The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Undergraduate Student Conference is an annual two-day symposium for undergraduates considering graduate school or employment in the student affairs field. This year's conference, held virtually on March 19 –20, is a great opportunity for current undergraduates to learn more about the field while networking with peers and engaging with current practitioners around the country.
The NASPA conference committee will be hosting two information sessions to help students learn more about the conference and get to know some of their fellow participants. The two sessions will be:
-Wednesday, January 19, 5–6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
-Tuesday, February 8, 8–9 p.m., Eastern Standard Time
To RSVP, please go to: https://bit.ly/3n1u0wK. You will receive a link to the session for which you have RSVP'd closer to the event.
On November 4, Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life David Hoffman Ph.D. ’13, language, literacy, and culture (LLC), Emily Paul ‘21, Felipe Filomeno, Nic Nemec ‘21, Assistant Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life Romy Hübler ‘09, modern languages and linguistics, M.A. ‘11, intercultural communication, Ph.D. ‘15, LLC, and Shannon Cheek ‘21 led a two-hour gathering of the PLACE Collaboratory, a national network of higher education leaders and community partners convened by Bringing Theory to Practice. The UMBC team reported on the Baltimore PLACE project, which has connected UMBC faculty, staff, and students with students and teachers at Ben Franklin High School in the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay neighborhood to develop community-driven plans to enhance students’ well-being. The team shared a photovoice exhibit featuring images and text created by Ben Franklin students to illuminate issues and opportunities relating to their mental health. Team members also reflected on themes that have emerged over the past two years of the project, and facilitated breakout sessions focused on approaches to developing undergraduate students’ civic agency and pursuing humanities research projects that center and amplify community voices.
On November 18, Hoffman and Hübler participated in a Kettering Foundation research exchange, the latest in a series of conversations among higher education leaders exploring approaches to Educating for Civic Professionalism. Building on pedagogical experiments led by the participants during the 2020-2021 academic year, participants shared their research findings and considered new possibilities. The project Hoffman and Hübler led at UMBC featured interviews with alumni reflecting on how their UMBC experiences helped prepare them to enact their civic values in their professional roles. The project also involved facilitating Meaningful Careers Workshops and observing how students responded to the terms, ideas, and activities they introduced.
We are excited to kick off the Spring 2022 semester with you all! Whether you are on campus or commuting, we hope that you will take advantage of the in person and virtual events we have to offer. Winter Welcome Week kicks off with the first day of classes on January 31 and continues through February 6. Join us for a variety of online and in person opportunities.
Be sure to bookmark WELCOME WEEK for updated event information!
Due to a scheduled departmental retreat, Retriever Integrated Health will close on Friday, January 21, 2022 and will reopen on Monday, January 24, 2022.
In case of an emergency on January 21, 2022 please contact University police at 410-455-5555.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Dr. Bruce Herman, Director, at 410-455-2542.
The opening of the Center for Well-Being in September 2021 was an exciting moment for UMBC and for our work in public and community health. The Center is a symbol of our campus' commitment to our community's collective well-being and our students' ability to succeed in all aspects of their lives. We know that when there is community and connection, people and interpersonal relationships that are authentically supportive, people thrive.
Located on Center Road between Chesapeake and Susquehanna Halls, The Center for Well-Being includes Retriever Integrated Health (University Health Services, the Office of Health Promotion, and the Counseling Center); Student Conduct and Community Standards; and the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b) Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. It also includes the Mind Spa—a student space equipped for the practices of mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation—and an informal student meeting/lounge space.
The everyday life of a college student can be stressful, and multiple current public health crises—including the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, and violence—also contribute to stress and trauma. Undergraduate and graduate students have told us about the obstacles and challenges they are facing, both at home and on campus. The Center for Well-Being provides an opportunity for our entire community to collaborate on ways to create a campus culture dedicated to well-being where every student thrives.
Well-being encompasses physical, mental, and spiritual health. At The Center for Well-Being, students have the opportunity to:
Gain access to quality health care,
Participate in practices that heal and lift up community,
Investigate and understand personal identity,
Obtain resources for daily living, and
Connect with other students.
We hope you will help us to focus our campus culture towards connection, belonging, and community. Please reach out to The Center for Well-Being staff and all of our Student Affairs colleagues to collaborate and promote well-being in the Center and throughout our campus culture.
Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young, Ph.D. was quoted in the October 1, 2021 Baltimore Sun story, “Universities find mandates effective in convincing Maryland students to get COVID vaccines, feel safer on campus.” Young shared the factors that helped contribute to high compliance rates, including UMBC’s 99% vaccination rate among students.
The new Center for Well-Being was featured in “Health, wellness and community: Colleges address health eating, mental health, and a sense of belonging” in the Baltimore Sun’s October 2021 Education Supplement. In the article, Young shared that the building is a response to the increasing numbers of students experiencing anxiety, depression, and other issues, as well UMBC’s commitment to addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of undergraduate and graduate students. The Center for Well-Being is home to Retriever Integrated Health; Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging’s Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being; and Student Conduct and Community Standards.
In addition, Young has served as an expert consultant for the Times Higher Education’s 2021 international Student Success Forum and was part of the 2020 panel discussion on student affairs. She also provided input for the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Oct. 2021 Intelligence Report on student success.
In 2021, Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young, Ph.D., served as chair of the Council on Student Affairs (CSA), part of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities. During her time as CSA chair, she collaborated with other student affairs leaders across the U.S. to develop and promote practices that enhance students’ experiences and well-being during one of the most challenging times in higher education and student affairs. Young recently ended her term and will now serve in an ex-officio capacity.
David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, language, literacy, and culture (LLC), director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life Staff, along with other leaders from ADP and NASPA, led the 2021 American Democracy Project/NASPA Joint Meeting in June 2021.
Facilitating a three-hour workshop, “Together Beyond: Tools for Our Collective Civic Empowerment,” were Hoffman and and Assistant Director Romy Hübler ‘09, modern languages and linguistics, M.A. ‘11, intercultural communication, Ph.D. ‘15, LLC, along with staff at Kent State and Grand Valley State Universities.
Breakout room facilitators included Amelia Meman, assistant director of the Women’s Center; Candace Dodson-Reed ‘96, chief of staff and executive director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion; Jeff Cullen, Ph.D., director of Student Conduct and Community Standards; and Tess McRae ‘22, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life’s senior intern for civic design and engagement.
UMBC students Erin Kosloski ‘22 and Faith Davis ‘22, M30, along with Fariha Kalid ‘17, M.A. ‘21, and Samantha Fries ‘18, M.A. ‘21, led the workshop, “Improving Basic Needs on College Campuses.”
The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement’s latest report shows a surge in U.S. student voter participation in 2020, a trend that includes UMBC students. David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, language, literacy, and culture (LLC) and director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, stated, “In addition to our 69.2% voting rate for eligible students, it's exciting to see that 83.9% of UMBC’s registered students voted in 2020–a notable jump from both 2016 and 2018 and in line with the national trend. Our greatest gains were among undergraduate students.”
In 2020, UMBC placed ninth nationwide in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge voting pledge competition. More than 600 colleges and universities participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which encourages college students to pledge to vote based on evidence that when people make public pledges, they are more likely to follow through. Learn more about the Center’s election programming, which supports UMBC community members in embracing civic involvement as an everyday, lifelong commitment, in their annual report and in UMBC News.