Welcome All New and Returning Students!
Good morning and welcome to all the new and returning members of UMBC's Social Work Student Association (SWSA)! We honor the drive in all of you who show up for your communities and seek out campus initiatives that join students together to work towards social justice. It is not easy work, but it does not have to be done alone. We hope you all feel welcome, excited, and appreciated in SWSA spaces!
My name is Olivia Gazaway (oliviag3@umbc.edu), and I am SWSA's president for the 2026-2027 school year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, and know that I am open to suggestions and feedback for our club! You can also use our SWSA Feedback and Suggestions Form for optional and anonymous feedback options. What events would you like to see? :) Also, please check out our Meet the E-Board Post to learn more about the other wonderful members of our board this school year!
We currently have our Fall 2026 events posted, with plans to add more throughout the semester - including some off-campus volunteer initiatives for the greater Baltimore community! You can stay up to date with any new events we organize here on our MyUMBC page, as well as our GroupMe chat and our instagram. We tend to offer professional workshop and networking events, self-care and community care events, volunteering events both off and on campus, and advocacy efforts. We also plan to uplift and stand alongside other UMBC student-led advocacy and social justice oriented clubs in solidarity. ☮︎
SWSA Resources:
- Link to join our GroupMe chat: https://groupme.com/join_group/90254833/YeyNmqTD
- Instagram handle: @umbcswsa
- UMBC's Social Work Honor Society: Phi Alpha Society, @phialphaumbc
General UMBC Resources:
- Retriever Care & Integrated Health Services: https://health.umbc.edu/
- Women's, Gender, & Equity Center and confidential resources: https://womenscenter.umbc.edu/
- Academic Success Center Resources: https://academicsuccess.umbc.edu/student-resources/
- Office of Disability Access & Resources: https://sds.umbc.edu/
- Retriever Essentials and enhancing food security: https://retrieveressentials.umbc.edu/food-and-grocery/physical-locations/
Happy Labor Day!
Remember to appreciate the hard working labor advocates and union members in America who fought for the hard-won labor rights and regulations we see today. Unions organized together, went on strike, and harnessed their collective power to establish 5 day work weeks, 8 hour work days, minimum wage laws, and child labor protections. https://www.unionplus.org/page/labor-day-history
UMBC was established upon the land of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. Over time, citizens of many more Indigenous nations have come to reside in this region. We humbly offer our respects to all past, present, and future Indigenous people connected to this place.