A Message of Support for Graduate Students

Dear Graduate Students, 

As interim vice provost and dean of the graduate school, I want to acknowledge the anxiety, uncertainty, and perhaps confusion that many of you may be feeling in light of numerous federal executive orders and actions related to higher education. I am particularly aware of concern  throughout the sector about both short- and long-term impacts on higher education’s ability to pursue its educational and research missions. 

Today, I write to acknowledge your concerns and express my support, and also to highlight some information and resources available to you. You likely have seen numerous messages to the community related to the changes coming out of Washington, but it’s worth referencing a few that are especially relevant to our graduate student community. 

Most recently, Karl V. Steiner, our vice president for research and creative achievement, sent a campus message regarding UMBC’s response to a stop-work order received from a federal agency. That message includes helpful information, as well as links to further resources, about how the university is responding to such orders. Importantly, in this case, the university’s position is that the research in question should continue at UMBC. 

Tanyka M. Barber, UMBC’s vice president for institutional equity and chief diversity officer, communicated to campus recently as well, responding to the most recent of many efforts by the federal government to curtail diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts—the latest being a “Dear Colleague Letter” from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Vice President Barber’s message was clear that the Dear Colleague Letter does not carry the force of law and that UMBC continues to abide by existing law. The Department of Education has since shared additional guidance.

I would also point you to the message earlier in February from David Di Maria, senior international officer and associate vice provost for international education, which provided resources for international students and shared a link to a new website that the Center for Global Engagement has created to provide the latest updates on immigration policies, including those related to visa renewals. 

The pace of news is so rapid that it can be overwhelming just to stay informed. I hope you will bookmark and visit often the university’s central hub for updates and information regarding federal orders and actions. All related campus messaging, as well as a helpful collection of internal and external resources, can be found there. 

Should you have specific questions or concerns related to your work or experience as a graduate student at UMBC, please be in touch with your principal investigators and department chairs, and please continue to avail yourself of the support of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and of my office. The core team that is meeting frequently to consider the many issues and potential impacts of the activity in Washington is consulting with us and keeping us informed of its work. 

To all of our graduate students:  We are honored to have you as part of our community. You belong here; you are woven into the fabric of our research, creative activities, the pursuit of knowledge, and the academic life of this community. You and your contributions to our mission are deeply valued, and we will continue to do all in our power to support you and your work. 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Halverson
Interim Vice Provost and Dean, The Graduate School
Professor, Geography and Environmental Science