Call for Proposals: Janet C. Rutledge Graduate Student Well-Being Award

Grants Review Panel (GRP) Committee

Mission: Review and evaluate GSA grant applications for research and travel support.

We are recruiting 1 member with strong attention to detail and accountability. You need to have at least one semester completed to be a part of this committee.

Responsibilities:

• Review and track applications using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets

• Maintain accurate records

• Attend all committee meetings

• Communicate promptly and meet deadlines

• Open to all graduate students.

Skills Needed: Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, formulas, formatting)
Time Commitment: 3–4 hours/week
Ideal for analytical and detail-oriented individuals with strong communication skills.

Fill the following form by January 14, 2026

GRP COMMITTEE FORM

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Senators

The Graduate School invites UMBC faculty and staff to apply for the inaugural Janet C. Rutledge Graduate Student Well-Being Award, which supports innovative, research-informed projects that promote sustainable graduate student well-being.

One proposal will be selected annually to receive up to $3,500 for programming costs and/or a stipend. Projects may address one or more areas of graduate student well-being, including sense of purpose, financial security, belonging, faculty mentoring, or student-centered academic structures. Priority will be given to projects with impact beyond the award period.

Deadline to apply: February 20
Award announced: Spring 2026 at the GSA Awards Ceremony

Eligibility, proposal guidelines, and submission details are available through the Graduate School website: https://gradschool.umbc.edu/janet-c-rutledge-graduate-student-well-being-award/.

For questions, contact Dr. Robin Cresiski, rcresisk@umbc.edu. 

Hello! 

We are looking for a cohort of students to participate in UMBC's Intercultural Engagement Prep course. This course is designed to grow students' intercultural competency and skills.  The course also serves as the orientation for students interested in UMBC's Peace Corps Prep Program.   

This program is open to:

• International students

• Future or returned study abroad students

• Students interested in applying to the Peace Corps or similar international service programs after graduation

• Students who have an interest in preparing for other international or intercultural experiences or development careers

• Students who want to prepare themselves as global citizens in a multicultural world 

As a participant in the Intercultural Engagement Prep pilot program, students will:

• Meet other globally-minded students at UMBC;

• Develop your critical analytical skills;

• Increase your cultural self-awareness and critically reflect on your own unconscious bias;

• Develop strategies to improve your intercultural communication and how you'll apply it in your future career;

• Recognize cultural differences, commonalities, perceptions, power and privilege dynamics, and how they can lead to conflict; and

• Understand the importance of intercultural dialogue and intercultural citizenship competencies for fostering social justice.

This non-credit/no-fee course, PRAC 103 (course # 6928), will meet twice in the Spring 2026 semester at a mutually agreeable time, but the majority of the course is accessed through asynchronous learning. Students will be required to attend two globally themed events or activities and will also have independent assignments to complete in Blackboard. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will earn two digital badges titled Increasing Cultural Self-Awareness and Reinforcing Intercultural Dialogue. 

Both undergraduate and graduate students may register for the course under PRAC 103 and course number 6391.

• Egg & Cheese Biscuits 
• Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuits 
• Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuits 
• Breakfast Potatoes

Please stop by -- first come, first serve! 

Take a break from finals mode and join OGSL TODAY for our last Grad Retriever Breakfast of the semester! You've worked so hard these past few months—papers, projects, late-night study sessions, all of it—and you deserve a warm, comforting start to your morning.

We'll have a cozy spread of breakfast sandwiches, seasoned potatoes, and assorted fruit juices (see flyer for full menu!) to give you the fuel you need to power through finals week.

• When? Wednesday, December 10 | 10am - 12pm
• Where? Commons Sports Zone

Come cozy up with us, grab some breakfast, breathe for a minute, and celebrate everything you've accomplished this fall. 

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