What is a Woolie?

Woolies are ambassadors for UMBC who help facilitate a smooth transition for new students at UMBC, acting as guides, mentors, and a resource during one of the most important transitions of a student's life. If you love UMBC and want to make a real difference for the incoming class, this is your opportunity.

What You'll Do

As a Woolie, you'll develop relationships with and encourage a group of new students to engage with events, serve as a resource throughout the first six weeks of the fall semester, and participate in training around topics relevant to welcoming new students to campus.

Day-to-day, that looks like:

• Playing icebreakers and creating community through small group time
• Encouraging attendance at events like Commons Takeover, Involvement Fest, Big Breakfast and Bingo, and more
• Being a guide to the culture and nuance of UMBC

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for a diverse group of students who have a desire and the ability to work with people from various backgrounds, excellent communication skills, leadership potential, and a genuine desire to serve the UMBC community.

You're eligible if you: Are a current undergraduate student who has completed at least one semester at UMBC and are in good judicial and academic standing (minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA).

The Commitment

• Three (3) one hour virtual sessions: various times over summer
• Virtual outreach to new students : early August
• In-person training: August 19–22, 2026
• In Person Program: August 23 through September 1
• Weekly virtual outreach during the first 6 weeks of the fall semester
• Two hours of event support in September or October.

What You Get

Woolies receive a $750 stipend, all work-related meals during in-person training and program core dates, early move-in to fall housing with all early move-in fees waived (for on-campus residents), and free Welcome, Retrievers! apparel.

How to Apply

Applications open March 2 and close March 27 at 11:59 PM.

What is a Woolie?

Woolies are ambassadors for UMBC who help facilitate the Welcome, Retrievers! program for new students , acting as guides, mentors, and a resource during one of the most important transitions of a student's life. If you love UMBC and want to make a real difference for the incoming class, this is your opportunity.

What You'll Do

As a Woolie, you'll develop relationships with and encourage a group of 45–80 new students to engage with Welcome, Retrievers! events, serve as a resource throughout the first six weeks of the fall semester, and participate in training around topics relevant to welcoming new students to campus.

Day-to-day, that looks like:

• Playing icebreakers and creating community through small group time
• Giving campus and classroom tours and eating meals with new students
• Encouraging attendance at events like Commons Takeover, Involvement Fest, Big Breakfast and Bingo, and more
• Being a guide to the culture and nuance of UMBC

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for a diverse group of students who have a desire and the ability to work with people from various backgrounds, excellent communication skills, leadership potential, and a genuine desire to serve the UMBC community.

You're eligible if you: Are a current undergraduate student who has completed at least one semester at UMBC and are in good judicial, behavioral, and academic standing (minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA).

The Commitment

• Three (3) one hour virtual sessions: various times over summer
• Virtual outreach to new students : early August
• In-person training: August 19–22, 2026
• In Person Program: August 23 through September 1
• Weekly virtual outreach during the first 6 weeks of the fall semester
• Two hours of event support in September or October.

What You Get

Woolies receive a $750 stipend, all work-related meals during in-person training and program core dates, early move-in to fall housing with all early move-in fees waived (for on-campus residents), and free Welcome, Retrievers! apparel.

How to Apply

Applications open March 2 and close March 27 at 11:59 PM.

Questions? Reach out to welcomeretrievers@umbc.edu

Please share with students!

America East Conference Men's Basketball Championships vs. Vermont!

Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m.

Doors open at 10 a.m.

Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena

Tickets go on sale at 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 11

Don't miss out, get your tickets before they're gone! 

Free for students with campus ID

Party on the Plaza

Students, come to the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena Plaza for a free continental breakfast at 10 a.m. First 150 students receive a free coffee from Tom's Coffee Truck, refreshments provided by Chartwells Catering.

Residential Students:

8-month residents, your ticket to the game is your ticket to stay on campus!

If you get your ticket by noon on Friday, you will be permitted to remain in housing until Saturday, March 14 at 5 p.m. 

True Grit's will be open for dinner on Friday until 8 p.m.

Name: Shakira Davidson

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Title: Executive Administrative Assistant

Years in Student Affairs/at UMBC: 2 years

What is something you do as part of your position that people may not be aware of?

Something people may not realize is how much I enjoy organizing and improving our shared space. While it's not formally in my job description, I've taken the initiative on projects within the VPSA suite, even something as small as reorganizing supply closets so materials are easier to find. I find it rewarding to create systems that make our space more functional, and I also enjoy contributing to our office culture through small touches like theme days that bring a little extra positivity to the office.

What is one of the most important things you've learned during your time here?

You know how they say it's not what you know, but who you know? That is truly what I'm learning during my time here at UMBC. It's the value of the relationships you build. There is a genuine culture of support here; everyone wants to help! Many are always willing to share resources, offer guidance, or connect you with the right person. That collaboration and encouragement I've received has made a meaningful difference, both professionally and personally.

What do you like to do for fun and/or is something you are passionate about outside of work? 

Outside of work, I love exploring new experiences and creative hobbies. Whether it's traveling, trying new restaurants, baking (and sometimes bringing treats into the office to share), or starting a diamond painting project, I enjoy finding ways to stay curious and challenge myself. I've also recently been into watching Colombian dramas on Netflix and, admittedly, can get lost in playing The Sims from time to time.

Angelina Jenkins, assistant director, The Mosaic Center, along with Priya Bhayana, project manager, UMBC Global Asias Initiative, will present at the Association for Asian American Studies Annual Conference in April. 

Jenkins and Bhayana's roundtable presentation, "Cultivating Connections: Asian American Studies & Student Affairs at AANAPISIs," will bring together perspectives from two different professional orientations at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) from across the country: 1) Faculty and program staff in Asian/Pacific American Studies and 2) Student Affairs professionals supporting AAPI students and university communities. It will explore the challenges and potential for collaborations between these two professional spheres and approaches. Viewed from the lens of both cultivating critical consciousness as well as fostering student belonging and mattering, this roundtable will explore the natural synergies and points of tension between the academic and student affairs approaches to student growth and support. 

Presenters will represent a diversity of perspectives, including a range of academic disciplines, student affairs roles, institutional size and structure, and geographies. Participating institutions are UMBC, Brooklyn College, University of Hawaii Mānoa, Northeastern University, and San Diego State University.

A conversation between Dr. David Hoffman, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life and Amanda Taylor, assistant vice president of civic and global engagement for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), was featured in the American Democracy Project February 2026 "ADP Connect" newsletter. 

In this conversation, "American Democracy Project's Theory of Change," Drs. Hoffman and Taylor discuss the ideas that shaped "Higher Education's Role in Enacting a Thriving Democracy: Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change," a 2018 document that has been a touchstone for the American Democracy Project. Dr. Hoffman wrote the Theory of Change, which highlights innovations and examples from UMBC, in collaboration with leaders from three national higher education networks. Hoffman and Taylor also discuss the next steps for practitioners working to advance civic learning and democratic engagement at their own institutions.

Dr. Hoffman shared that he is excited to see renewed enthusiasm for the Theory of Change, discussions of which will take place at the American Democracy Project Summit on March 15-16 in Chicago. "The Theory of Change addresses how people can build thriving, inclusive communities even in a time of widespread polarization. It invites all of us in higher education to approach civic engagement as a set of empowering practices useful in everyday settings like schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. I love that lessons we are learning at UMBC have inspired higher education leaders across the U.S."

In February, Matt Hoffman, director, Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism, was elected to serve as Membership Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education (ACSLHE). He was first elected to the ACSLHE Board of Directors in 2024.

"I am happy for Matt to be elected into this position," said Dr. Doug Garrard, interim assistant vice president and dean of students. "It is reflective of the standing Matt has with his colleagues, his knowledge and experience, and his passion for the work that he does, both on our campus and in the broader community."

As someone committed to holistic wellbeing, Hoffman feels called to support and inspire college students—from all traditions and backgrounds—as they navigate faith, the demands of school, discern vocation and explore questions of identity and belonging. Overseeing the Gathering Space—a space utilized by 400+ weekly visitors and 30+ religious and belief orgs—he has prioritized programs that lift up spirituality, invite spaces for education and collaboration, and highlight intersectional identities and interfaith work, centering radical love and belonging and energetic pluralism. 

"ACSLHE has been a home away from home for me during my time at UMBC. It has been a joy to connect with, learn from, and build relationships with colleagues from across the country who share a similar passion for this work," said Hoffman. "It is also critical for me that we lift up and model how to support religious and spiritual diversity at a public institution to other campuses across the country, an area that is so central to UMBC's own value of inclusive excellence." 

ACSLHE supports higher education chaplains and nurtures religious and spiritual life  professionals through scholarship, education, and collaboration. The organization's goal is to be the leading authority on religious and spiritual life in higher education. ACSLHE's diverse membership, numbering almost 450 individuals from a plethora of religious traditions, serve the needs of undergraduates, graduate and professional students, faculty, staff,  administrators, and local communities at diverse institutions. They facilitate multi-faith understanding, dialogue, and engagement within higher education and beyond to address the pressing issues facing our campuses and the broader society.  

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