Dear UMBC Community,

I happily accepted the invitation of a faculty member to sit in on his class recently. I expected to enjoy it—I love the classroom, because I love teaching, and I love being in the presence of students learning.

I did not expect to be struck so powerfully by what I witnessed there, which was the very embodiment of what UMBC espouses: that we believe every student can succeed, and that it is on us to create the conditions and opportunities for them to do so.

In his interactions with students and in the way he responded to their questions (and their answers), it was clear that this professor had created a culture in his classroom in which students felt supported and comfortable engaging actively in the learning process. They showed no signs of fear in asking questions or not knowing the right answer, and they possessed a confidence in their role as scholars. There was an openness to this environment, in which everyone seemed to know that the learning was more important than getting it right.

Thinking about how many times a day across our campus that beautiful learning environment is replicated, I am uplifted, inspired, and deeply grateful to our faculty.

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

Dear UMBC Community,

With this week's Happy Monday message, I want to share a glimpse into a recurring event on my calendar. While it happens often, it never feels routine; in fact, it is always inspiring.

Last week, I held student office hours at UMBC-Shady Grove, where we offer several undergraduate and graduate programs at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville. As is the case when I hold office hours on our main campus, connecting with students in back-to-back meetings over the course of an afternoon reminds me of the very best of UMBC.

This time, I happened to meet with four students who had transferred from Montgomery College and were studying social work, psychology, or both. They shared, too, a passion for service and an appreciation for the access to UMBC they have through Shady Grove. Their ages and backgrounds varied widely, as did their aspirations and their reasons for wanting to meet with me—some for the first time, and one who has seen me in student office hours every semester since she began at Shady Grove. I cannot begin to describe the joy I feel to see and learn from them and to engage so directly with the mission that drives us every day.

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby