Dear UMBC Community,

 

As we look ahead to the remainder of the semester, we know that the usual busyness of this season and the last few weeks of classes and final exams may feel especially challenging in the context of world events, most especially the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Many among our UMBC community continue to feel direct and indirect impacts of the conflict, as well as of the resulting rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia toward Israelis and Palestinians that we are seeing throughout society. 

 

Here on our campus, the month of December brings not only end-of-semester deadlines and exams, but also celebrations and special occasions, including many student-organized religious observations. 

 

All of this is on our minds. We are thinking carefully about how to continue to best support and attend to the well-being of all members of our community--students, faculty, and staff--and foster a healthy campus climate that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive. We have reached out with support and care for individuals who are being directly affected by events abroad and here at home. We are attending to safety and security needs and responding to any reports of harassment, discrimination, or threats. We also have met and are continuing to meet with relevant student organizations, as well as with members of UMBC's Religious Council, to hear and understand their perspectives and work toward the ongoing co-creation of the inclusive community we strive to be. 

 

Some additional updates: 

 

Heading into the final weeks of the semester, remember that it is our collective responsibility to help ensure that every member of our community feels safe, welcomed, and valued. Please continue to report any incidents of harassment or bias through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights' online reporting form, or by emailing ecr@umbc.edu or calling 410-455-1717. We must show respect for differing viewpoints, beliefs, practices, and needs, and we ask you to continue to extend kindness, compassion, and flexibility to one another, knowing that individuals may be struggling. Grant yourself some grace, as well. These are challenging days. 

 

Finally, we share with you the attached message from University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman, which he sent to system colleagues just before Thanksgiving. In it, he reminds us of the promise of higher education to help us bridge what divides us, and he expresses his hope that in time we will go beyond words denouncing hate to achieve "a shared commitment to using our work for light and peace." We join Chancellor Perman in this hope, and we believe in the power of this extraordinary community to realize it. 

 

Sincerely,

 

UMBC Parking Services is committed to providing equitable parking infrastructure for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors through the use of innovative, sustainable, and customer-driven measures that support the university's mission. From carpools to ZipCars, we are working to meet the needs of the university's diverse population. 

We have partnered with consulting firm Mead & Hunt to assess the university's parking operations and to develop and propose a strategic 10-year plan. One of the most important facets in this assessment is the feedback from the campus community. We ask that you take three to five minutes to complete the survey and let us know your opinions. If there is an area that you think needs improvement or is underserved, please tell us. The information we gain will help us shape the parking experience on campus in the years to come. Please respond by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2023. 

Questions? Please feel free to contact Parking Services at 410-455-2551 or email us at parking@umbc.edu. 

Dear UMBC Community, 

Following an internal search, Ana Oskoz, professor of Spanish, has accepted an appointment as vice provost for Faculty Affairs. She will assume the role on Monday, November 27.

 

Oskoz is currently an associate dean in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Prior to serving as associate dean, she led the Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication as chair.

 

Oskoz joined the faculty of the UMBC in 2003. She was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2009 and achieved promotion to the rank of professor in 2019. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in foreign language and ESL (English as a Second Language) education in 2003. Prior to her Ph.D., Oskoz earned a Master of Arts in foreign language education at the University of Iowa, a Master of Arts in teaching of Spanish as a second language from the University of the Basque Country in Spain, and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish language and literature from the University of Deusto, also in Spain.

 

Please join me in congratulating Ana Oskoz on her new leadership role at UMBC.

Need to recycle your electronic items? Bring your electronic items (no refrigerators or portable air conditioners) to the Administration Drive traffic circle (behind the RAC) on Thursday, November 9, 2023. Personal items will be accepted from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Property custodians should bring university items during their department's scheduled time. In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for Monday, November 13, 2023.

Hosted by the Inventory Control section in Financial Services.

Dear UMBC Community,

I am thrilled to announce that effective immediately, one of the elevators in the Administration Building has passed inspection and is now operational. We are pleased to invite all employees who work in the building to return to their respective workspaces. All customer-facing activities within the Administration Building will resume on Monday, Nov. 6. Until then, services will continue to be offered in their temporary locations. Please refer to department websites for specific information regarding operating hours. 

Our facilities management team has been working tirelessly to resolve the elevator issues and allow access to all levels of the building. We understand the inconvenience and frustration the partial closing has caused, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this challenging period.

We are eagerly anticipating your return to the building and are looking forward to once again seeing our vibrant community make use of the Administration Building.  

Dear UMBC Community,

As the crisis in Israel and Gaza deepens, reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise, including on college campuses in the U.S. These incidents are deeply troubling, and we know that they add to the anxiety and concern that our own community members are feeling. 

College campuses have long been epicenters of activism, including protest against military action and government policy here and abroad. In recent years, campuses also have become targets in American culture wars, in part because of the very values we espouse as institutions of higher learning. Among those core values are the free exchange of ideas and information and a respect for diverse perspectives. These, along with academic freedom, are key to our mission to advance knowledge and understanding. 

We write to you today to reaffirm our commitment to these values and to provide practical guidance on what it means to live these values, especially in times of conflict. We know that recent events on campus and posts on social media have raised concerns. Individuals have reported feeling unsafe in response to language they have seen or heard, and some have expressed fear of speaking out for fear of reprisals of various kinds, including doxxing. We want to be clear: We are hearing these concerns from students, faculty, and staff who represent all sides of the issues. We hear calls simultaneously to curtail speech and calls to protect it. 

Ensuring freedom of expression, especially at a public institution, means protecting speech with which we may disagree or even find offensive or objectionable. The right to free speech comes with responsibility, as our collective belonging in this extraordinary UMBC community comes with the responsibility to respect and care for one another, even when--perhaps especially when--we disagree. Free speech does not extend to harassment or true threats. Learn more about speech that is protected under the First Amendment, as well as types of speech that are unprotected.  

We urge all recognized campus groups and members of our community to provide constructive outlets for dissenting views when addressing controversial or divisive issues. We encourage you to avail yourselves of information and resources for knowing how to express your voice effectively and in ways that are consistent with legal guidelines, university policies and practices, and our institutional values. Guidance on how to have challenging discourse productively, how to organize peaceful protest, how to distribute information on campus, and more can be found on the Using Your Voice page provided by the Center for Democracy and Civil Life. More resources are listed below for your reference. 

We ask that you continue to show kindness, grace, and flexibility to one another, knowing that students, faculty, and staff may be struggling. Let us work together, every day, to support UMBC as a community that embraces vibrant dialogue and mutual respect.

Sincerely,

Resources for Care and Support

• Employee Assistance Program
• Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b)
• Office of Equity and Civil Rights
• Retriever Integrated Health

Dear UMBC Community, 

Due to inclement weather changing the previous dates, construction at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery will now be on Saturday, October 28. The library is undergoing construction to fix leaks and install a new roof. On Saturday, October 28, construction will take place inside the library's atrium to work on the ceiling and the roof above the atrium and the Retriever Learning Center (RLC). The building will be closed for use on Saturday, October 28. The card swipe to the atrium and RLC will be deactivated at 5 a.m. on October 28, and will be reactivated at 6:30 p.m. The rest of the library and gallery building will remain closed until regular hours (noon to midnight) resume on Sunday, October 29.

We understand this may cause some inconvenience, but the closure is necessary to ensure everyone's safety and to complete the construction work in a timely manner. Signage on the RLC and library and gallery doors will serve as reminders for the upcoming work. 

Dear UMBC Community,

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24 is our last on-campus vaccination clinic. The clinic runs from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the University Center, Room 312.

Don't have an appointment yet? There will be a limited number of vaccines available for walk ins. Come get this season's flu shot and the new COVID-19 vaccine.

Contact Retriever Integrated Health at 410-455-2542 or rih@umbc.edu with any questions. 

Protect yourself, your family, and your community from current and upcoming infectious diseases! This event is open to students, faculty, staff, and their families.

Dear UMBC Community,

 

As our campus continues to welcome increasing numbers of religiously and spiritually diverse students, faculty, and staff and fully embrace the diversity that is already present, we are constantly seeking ways to adapt and better support individuals with these identities to ensure that every member of our campus community feels a sense of belonging and connection.

As part of the university's ongoing commitment to inclusive excellence, the Inclusion Council created a Religious and Spiritual Belonging working group in spring 2023. This group, made up of a diverse set of students, staff, faculty, and community members, is tasked with creating recommendations regarding the needs of students with closely-held religious and spiritual identities. These recommendations will include clear steps that can be taken to address those needs. This work will focus on issues related to dining, housing, campus support and resources, and space allocations for religious and spiritual practice.

 

The next phase of this important work is seeking feedback from students, staff, faculty, and community members about their experiences and needs for religious and spiritual belonging at UMBC. To that end, several listening sessions will be held within the coming weeks. All sessions are open to all community members. The schedule for the sessions is as follows:

Two virtual sessions will held as follows: 

In addition to attending a listening session, community members are also welcome to submit feedback online by filling out this Google Form or by emailing the working group chair directly at matt.hoffman@umbc.edu.

 

We hope that you consider this opportunity to attend and provide feedback as we seek to improve belonging for community members with closely-held religious and spiritual identities.

Thank you,

 

Dear UMBC Community,

 

We cannot know how long the war between Israel and Hamas will last, but we know that with each passing day, our own community feels deeply the pain and anguish of what is happening and sympathy and compassion for the people of that region and all that they have lost and will yet lose. And we know that many within our community are increasingly concerned about antisemitism and anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hatred everywhere, including here at home. That concern, most especially the need to ensure the safety of our community, is why I write to you now.

 

So, with a heavy heart but deep faith in this community's caring, I want to extend my support to you all, share information about resources and spaces for reflection, and urge us all to show kindness, grace, and flexibility to one another, knowing that students, faculty, and staff may be struggling.

 

UMBC community members are already doing this in so many ways, providing support and space for caring for one another. The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being has offered hours for prayer, silence, and reflection. I attended and was so grateful for yesterday's gathering, and I encourage students, faculty, and staff to attend to help support one another. Another such opportunity will be offered tomorrow from noon to 5 p.m. in The Commons Fireside Lounge.

 

If you are struggling or know someone who is, please also avail yourselves of the support resources at UMBC, including Retriever Integrated Health's mental health services and resources for helping others, as well as our Employee Assistance Program. 

 

As we see increasing activism around the world and locally, I urge care and caution here, too. We value freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. We do not tolerate hate or harassment. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every member of our community feels safe, welcome, and valued. To that end, please report any incidents of hate or bias. You may do so through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights' online reporting form, or by emailing ecr@umbc.edu or calling 410-455-1717. If you have an immediate concern about safety on campus, please contact the UMBC Police Department at 410-455-5555; the department's safety escort service is another available resource. 

 

Our UMBC community is a treasure, and our educational mission matters for the world. Even amid such troubling times, my belief in you and our shared mission is stronger than ever. 

 

Sincerely,