Greetings All,
On Thursday, 18 May,
Mickie, Tina, and I met with Dr. Sheares Ashby, the incoming UMBC
President. This meeting served as both a follow-up to the SSM/VF
luncheon of the week prior, as well as a chance to address some other
concerns and areas in need of improvement.
The
meeting was similar to the last, with a little more time for questions.
President Sheares Ashby was receptive to our concerns, and (coming from
UNC and other locations with a different atmosphere for service members)
was surprised at the cultural disconnect at UMBC.
Mickie
addressed issues with Vocational Rehab, including lack of UMBC
institutional knowledge and procedures, and the difficulties associated
with renewal. This discussion also included accessibility issues for
SSM/VF who may have service-related injuries, and would benefit from
increased UMBC awareness and action.
Tina
addressed the disconnect between UMBC, Vet Centers, and other external
sources. This includes the Center for Wellness and other programs. Tina
also discussed issues with our year-long attempt to start a student
organization for service members and their families, and we suggested
that the entire process needed an overhaul. We also suggested that some
organizations (like ours) would benefit from a hybrid status as a
student extension of a permanent UMBC entity, which means the
organization wouldn't be at risk of folding and restarting every few
years.
I discussed a member of our community
whose story of feeling disconnected, alone, and unsupported by UMBC is
common among SSM/VF. This discussion referenced the common SSM/VF
feeling of being ostracized, judged, or receiving hostile reactions from
some students and staff. A portion of this discussion was related to
service member injuries and disabilities. A larger message was the lack
of military cultural competency at UMBC, and the fostering of an
environment where SSM/VF choose to remain "invisible."
President Sheares Ashby discussed her takeaways as:
"Fix" the Finance Department so they know how to
handle various stipends (military, disability, etc.).
Improve the sense of belonging in teaching spaces.
Improve
cultural training
for faculty and staff.
Pursue recommendations for connecting to the Vet center.
Consider connecting the SSM/VF student group to an advisor (making
it more like how the Social Work or Psych Departments have internal groups).
Create accessibility spots for SSM/VF.
Please let us know if you have any Qs, and most of all, please let us know what issues you would like to see addressed.
-Steve