Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are having a good start to your semester! I want to share some exciting updates from the Division of Student Affairs as we continue our commitment to ensuring the success and well-being of UMBC’s diverse student body. During my first year as vice president, I have had the privilege of engaging in meaningful conversations with undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff about the needs of students. These conversations have touched on critical areas, including whether students feel a sense of belonging at UMBC and what gaps they see in resources and opportunities.
I am grateful for the honesty and insights shared with me, which have informed our team’s planning as we explore new ways to enhance our work. We are guided by our mission and vision, with a deep commitment to creating an environment where all students can achieve their full potential. As we look forward, I want to share a few updates related to changes in our organizational structure, student support, and enhancements to the student experience.
(1) Creating a new organizational structure to better serve students
In addition to requesting campus feedback and based on best practices, we conducted organizational and space audits for our division. These audits helped us identify gaps, and as a result we created new departments, areas, and resources to redefine and expand services. We added new executive and senior leaders to guide this work including the recent hire of Rae Chresfield, as the assistant vice president for health and well-being, and James Devita, as the assistant vice president for academic partnerships and high-impact experiences. I am also excited to share that Jen Dress is now the acting assistant vice president for student engagement and belonging, overseeing an expansion of Campus Life described below, and Fritzie Charné-Merriwether’s role has shifted to associate vice president for student affairs administration and chief of staff.
(2) Enhancing student support
The new Dean of Students office, led by John Fox ’91, the inaugural dean of students, is fostering an ecosystem of support through Retriever Support Services. This includes Retriever Essentials, other basic needs, and off-campus housing resources and Retriever Care, formerly known as BRACT, a resource for students’ emotional support and for faculty and staff concerned about a student’s well-being. The Dean of Students office collaborates with campus partners, including the Graduate School and Academic Success Center, to connect students with key resources. Student Conduct and Community Standards (now including residential student conduct and community well-being) and Residential Life report to the Dean of Students.
(3) Enhancing the student experience
I am excited to share that the work of Campus Life is expanding to include more internal alignment in our efforts to engage students and create a sense of belonging. You will see two new staff leading these efforts, Jennifer Artis and Candace Doane. This department will now include the Mosaic, the Gathering Space, the Pride Center, commuter student programs, and a new graduate student life office that will provide support for the engagement of graduate students and will be the home of the Graduate Student Association. In addition, Amery Thompson will lead a new unit, Student Affairs Success Initiatives, which will report to the assistant vice president for academic partnerships and high impact experiences, along with the Career Center and the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. Lastly, we have several exciting space-related changes this fall including the addition of the veteran and military-affiliated student lounge on the second floor of the University Center and the relocation and renovation of the Pride Center, now on the first floor of the University Center.
It has been wonderful to meet many of you over the past year, and I am delighted to be part of the UMBC community. Our campus partnerships are critical as we continue to seek new and innovative ways of helping students reach their full potential. Please contact me if you have questions or would like to share ideas for ways we can work together.
Thank you for all you do for students!
Sincerely,
Renique T. Kersh
Vice President for Student Affairs