Stop by Coffee Mondays to grab a free cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and take a breather between classes.

Whether you're coming to study, chat, or just refuel, this is your weekly reminder to slow down and connect with fellow grad students.

Where? Office of Graduate Student Life (Commons 308)
When? Every Monday | 10am - 2pm

Happing Now!

Stop by OGSL (Commons 308) right now for free breakfast, in collaboration with the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery.

See you soon.

You spent all that time putting together the perfect outfit for the weather and forgot to eat breakfast 

Don’t worry, we got you.

Pull up to the Grad Retriever Breakfast in collaboration with the AOK Library at OGSL (Commons 308). Stop by and see hear about all the services we forget we have access to as grad students.

Date & Time: 4/16 at 10am
Free breakfast + good vibes

Come grab some food, see what AOK Library has to offer, connect with other grad students, and yes show off that outfit you put effort into.

Join us for our end of the year Celebration & Awards! 

Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards

Thursday, May 14, 2026

5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

University Center Ballroom 3rd Floor

This celebration commemorates the achievements of graduating UMBC students while celebrating the vast cultural diversity of Asian communities and heritage on our campus. We recognize the difficulty of choosing just one identifier or term to capture the vast diversity of all people with heritage in the Asian continent, representing 49 countries and hundreds of cultures. We seek to honor the breadth of experience of people across Asia - East, South, Southwest, West, and Central Asia. 

During the gathering, we'll enjoy food together, we'll showcase keynote speakers, student musical and dance performances, and award presentations to honor student contributions, as well as the faculty and staff who've contributed to their success.

Light refreshments and appetizers will be served starting at 5:30 pm for all guests in attendance. 

Graduates must check in no later than 5:45 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m. 

Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees embracing cultural attires.

If you would like to nominate a community member for one of our Affinity Celebration & Awards, you may nominate them here using the Awards Nomination Form or https://forms.gle/TLH8uDwccy5gBJtj8. You may submit multiple nominations for the same or different individuals. Please submit all nominations by April 20th, 2026. 

For those interested in attending, you can RSVP HERE!  Save the date on your calendars! Graduates that RSVP by Thursday, April 30th at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.

If you have any questions, please email us at themosaic@umbc.edu.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy. 

Join us for our end of the year Celebration & Awards! 

5th Annual Black & Latine/x Celebration & Awards

Monday, May 18, 2026

5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

University Center, Ballroom 3rd Floor

This celebration is in recognition of the achievements of UMBC's Black and Latina/e/o/x graduating students as well as contributing community members.Black and Latine/x students have made invaluable contributions to the wider UMBC community. This celebration is in recognition of Black and Latine/x graduating students and of all the allied staff, faculty, alumni, and programs that work to support them.

During the gathering, we'll enjoy food together, we'll showcase keynote speakers, student musical and dance performances, and award presentations to honor student contributions, as well as the faculty and staff who've contributed to their success.

Light refreshments and appetizers will be served starting at 5:30 pm for all guests in attendance. 

Graduates must check in no later than 5:45 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m. 

Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees embracing cultural attires.

If you would like to nominate a community member for one of our Affinity Celebration & Awards, you may nominate them here using the Awards Nomination Form or https://forms.gle/TLH8uDwccy5gBJtj8. You may submit multiple nominations for the same or different individuals. Please submit all nominations by April 20th, 2026. 

For those interested in attending, you can RSVP HERE!  Save the date on your calendars! Graduates that RSVP by Friday, May 1st at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.

If you have any questions, please email us at themosaic@umbc.edu.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy. 

UMBC Pride Week 2026 is bringing the vibes, and you’re invited to celebrate the stars of our community. Join the LGBTQ+ Faculty & Staff Association for an evening of recognition, networking, and (of course) appetizers at the Pride Awards Ceremony!

Whether you’re looking to mingle with queer professionals or just want to celebrate the incredible work being done on campus, this is the place to be.

📅 When: April 29, 2026 🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM 📍 Where: UMBC (Check the Pride Center for specific room details!)

📢 Call for Nominations! Know a student, faculty, or staff member making waves? We want to hear about them!

✨ Deadline to nominate: April 21

🔗 How: Scan the QR code in the image to submit your nominations today!

Let’s honor the people who make our campus a more inclusive place. See you there! 

Calling all students, faculty, and staff!
UMBC Dining is hosting upcoming focus group sessions and wants your feedback. Share your experiences and help shape future dining improvements.

Student participants will receive $25 Retriever Dollars, plus food and beverages during the session.

Please review session details and sign up for a preferred group:

• Monday, April 20: COMM 328 (The Commons)
• Tuesday, April 21: True Grit’s Conference Room

Register here: https://signup.com/go/bYtYsFE

Dear UMBC Community,

Inclusive excellence is at the heart of UMBC’s identity. We are strengthening this commitment by introducing a framework that helps form a shared definition to guide our work.

The Division of Institutional Equity team has developed a draft framework for inclusive excellence, building on ideas shared by our campus community through the series UMBC Talks in 2024 and 2025. The framework is intended to articulate our shared commitments, communicate our values, guide action, inspire collaboration, and support the development and implementation of UMBC’s next strategic plan.

This spring, we are inviting the entire campus community to participate in dialogue sessions to help continue to shape the framework. These conversations are an opportunity to share your experiences, reflect on your values, and provide feedback to strengthen this work.

UMBC Talks dialogues are 90-minute, facilitated conversations led by Ciara Christian, M.A. ’18, Ph.D. ’22, director of the Center for Social Justice Dialogue, and David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life.

The following UMBC Talks dialogue sessions are currently scheduled:

Friday, April 10, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., UC 312 - Focused on faculty and staff experiences but open to all. Participants will have opportunities to connect with others who share similar UMBC affiliations. RSVP here.

Wednesday, April 15, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., UC 312 - Open to all. Conversations will take place in mixed groups. RSVP here.

Friday, April 24, 10 a.m. – noon, UC 312 - Focused on graduate student experiences, but open to all. Participants will have opportunities to connect with others who share similar UMBC affiliations. RSVP here.

Friday, April 24, 2 – 4 p.m., UC 312 - Focused on undergraduate student experiences but open to all. Participants will have opportunities to connect with others who share similar UMBC affiliations. RSVP here.

Tuesday, April 28, 3 – 5 p.m., Virtual - Open to all. Conversations will take place in mixed groups. RSVP here.

Each session will follow the same format, so you can choose the time that works best for you. We encourage you to participate and share your perspective as we shape this important work together.

Sincerely,

Tanyka M. Barber
Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer

Graduate Student Appreciation Week is coming to a close, and this is your moment to take it all in. The late nights, the stress, the wins, the growth — it all led here.

Get a ticket to Grad Prom & Awards and come celebrate yourself and the people who made this journey what it was. Whether that’s your friends, classmates, or the ones who kept you going behind the scenes — this night is for all of you. 🎓

No pressure, no expectations — just good music, good food, and a space to actually enjoy the moment together.

🗓️ Friday, April 10
⏰ 5–8 PM
📍 UC Ballroom

You made it this far. Take the night to celebrate that

Career Paths for Graduate Students is happening TODAY on the 3rd floor of The Commons.

Even participating in one mock interview or one conversation can help you feel more prepared for what’s next.

Make sure you bring two copies of your resume to hand out to employers. Don’t have a printer? No worries! We will have printing on-site tonight. 

Whether you join us when doors open at 5 PM or after your evening class, we hope you will make it.

Employers attending include:

• Boeing Intelligence & Analytics
• Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
• Maryland Department of Health
• Social Security Administration 
• In-Depth Engineering Corporation

See you there!