Dear UMBC Community,
As you may recall, President Sheares Ashby announced in August that UMBC would begin a national search for a new vice president position to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion work across the campus.
As a key next step, we have assembled a search committee which includes faculty, staff, and students who will work with search firm Isaacson Miller to identify outstanding candidates for the Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer role. The committee members are:
I am grateful for their willingness to help us find a leader who shares our values and is excited to join our community. We will continue to share updates as they are available.
Candace Dodson-Reed '96, Chief of Staff to the President, and Chair, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer Search Committee
]]>Dear UMBC Community,
I am pleased to announce that we will launch a national search for a vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at UMBC. Since my arrival, I have spent much of my time listening and learning more about our shared value of inclusive excellence. I am grateful for the perspectives and advice shared by senior leaders, shared governance officers, the Office of Equity and Inclusion staff, our affinity group leaders, and both the Inclusion Council and Implementation Team. Our campus's bold commitment to supporting an inclusive and welcoming culture for all students, faculty, and staff led me to this decision to establish a full-time senior leadership role.
Candace Dodson-Reed, chief of staff to the president and executive director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion, will lead a diverse search committee to help us find a candidate who shares our core values. Our partners from the search firm Isaacson, Miller will assist in the process.
This empowered leader will first understand the depth and breadth of the work we already do across the campus to build diversity, equity, and inclusion, and will recommend effective ways to move that work forward. This position will also be responsible for managing all Title IX and civil rights efforts, which include a clear focus on discrimination, harassment, hate, and bias. Candace will share the full position profile with our community soon.
Thank you for your support as we launch this process and for all that you do to model inclusive excellence at UMBC.
President Valerie Sheares Ashby
]]>Dear UMBC Community,
We are pleased to announce an update to our self-service pathway to allow students to indicate their chosen middle and last names in addition to their chosen first names, pronouns, and gender identity in university administrative systems. Beginning this month, students can log into their myUMBC profile and update their chosen middle and last names. This process is optional and voluntary. More detail on how students may update their information is available here.
Students' chosen names are provided to faculty and staff through university administrative systems, such as PeopleSoft and myUMBC. Please note that the display of this information may differ from system to system. For example, not all university administrative systems currently accommodate chosen middle names.
The expanded name options build on prior work enabling students to indicate their chosen first name, pronouns, and gender identity. We invite you to view this brief video for more insight on the expanded chosen name initiative, including reminders on how to verify students' identity when working in campus systems.
Thank you to the diverse group of campus partners who worked together to implement this new process, and thank you for all you do everyday to make UMBC a safe, caring, and inclusive learning community.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion
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The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) is responsible for promoting and coordinating the University's core values of inclusive excellence and equity. OEI has primary responsibility for managing UMBC's efforts related to Title IX, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ identity, as well as other civil rights issues. OEI is leading our campus community through this important culture change with the support and partnership of countless allies across UMBC. If you are experiencing discrimination based on your gender identity or sexual orientation, you can report it using OEI's online reporting form.
The diversity of UMBC's community and our commitment to inclusive excellence are among our greatest strengths. We are committed to continuing to improve and simplify pathways for alerting the university of chosen names and pronouns. While we recognize that achieving inclusion is an ongoing process, we will continue to strive to make our campus a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, including transgender people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
We are also committed to providing information and other supportive resources for members of the UMBC community with particular concerns about civil rights related to gender identity. Resources are available at the following sites:
UMBC Non-Discrimination Policy Statement
UMBC Gender Inclusive Housing Options
UMBC LGBTQ Faculty/Staff Association
]]>Dear UMBC Community,
We are pleased to share the 2020-2021 Inclusion Council Reports and Recommendations with our community. These recommendations are the group's suggestions of how the university can more fully realize our value of inclusive excellence. They represent more than a year of effort from ten working groups made up of more than 150 students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We are deeply grateful for the diverse, thoughtful, and action-focused perspectives they brought to this process.
To respond to this report, and to help us understand our next best steps, we have created an Implementation Team that is modeled on our Retriever Courage work. The team will be chaired by Dr. Carole McCann, Professor and Chair, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; and Beatriz Gutierrez-Malagon, Coordinator for Leadership, Campus Life. The charge of this team is to create a plan of work, timelines for identified projects, and partnership teams. The Implementation Team includes representatives from the Inclusion Council, Shared Governance leaders, and subject matter experts. We will provide you with regular updates on their progress.
We know that the work of the Inclusion Council and the Office of Equity and Inclusion does nothappen in isolation. Rather, it both relies on and is indebted to the decades of work that many in our community have already done and continue to do. As a result of your hard work—your scholarship on diversity and inclusion, your support of marginalized students, your commitment to developing equitable processes—UMBC is nationally known as a leader in the work of inclusive excellence. Yet we also know that just as success is never final, the work of justice is never done. We appreciate your continued support.
If you have questions about this report or the plan to move forward, please reach out to us at oei@umbc.edu.
In partnership,
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Candace Dodson-Reed ’96, Chief of Staff to the President and Executive Director, Office of Equity and Inclusion
Keith J Bowman, Inclusion Council Co-Chair and Dean, College of Engineering and Information Technology
Carole McCann, Implementation Team Co-Chair and Professor and Chair, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies
Beatriz Gutierrez-Malagon, Implementation Team Co-Chair and Coordinator for Leadership, Campus Life
Dear UMBC Community,
Last week, a Federal District Court in Texas issued a ruling on litigation challenging the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court ruled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security violated the Administrative Procedure Act in establishing and continuing DACA and held that the Biden Administration must freeze the acceptance of new DACA requests. While the Administration does still have the ability to process renewal requests, we are understandably concerned about this ruling and its impact on our students.
To advocate for the safety and financial security of our students, I am joining University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman and more than 200 presidents and chancellors from across the nation in signing a letter to U.S. Senate leadership urging them to pass the bipartisan Dream Act of 2021. This legislation would provide “dreamers, their families, and the employers who depend on them much-needed certainty following years of legal limbo.” This legislation is aligned with our UMBC community value of inclusion, and we will continue to do whatever we can to support our determined students who study under DACA. We are hopeful that we will be able to welcome more of these impressive students into our community with the support of this new Dream Act.
Students who are affected by this news, or who are looking for community and support, can contact Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3b) and their Retriever Immigrants United discussion group. Students who need support and assistance with their DACA application and related processes can contact the Center for Global Engagement. The Counseling Center is also available to serve students in need of emotional support. Please call (410) 455-2472 on weekdays or the after-hour support line at (410) 455-3230.
President Freeman Hrabowski
UMBC will be closed on Friday, June 18, to observe Juneteenth, an annual celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.The official holiday occurs on June 19, recognizing the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended, and enslaved people in Confederate states had been freed more than two and a half years earlier.
While Juneteenth has long been celebrated in the Black community, many other Americans are still learning about the importance and significance of this day. Although the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freed enslaved people in Confederate controlled states, the reality is that freedom was delayed for many.
For example, Maryland, a Union border state, was not included in the Emancipation Proclamation, and enslaved people in the state were not officially freed until the following year. Even in Confederate states that were included, many slaveholders withheld the information from enslaved people until forced to comply. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution formally abolished slavery in America in December, 1865.
In recognition of the delayed emancipation of enslaved people, Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas, and is now celebrated throughout the United States on June 19 each year; it is believed to be the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed a measure that will make Juneteenth a federal holiday, and the House is expected to approve the measure as well.
We encourage all in our community to use the day to put our UMBC values of equity and inclusion into action by participating in events honoring the holiday or through education and self-reflection on racial justice issues.
You can learn more about the legacy and importance of Juneteenth through the National Museum of African American History and Culture and at PBS. For ways to celebrate and recognize this important day, we encourage you to join a webinar about Harriet Tubman sponsored by the Erickson School of Aging Studies. Our partners at the University of Maryland, Baltimore are also presenting a Juneteenth Jubilee. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is performing a special celebration that you can watch for free on MPT.
For faculty and staff, Friday June 18 will be added to your timesheet as an administrative leave day. Exempt employees who must work on June 18 can take administrative leave on an alternate day by August 31, 2021. Nonexempt employees who must work will be credited with the administrative leave on that day.
Thank you for all that you do to live our community values.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
On Tuesday, India became the second country to surpass 20 million COVID-19 infections, following the United States. Globally, India now accounts for almost half of new cases and a quarter of deaths. This second wave of COVID-19 infections has placed a tremendous strain on the country’s health system and has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis.
We are deeply concerned about this escalating public health crisis and its effects. Many UMBC students, faculty, staff, and alumni have personal connections to India. We also have students who are learning remotely in India. We are concerned for them, their families, and also members of our local UMBC community who are frightened for the safety of loved ones abroad or who have experienced loss.
If you are able, we encourage you to consider supporting the relief effort through a donation to a reputable organization, such as those listed here.
We also want to take this opportunity to note the care and support resources available to community members. The Center for Global Engagement has staff available for support at ies@umbc.edu or +1(410) 455-2624. Students may also contact the Counseling Center to obtain remote crisis counseling services and referrals at +1(410) 455-2472 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. eastern daylight time. The after-hours support line is +1(410) 455-3230.
We are aware that many of our international community members also have questions about UMBC’s fall 2021 plans and vaccination requirement. We continue to work on these issues and will provide additional guidance soon.
UMBC greatly values our international community and connections, and we are committed to supporting our Indian and Indian American community members during this very difficult time.
President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous
]]>Dear Community Members,
Systemic racism, police violence, hate crimes against minority groups, and mass shootings continue to plague communities across the U.S. Against this backdrop, news reports are flooding Americans with words and images from the trial of the former police officer charged in the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, and we are now preparing to learn the verdict.
The social and political divisions of the past year, coupled with the stresses resulting from the ongoing pandemic, feel overwhelming for many of us.We recognize the myriad emotions that members of our community are experiencing, including worry, trauma, sadness, loss, confusion, anger, and fear. We are deeply saddened by reports that our students are afraid they could be victims of or witnesses to police violence. These emotions are valid, and we are committed to providing support and responding with compassion.
So many across our country have worked for years to bring true justice to our society and to find ways to come together, heal, create real change, and move forward as a more united nation. The events of the past year have resulted in a groundswell of support for decisive action to dismantle the structural racism, discrimination, and other forms of systematic oppression and marginalization in the wider world, and on our own campus.
We encourage all members of our community to remain committed to hearing and understanding different perspectives as we seek to move forward together. UMBC is a community in which we inspire one another to be our authentic selves, reach our full potential, and make an impact. Our commitment to inclusive excellence and shared governance builds individual and collective capacity for listening to and learning from diverse perspectives—skills that are essential for addressing the disparities and differences that have persisted in our country for far too long.
We invite all members of our diverse UMBC family to connect with each other in the spirit of mutual respect, dignity, and understanding. Please consider these resources to support your conversations and share them with your fellow Retrievers:
The Office of Equity and Inclusion’s cross-campus Support and Action Resources.
When participating in online conversations, keep in mind UMBC Community Guidelines for Social Media.
Finally, we encourage all to bring compassion and flexibility to interactions with our students and colleagues, understanding that each of us may be responding to events through the lens of our individual experiences. Students in need of emotional support can contact the Counseling Center at (410) 455-2472 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., or the after-hours support line at (410) 455-3230. Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Mehrshad Devin, President, Student Government Association
Samantha Fries, President, Graduate Student Association
Bobby Lubaszewski ‘10, President, Professional Staff Senate
Orianne Smith, President, Faculty Senate
Melody Wright ‘18, President, Non-Exempt Staff Senate
Dear UMBC Community,
We continue to witness a dramatic increase in discrimination, xenophobia, hate speech, and hate crimes affecting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. This is happening across the nation but also in Maryland and our local communities.
We stand with our AAPI community members, including students, faculty, and staff. The climate in the United States has grown far more hostile, frightening, and alienating for the AAPI community, and we must all speak out against violence, discrimination, and injustice. We know that these events can cause undue mental hardship to our community members who are already struggling during the pandemic, and our thoughts are with them and their families.
We believe it is important to both affirm our commitment to our shared values of equity and diversity and to build a safe and inclusive community. It is our practice to offer resources to those affected or any community member who is struggling. If you feel you have been affected by racism or discrimination, please know that the Office of Equity and Inclusion is available to support all of our students, faculty, and staff. Students in need of emotional support can contact the Counseling Center at their after hours support line at 410-455-3230. Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program. We are grateful to the Asian and Asian American Faculty and Staff Council for developing this list of resources and for supporting community members. We are also sharing this statement of support from Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b).
We know that we must continue to address social injustice, and in particular racial equity work. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color means this work is more critical than ever. We remain committed to supporting our AAPI community members through these difficult times.
President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous