Registration is open for the Multicultural Leadership Cohort Experience (MLCE), a collaborative effort between Campus Life and the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b), to be held during the Spring 2022 semester. The purpose of all MLE programs is to provide a space for students and student leaders who identify within diverse or marginalized backgrounds to discover their own capacity to lead, while also promoting a better understanding of their experiences, issues, strengths, and outcomes in navigating their own collegiate careers. The spring cohort experience is offered SOLELY for selected applicants (up to 18 undergraduate and graduate students). All locations for meeting dates and times will be announced via email to selected participants and invited through Google Calendar. 

This spring, we will be exploring the concept of Deconstructing Grit and Greatness. We will do this in a leadership learning cohort by:

• Enhancing participants' leader identity and leadership capacity using an identity-conscious lens and student development theories;

• Increasing participants’ awareness of their personal abilities, identity development, and intersections that shape their story through authenticity, self-reflection, and cultural humility;

• Exploring the role they play in developing relationships while building intra/intercultural connections;

• And capitalizing on their unique differences, specifically in relation to their racial, ethnic, national, and other salient identity social groups

The first session will cover a brief overview of the program. However, please note that all details related to session topics will be only disclosed to the cohort. Additionally, as we continue to monitor all COVID related procedures, the first session will be held virtually followed by in-person sessions. This is subject to change according to university guidelines. Meeting dates and times are as follow:

• MLCE 101, Thursday, February 17th, 3pm - 5pm (virtual)
• Boundaries & Self Love, Thursday, March 17th, 3pm - 5pm (in-person)
• Emotional Intelligence, Thursday, March 31st, 3pm - 5pm (in-person)
• Decoding Inclusive Excellence, Thursday, April 21st, 3pm - 5pm (in-person)
• Community & Celebration, Thursday, May 5th, 3pm - 5pm (in-person)

Registration link: tinyurl.com/mle2022. Deadline for applying is Monday, February 14, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.

For questions or more information, contact:

• Beatriz Gutiérrez-Malagón, Coordinator for Leadership at bgutierrez@umbc.edu
• Carlos Turcios '15, '17 M.A., Assistant Director with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging at carlos6@umbc.edu 

Spring Center Hours

• The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Friday. COVID QTY: 11

• The Pride Center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. COVID QTY: 10

• The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. COVID QTY: 26

**Spaces are only accessible when i3b professional or student staff are present.**

We’d also like to introduce you to our Google Group listservs for each space, as well as various initiatives. Please fill out the Google Form to be added to our listservs.

i3b Community:i3bCommunity-usergroup@umbc.edu

This is our general listserv for any and all UMBC undergraduate, graduate students, staff, faculty, alumni and campus community partners to stay up to date with all i3b events, programs, initiatives and news

i3b's Mosaic Listserv:i3bmosaic-usergroup@umbc.edu

i3b's Gathering Space Listserv:i3bGatheringSpace-usergroup@umbc.edu

i3b’s PrideCenter Listserv:pridecenter-usergroup@umbc.edu

This is a Google Group for the Pride Center, one of three Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3b) centers housed within the Division of Student Affairs. This group is meant to communicate information related to the Pride Center and LGBTQIA+ engagement more broadly.

These three listservs are for center-specific news and events.

i3b Retriever Immigrants United:i3bRIU-usergroup@umbc.edu

This is the official mailing list for all news, updates, resources and announcements related to the 1st and 2nd generation immigrant population that RIU centers.

i3b SistaCare:i3bSistaCare-usergroup@umbc.edu

This is the official mailing list for all news, updates, resources and announcements related to SistaCare, a self-care and community-building group open to all undergraduate and graduate Black/Africana women (e.g. trans, cis) and femmes, regardless of their gender expression.

i3b Campus Partners:i3bPartners-usergroup@umbc.edu

This Listserv will be composed of primarily staff and faculty partners, as well as select student and alumni leaders that facilitate outreach across campus on behalf of our shared work at i3b.

Space Usage and Sign-In Process

We are delighted to see our spaces being used by students to study, connect, pray, meditate, and build community. In order to keep up with who is using our spaces, we are moving from paper sign-in sheets to UMBC ID card readers. Just like other events and programs on campus, UMBC ID cards will be scanned at entry for The Mosaic and Pride Centers, and The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. Collecting student and visitor data will support our assessment practices, and help us make funding decisions regarding supplies, prayer space and other needs. All data collected will be maintained confidentially within the UMBC Rex system. If a student or guest does not have a UMBC ID card, paper sign-in sheets will be available.

UMBC COVID Protocols and i3b Spaces

We will have surgical masks available in all three i3b spaces and expect that all students, staff, and visitors wear their masks for the entirety of their visit unless they are actively eating or drinking. In order to keep all students and staff comfortable and as safe as possible, please remember that proper mask-wearing is required at all times. Those not in compliance will be asked to leave.

You can find more information about the university mask mandate atcovid19.umbc.edu/masks/  

Off-Campus Student Services is proud to announce discounted bus passes for currently enrolled students at UMBC for the Spring 2022 semester. In order to access your pass, please follow these steps:

• Download the CharmPass app from the App Store or Google Play

• Sign up for CharmPass using your UMBC email address

• Select the “Baltimore Link” service

• You will see your $55 pass at checkout

Photos with each of the aforementioned steps are included. Happy Travels!

Earlier today, UMBC Police received a report of a fire alarm in the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. UMBC Police and the Baltimore County Fire Department responded immediately and determined that there was not a fire. Unfortunately, there was a significant plumbing issue that has resulted in a temporary closure of the building. The Admissions and Financial Aid offices remain open.  

The library will be closed tomorrow, February 1, 2022. The Retriever Learning Center will be open tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

We are working to reopen the building as quickly as possible. Please check the library website for updates on when the building will reopen.

We appreciate your patience as we respond to this incident.

Dear Community Members, 

We wanted to share that the Pride Center will unfortunately be closed for the rest of today and we are disappointed to share this news on the first day of spring classes. There has been a ceiling issue in the space that caused the ceiling to cave in. In the interest of the safety of our community, we are working to resolve the issue and get back up and running to be in community again. We hope to be open again tomorrow and for the rest of the week, we will be open from 9am-5pm. In the meantime, it might be unsightly in the space so we pardon our appearance and welcome any further thoughts or questions you have as we work to get it fully repaired. Thank you to our wonderful ABN staff member, Sonia who helped to make sure the space is looking clean and neat again!  

In the meantime, we have other awesome spaces across campus to check out today and beyond: 

• Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being, The Center for Well-Being

• Monday, 8am-10pm 

• Women’s Center, The Commons

• Monday, 10am-5pm 

Thank you for your understanding and patience with us! 

-Lucy Delgado, Assistant Director with i3b (she/her/hers/ella)