This 4 week course (May 28 to June 21, 2019) represents a collaboration between the American Folklife Center and the Library of Congress and UMBC's Department of American Studies.

Structured as an ethnographic field school, students will learn the basics of conducting cultural research and documentation out in the research field, focusing on the stories and experiences of Nepali community members who have made Baltimore home.

For more information, download the flyer or contact Nicole King, Chair of the Department of American Studies at nking@umbc.edu.

Update for all Graduate Assistants: 

GAAC has completed an analysis of a proposed bill that would impact GAs at UMBC and other institutions of the University System of Maryland. It is HB 270, the Graduate Assistant Collective Bargaining Fairness Act. 

The executive summary of the document is copied below, and the complete document is attached.

The purpose of the document is to describe the position of the GAAC at UMBC on HB 270, the Graduate Assistant Collective Bargaining Fairness Act, and to provide the reasoning for our position. GAAC arrived at its position on the matter by taking four points into account:

1) Unclear benefits from the contracts that would be negotiated under collective bargaining, an issue which GAAC will investigate further,

2) Additional GA expenses that may arise from passage of the bill,

3) The impact of unionization on existing relationships, and;

4) Political considerations of the proposed bill.

From the Liberal Arts to the Natural Sciences, past and present UMBC graduate students are renowned for their research contributions to their respective fields. The 2019 GEARS is a campus-wide event which provides a platform for graduate and Ph.D. students across all disciplines to come together to share their research, network professionally, and engage in intellectual discussions.

The Graduate Experience, Achievements, & Research Symposium (GEARS) will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in the University Center, Third Floor. 

All graduate students at any stage of their graduate career are invited to deliver various forms of presentations highlighting the amazing work being done at the UMBC Graduate School.

Information about submitting an abstract can be found on our conference website. If you are interested in participating in the Graduate Experience, Achievements, & Research Symposium, submit your abstract here. If you have any questions, please contact us at gsa@umbc.edu.

If you are not interested in presenting at the GEARS, but would still like to attend, please register here, and choose the option "Only Attending".

We look forward to seeing you there!

Over the past 30 years, selective abortion of female fetuses has become a disturbingly routine form of family planning in India, with expert estimates of the total exceeding half a million. Countless legal and policy measures aim to curb what has widely come to be seen as a public "crisis," but we know almost nothing about the experiences of families seeking the service or clinicians providing it. Drawing on 18 months of clinic-based fieldwork, anthropologist and physican-in-training Utpal Sandesara shines new light on the lived drama of sex selection. Taking listeners through a secretive black market, the sitting rooms of common households, and the dusty halls of government, Sandesara provocatively challenges longstanding approaches in public health. In the process, he illustrates the potential value of clinical research as a tool for understanding and addressing troubling social problems.

The Summer 2019 Orientation season is approaching and the Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising is looking for new members to join its team of orientation advisors! 

 Faculty, staff and graduate students are invited to apply. 

Graduate students and 9½-month faculty members will receive up to $100.00 per session.

12-month faculty members' compensations will be sent to their departments.

Staff members are not eligible to receive additional compensation, but they will have an opportunity to improve their advising competencies, work with a diverse body of students, and enhance their leadership and interpersonal skills.  

Comprehensive training will be provided for all orientation advisors on June 4 and 5.  

Contact Monique Ransom, Asst. Director, OAPA at mransom@umbc.edu or (410)455-2451 with questions.

Hi All,

Next week is our first annual GA Health Week.

If you want to see a cool vid about it, click here: https://vimeo.com/318022659

The deadline to RSVP for "Powerful Food" was Wednesday, but because of the snow storm and because we're so nice, we are extending that till Monday, Feb. 25th.

Hope to see you there!

If you are a student having an issue with having enough food to eat, please be aware that Retriever Essentials has six (6) locations on campus where you can pick up a FREE bag of nonperishable food.  Please visit the website below to see locations.

If you are unable to afford or it is a hardship for you to purchase a warm winter coat, hat, scarves or gloves, please contact Julie Rosenthal at julier@umbc.eduto arrange a time to pick up any of these items from our "Coat Closet." Available by appointment only.

Free breakfast, lunch and snacks are available at the Women's Center in Commons. The Women's Center is open to everyone.

Grocery store food coupons are available at Off Campus Student Services. If you purchase an item on sale and use a food coupon, you'll save even more money.

If you need assistance with other issues, please contact Ms. Lauren Kataja at lakataja@umbc.edu.

On March 1, Retriever Courage partners will hold a second information gathering session with Jody Shipper, J.D., and Cherie Scricca, Ed.D. of Grand River Solutions, Inc., our consultant team, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Proscenium Theatre, Performing Arts and Humanities Building.  

This is an opportunity for the UMBC community to share ideas, experiences, and concerns with the consultants in order to inform their work at UMBC. For those who prefer not to share publicly or are unable to attend, you may use this anonymous Google form and your feedback will be shared with Shipper and Scricca.

Based on the information Shipper and Scricca receive, they will help to assess what is working well and where we can learn from other institutions’ best practices and from evidence-based research.  

We encourage those who have observed or experienced sexual violence/misconduct to seek support as needed at any time. There are many resources available on campus and in the community that offer confidential medical support, confidential psychological/emotional support, and interim protective measures (e.g., no-contact orders, housing adjustments, academic concerns). For emergency situations, contact campus police via 410-455-5555 or local police via 911.