Dr. Mary Ellen Wade, director of assessment and planning, co-authored “Exploring Students’ Perceptions of the Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations: Insights from a Campus-Wide Survey at a Minority-Serving University” in Journalism and Media. Additional co-authors are Dr. Irina Golubeva, interim chair and professor, Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication (MLLI); Dr. David DiMaria, vice provost for global engagement, Center for Global Engagement (CGE); Adam Holden, director of international partnerships and recruitment, CGE; and Katherine Kohler, adjunct faculty, MLLI.
The article abstract states:
Campus climate research has long been a focus of higher education scholarship; however, studies show that inequalities and a pervasive sense of not belonging continue to negatively affect students. This paper presents the results of a campus-wide survey conducted at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), with a sample of 820 undergraduate, master’s, Ph.D., and non-degree students. The authors explore students’ experiences on campus in relation to their identities as well as students’ perceptions of campus climate. Specifically, the paper examines students’ intergroup relations and how these influence their sense of belonging. The survey instrument developed in the frame of this project also included questions designed to assess opportunities students have to develop key values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding related to intercultural and democratic competences necessary for life and work in multicultural societies. This study identifies the areas students perceive as important for development, highlighting which values, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and critical understanding they have had the opportunity to cultivate during their time at the university and those they would like to develop further. The authors hope these findings will inform efforts to strengthen institutional support for more inclusive practices on culturally diverse university campuses and provide evidence-based guidance for designing effective pedagogical interventions.
“It was a pleasure to assist with the data analysis for this article. I appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with others across UMBC in this important work,” said Dr. Wade. “Study insights informed the creation of targeted, transformative learning experiences tailored to students’ needs. As a result, the approach enhanced students’ perceptions of campus inclusivity and improved their overall sense of belonging.”
Program proposals by Dr. Rae Chresfield, assistant vice president for health and wellbeing, have been accepted to the 2025 European Conference for Student Affairs and Services, and to the 2025 Advancing School Mental Health Conference.
In November, Dr. Chresfield will attend NASPA’s European Conference for Student Affairs and Services in Porto, Portugal. The conference provides a platform for student services professionals, academics, researchers, and policymakers to discuss innovative programs, practices, models and trends in student affairs.
Dr. Chresfield will present “Anchored and Adaptive: Embedding Wellbeing, Resilience, and Meaning in the Practice of Student Affairs”: Student Affairs professionals face unprecedented challenges while supporting students through global uncertainty. This innovative session integrates well-being, resilience, and meaning-making as interconnected professional competencies. Participants will engage with practical frameworks: “Four Pillars of Wellbeing,” “Three R' of Resilience,” and meaning cultivation strategies, and develop 30-day implementation plans with peer accountability partnerships.
In December, Dr. Chresfield will attend the Advancing School Mental Health Conference in Orlando, Florida. This premier interdisciplinary conference focuses on school mental health and brings together local, state, national, and international experts to advance knowledge and skills related to school mental health practice, research, training, and policy. It unites educators, counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, physicians, mental health leaders, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, family members, advocates, and other partners in the school mental health field to share the latest research and best practices. The conference emphasizes a shared school-family-community agenda to promote mental health, prevent issues, and provide interventions for students and families as part of a multi-tiered system of support.
Dr. Chresfield will present “Empowering Non-Clinical Staff to Support Student Mental Health”: The rising student mental health crisis necessitates expanding support beyond traditional clinical services. This study examines training non-clinical staff—teachers, administrators, residence advisors, and support personnel—to serve as mental health first responders. Through targeted training in mental health literacy, warning sign identification, and referral protocols, non-clinical staff can effectively bridge gaps between distressed students and professional services.
Jen Ewing Fox, assistant director, leadership and governance, presented “Building towards balance... it's not all bubble baths and ice cream” at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) in May 2025.
Ewing Fox’s interactive presentation focused on how student leaders can focus on self care and avoid burnout:
As leaders, the pressure to excel academically, lead effectively, and maintain personal well-being can feel overwhelming. This session explores practical strategies for achieving balance in leadership roles without burnout. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, participants will learn how to set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and cultivate a leadership style that is both ambitious and sustainable. Join us to discover how balance isn’t about doing it all—it’s about doing what matters most with intention and impact.
NCCWSL unites college womxn and gender non-conforming students from across the nation for a transformative experience in leadership development, networking, and inspiration. Tailored for college students who identify as womxn or outside the gender binary, NCCWSL provides a welcoming and empowering space to build leadership skills, connect with peers, and find inspiration to drive change.
Dr. David Hoffman, Ph.D. ‘13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life; Dr. Romy Hübler ‘09, M.A. ‘11, Ph.D. ‘15; and Markya Reed '18, M.A.'23, presented at the 2025 American Democracy Project (ADP) Summit, hosted by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Also participating in the ADP Summit were Tess McRae ‘22, the Center’s assistant director for connective learning and UMBC’s ADP campus liaison, and Eli Gendleman, SGA president. UMBC has been a leader in the American Democracy Project for more than 15 years, and Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Hübler serve on the ADP Steering Committee.
Dr. Hoffman, Dr. Hübler, and fellow ADP Steering Committee members co-led the workshop, “Everyday Democracy and Civic Agency in Action”:
In a time of increasing division and complexity, preparing students to create change in their everyday lives is essential to building a thriving democratic society. This interactive session led by members of the ADP Steering Committee invites participants to share and explore how campuses are equipping students with the tools to navigate and transform the world around them. Grounded in the CLDE Theory of Change, the workshop focuses on two key strands: everyday democracy, which emphasizes supporting students in building inclusive communities and navigating power dynamics in everyday spaces such as classrooms, workplaces, friend groups, organizations, and neighborhoods; and civic agency, which highlights the development of students’ confidence and capacity to work across differences to take action, both in large-scale initiatives and everyday interactions. Participants will engage in dialogue and reflect on strategies to deepen civic learning and engagement in a variety of settings.
Participants in the session had the opportunity to sign up to be part of an initiative to refresh and amplify the The Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change. Dr. Hoffman is the principal author for the theory, which has been a guiding document for ADP since 2018, and Dr. Hübler has been a partner in efforts to amplify and enact it.
Dr. Hübler is director of Towson University's Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility. She was previously associate director of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life. Dr. Hübler is also a civic fellow with ADP, a research fellow with Campus Compact, a member of Imagining America’s national advisory board, and a project leader of the Imagining America B-More with Imagination Collaboratory. She serves as Towson University’s institutional representative for ADP, Campus Compact, Imagining America, Place-Based Justice Network, and Transform Mid-Atlantic. ADP awarded her its first Spirit of Democracy Award in 2022.
Reed co-led the session, “Fund & Follow the Students: Using Student-Led Design Thinking to Craft a Strategic Vision of the Future of Student Civic Leadership.” Reed, who was a Center for Democracy and Civic Life student staff member as an undergraduate and graduate student, is now assistant director of operations for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Social Change and is working toward her Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership at Morgan State University.
Antwan Clinton, assistant vice president for administration and auxiliary services in the Division of Student Affairs, has earned the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) designation from The National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) and joins an elite group of professionals from across the country.
CASP is a four-year certification for auxiliary services professionals. It is the only certification that demonstrates recipients have met a high standard of excellence, as defined by experts in the industry, and that they have the skills and needed competencies for college and university executives who oversee multiple auxiliary services. Founded in 2009, CASP affirms the recipient's expertise in management, leadership, marketing, student development, and operations.
NACAS is a nonprofit higher education association serving auxiliary services, student support services, and ancillary services professionals at 4-year and 2-year colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and around the world. It is the largest auxiliary services support organization serving higher education. NACAS provides extensive opportunities for members to share ideas, develop business solutions, enhance programs and revenues, and develop meaningful professional relationships.
The NACAS Education Foundation is a non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) corporation formed to support and promote the auxiliary services profession through NACAS. Through the support of members and business partners, the NACAS Education Foundation funds professional development programs, research, scholarships, and the CASP certification. Funding for the CASP program is provided by the NACAS Education Foundation through the generous support of many individuals, the NACAS regions, and Barnes & Noble College.