Dear UMBC Community,

As we talk with many of you, we hear that this semester has felt like a long and challenging one, and we know that ongoing world events are having a very real impact on many in our community. We want to remind you to please take good care of yourself as you finish the semester.

We also want you to know that UMBC leaders have heard your calls for a more equitable and inclusive visual representation of our diverse individual and intersectional identities on campus. In recent weeks, the flags in The Commons have been a source for conversation and concern related to representation. We recognize that the flags do not represent the community's multidimensionality and, at the same time, we acknowledge that they are only one part of a larger issue of representation. UMBC has long been a place where all voices have been foundational for important institutional change, and we know that real change starts with asking the community to define how they want to be represented rather than having it defined for them. 

To that end, at the start of the spring semester, we will be launching an "I am UMBC" initiative together. Be on the lookout for a survey and an invitation to community conversations designed to gather perspectives about current representation on campus and opportunities to ensure a more inclusive representation of the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff. Our hope is that by mid-semester, we will be able to share what we have heard, along with short- and long-term plans for ensuring that we are effectively representing our vibrant, engaged, and diverse community. 

We are so proud to be part of UMBC, and we look forward to hearing your honest reflections in the coming semester. Thank you in advance for your participation and have a restful winter break.