Dear Faculty and Staff,

UMBC has decided to participate in the Great Colleges to Work For program, a national survey designed to recognize institutions that have built great workplaces. Regardless of whether or not we are recognized, the data we receive will be helpful as we continue the process of creating the best workplace possible. 

On March 4, 2023, the survey will be distributed to a random selection of our employees. If you are included in this random sample, you will receive an invitation with details about the program and how to access the survey. This invitation will be sent to you via email from Great Colleges.

If you receive the invitation, please take a moment to complete the survey. You will be representing not only yourself, but all your colleagues, so your feedback is invaluable! This is a chance to make your voice heard, and a high response rate helps ensure an accurate representation of our community. At the close of the program, we will receive topline reports that summarize the organizational competencies and relationships that most directly impact and influence our culture. 

The survey is voluntary and completely confidential; our institution will not be able to trace results back to individuals. Your survey will be processed by ModernThink, LLC, an independent management consulting firm focusing on workplace quality in higher education. They can be reached at 888-684-4658 or at surveys@modernthink.net. 

We encourage everyone's participation and hope you will take this opportunity to share your honest feedback. Thank you in advance for your participation. Please visit the Great Colleges website if you have questions.

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Join with your colleagues on Friday, April 21, 2023, as both the Faculty Development Center and the Provost's Office will be hosting events discussing inclusive excellence and celebrating inclusive teaching. Registration is required for both events to ensure adequate seating and refreshments. 

We hope to see you there as we celebrate UMBC's commitment to diversity and inclusion and we thank Provost Rous for his support for these programs.

Linda Hodges, Director, Faculty Development Center
Orianne Smith, Special Assistant to the Provost for Special Faculty Initiatives

Inclusive Excellence at UMBC Reading Series

Friday, April 21, 2023, 9:30 a.m. -- 11 a.m.
The Commons, Room 331

Join this breakfast book discussion of An Inclusive Academy: Achieving Diversity and Excellence by Abigail J. Stewart and Virginia Valian. This book focuses on what faculty and administrators can do to rethink and re-envision inclusive excellence within the university culture, which is especially relevant given the recent change in the UMBC promotion and tenure policy to recognize and reward DEIA efforts. There is another opportunity to discuss this book scheduled for March 31.

Register for the Reading Series

Seventh Annual Provost's Teaching and Learning Symposium

Friday, April 21, 2023, Noon -- 3:30 p.m.
Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena

Please join us for the seventh annual Provost's Teaching and Learning Symposium as we celebrate the return from remote instruction. The symposium, part of the Hrabowski Innovation Fund initiative, will bring together UMBC faculty and staff to discuss transformative learning experiences. This year's event will feature lunch, a keynote presentation, and a poster session for UMBC faculty and staff to share their teaching projects. More details on the Symposium, including the full schedule and the call for poster proposals, can be found here.

We are excited to have Dr. Bryan Dewsbury presenting the keynote, Beyond Inclusion -- Teaching for Civic Engagement and Social Participation. Dr. Dewsbury is an Associate Professor of Biology at Florida International University, where he also is an Associate Director of the STEM Transformation Institute. We hope that you will register to attend the lunch and keynote and stay for the poster session!

Register for the PT&LS Lunch & Keynote

Dear Community,

Please consider joining us for one of our upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics. 

Clinic Dates and Locations

Please note that clinics will be held at the Harbor Hall Multipurpose Room. 

Wednesday, February 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Thursday, February 2, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sign up for an appointment here.

Please bring your printed registration form, ID, health insurance card, and pharmacy benefit card, if you have one.

Volunteers Needed! If you can help, please sign up here.

Retriever Integrated Health is here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us at 410-455-2542 for more information. 

Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy.

Vic Madrid

Medical Director, Retriever Integrated Health

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you all are all enjoying a well-deserved break and share my excitement in beginning this new semester. As we prepare for the spring semester, and the countless opportunities it will present for learning, discovery, and community, I want to share with you some news about changes in the UMBC leadership team. These changes reflect our collective commitment to ensuring that UMBC continues to be an exceptional university dedicated to excellence and equity.

General Counsel 

Our longtime General Counsel, David Gleason, will retire at the end of the month. Dave has served our campus community as a constant and reassuring presence for almost 30 years. I am personally grateful for his support throughout my transition to UMBC, and for his many contributions to UMBC's success. I know Dave will stay connected to our community through the many friendships he has developed during his time at UMBC. As of February 1, Associate General Counsel Bobbie Hoye will serve as the point of contact for the Office of the General Counsel.  

Vice President of Government Relations and Community Affairs

I am delighted to report that Candace Dodson-Reed has agreed to take on the new position of Vice President of Government Relations and Community Affairs, where she will continue the work of advancing our goals in the community and deepening partnerships with the State of Maryland and government leaders on a full-time basis. While Candace has filled many roles at UMBC, including Chief of Staff to the President, we agree that UMBC's relationships with community partners and policymakers in Annapolis and Washington, D.C. have never been more important, and now require the full-time attention of an experienced leader with a wide network. I look forward to benefiting from Candace's wise counsel on all matters of public policy and legislative affairs.

Chief of Staff

Kacey Hammel will be the new Chief of Staff to the President. Kacey is new to UMBC, but she is a deeply experienced academic leader and strategist who has worked closely with me at Duke University and the University of North Carolina. Kacey will serve as a strategic partner to me and my senior leadership team. She will be responsible for leading initiatives within my office.     

Vice President of University Communications 

Telling UMBC's story to the world is one of our highest priorities and we will shortly begin a national search for the newly created role of Vice President of University Communications, who will serve as UMBC's chief spokesperson and spearhead our communications and marketing initiatives. In the meantime, beginning on February 6, I am excited to report that Angela Schaeffer will serve as our interim Vice President of University Communications, leading our communications team and the important work they have been doing. Angela has extensive experience leading communications at Trinity College (CT), Williams College, and Johns Hopkins University, and I look forward to her leadership at UMBC.

Title IX Officer 

Finally, we have engaged Jackie Moran of the consulting firm Grand River Solutions to provide interim leadership of our Title IX office during this period of transition while we conduct a nationwide search to identify UMBC's next Title IX Officer. Jackie and her firm have extensive experience advising colleges and universities on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, as well as a long track record of managing Title IX operations and initiatives across a wide range of institutions. 

I could not be more excited about these new additions to our team, nor more grateful for the service and dedication of our longtime leaders who have helped shape UMBC's success. Everyone who reads this message has contributed in some way to that success and I so look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead as we fulfill our vital educational mission.

Sincerely, 

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

Dear Community,

Please consider joining us for one of our upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics. 

Clinic Dates and Locations

Please note that clinics will be held at the Harbor Hall Multipurpose Room. 

Wednesday, February 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Thursday, February 2, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sign up for an appointment here.

Please bring your printed registration form, ID, health insurance card, and pharmacy benefit card, if you have one.

Volunteers Needed! If you can help, please sign up here.

Retriever Integrated Health is here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us at 410-455-2542 for more information. 

Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy.

Vic Madrid

Medical Director, Retriever Integrated Health