South Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD 21227

Here's how you can get involved:

Talk to Your Mentor:

We encourage you to initiate a conversation with your mentor about the MORE Ph.D. Mentoring Workshop. Below is a sample email message that you can use as a template:

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Subject: Opportunity to grow mentoring skills

Dear [Mentor's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to bring to your attention an opportunity I'd like to explore with you. The Ph.D. Mentoring Workshop from MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence) is a new program available to PhD students and their mentors at UMBC, and I believe it could greatly benefit my graduate studies. I am particularly interested in learning how to be a good mentor and learn how you have established (and evolved) your mentoring philosophy.

According to the announcement about this workshop, the MORE Ph.D. Mentoring Workshop seeks to establish an environment where Ph.D. students and their faculty mentors can gather to improve the depth and productivity of their mentoring relationships through an afternoon of learning and engagement. It will take place on May 3rd, 12-3:45pm.

Would you be open to exploring this opportunity with me?  You can learn more about it and fill out the application form here.The process requires the faculty mentor (not the graduate student) to enroll by April 19. I am eager to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for considering this, and I look forward to discussing it further.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

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Seek Assistance from the Graduate School CARE Team:

If you feel nervous about initiating this conversation with your mentor but are still interested in participating in the training together, you can reach out to a member of the Graduate School CARE team at gscare@umbc.edu. They can make a kind suggestion to your mentor on your behalf, encouraging them to consider participating in the training with you.

Interested? Click here for more details. Participation is limited, so please be sure to inform your mentors to apply by Friday, April 19, 2024, to be considered.