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University of Maryland, Baltimore County Hosted National “Restorative Communities of Practice” Convening

Baltimore, MD – November 19, 2024 – The Division of Institutional Equity, and partners in Restorative Practices and Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) at The University of Maryland, Baltimore County was proud to announce its participation as one of 21 host institutions for the Restorative Communities of Practice (RCoP) convening, a new national hybrid event organized by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) for senior diversity leaders in higher education to reflect on and develop plans for responding strategically to the challenges to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

This event took place on Friday, November 15, 2024, across 21 host institutions. It brought together more than 200 senior-level diversity officers and academic diversity officers to advance dialogue regarding the current and future state of higher education to prepare all students to be successful while fostering a community of practice among leaders. Leaders from the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers were also invited to participate.

Leadership perspectives and ideas gathered during this convening contributed to the ongoing conversation about how higher education can better serve all individuals and communities. They also informed NADOHE’s work and the efforts of its membership, as well as business, community, and nonprofit leaders seeking to advance more inclusive environments.

“As the leading voice for current and aspiring leaders, NADOHE has been at the forefront of efforts that advanced opportunities for students rather than limited them,” said Clyde Wilson Pickett, chair of NADOHE’s Board of Directors. “The RCoP convening allowed participants to share experiences and develop strategies for advancing access, success, and excellence in higher education.”

“As NADOHE members and higher education institutions navigated changing laws and obstacles to success, it was absolutely critical that we understood what they were experiencing and how they were adjusting,” said NADOHE President and CEO Paulette Granberry Russell. “Data gathered will inform the development of a longer-term strategy for better representing the role higher education plays in assuring that all students are able to succeed in their campus communities and beyond.”

For more information, contact Dr. Jasmine A. Lee, Associate Vice President, Community & Culture, email: jaslee@umbc.edu.

The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) is the preeminent voice for chief diversity officers. As the leader of the national conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it investigates, influences, and innovates to transform higher education so that inclusive excellence lives at its core.

Division of Institutional Equity 

The new Division of Institutional Equity (DOIE) is the campus leader and partner in strategic campus-wide equity, inclusion, and belonging. DOIE seeks to redefine inclusive excellence in higher education by helping to foster an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. 

The DOIE encompasses multiple units that contribute to an equitable and inclusive campus climate for students, staff, and faculty and manages relevant campus-wide policies related to nondiscrimination, accessibility, religious accommodations, and more. The Division is grounded in commitments to love, humanity, restoration, equitable opportunity, and liberation, all of which guide the work we seek to do on campus.

Units within DOIE (the DOIE organizational chart) 

Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Tanyka M. Barber

Accessibility and Disability Services, led by Assistant Vice President, Tawny McManus

• The Office of Accessibility and Disability Services (ADS) has primary responsibility for ensuring UMBC’s compliance with the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in protecting the rights, access, and inclusion of individuals with disabilities. ADS manages and coordinates the disability accommodation processes and access needs for UMBC faculty, staff, and students and serves as a resource to campus visitors. ADS, which includes the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS), works with campus partners to advocate for and support accessible campus spaces and learning opportunities, engages in training and consultation, and serves in collaboration on campus accessibility initiatives. 

Equity and Civil Rights, led by Assistant Vice President/Title IX Coordinator, Marcus Foster

• The Office of Equity and Civil Rights (ECR) has primary responsibility for managing UMBC’s compliance, training, prevention, and response efforts related to Title IX as well as other civil rights issues, including discrimination, harassment, hate, and bias on the basis of a protected class. 

Community and Culture, led by Associate Vice President, Dr. Jasmine A. Lee

• The Community and Culture unit is responsible for ensuring the university upholds its core value of inclusive excellence by furthering inclusion and belonging initiatives for students, faculty, and staff. The Community and Culture staff provide training, workshops, cohort experiences, consulting, and other resources related to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and overall inclusive excellence. The Community and Culture unit includes the new Center for Social Justice Dialogue and the Women, Gender, and Equity Center (formally known as the Women’s Center), both of which support campus-wide equity and belonging initiatives through dialogue, campus groups, and targeted programming.