At UMBC, we seek to create an environment characterized by openness, fairness, and equal access for all students, staff, and faculty. A welcoming and inclusive environment is grounded in mutual respect, nurtured by dialogue, and evidenced by a pattern of civil interaction, and it is one of the foundations of our educational model. Creating and maintaining a community environment that respects individual needs, abilities, and potential is critically important.

To that end, UMBC is undertaking a campus climate assessment survey, led by the Division of Institutional Equity and its vice president, Tanyka Barber. We have engaged Rankin Climate, a firm with more than 22 years of experience in conducting more than 300 campus climate assessment projects.

A committee of faculty, staff, and students, co-chaired by Jasmine Lee, associate vice president for community and culture, and Orianne Smith, associate professor of English, is collaborating with Rankin Climate to develop and implement the assessment.

The findings will be shared with the campus community in the fall, once the data analysis is finalized. This information will help identify areas for growth in the development of new programs and policies, as well as enhance and replicate those that are already effective.

A project website has been developed to keep the community informed about the process and results of the assessment. You will receive an email with an invitation to participate in the survey shortly.

I encourage you to join me in supporting this important initiative.

Sincerely,