Samantha Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H., CHES., director of the Office of Health Promotion was recently interviewed for the February 2023 Baltimore Sun Education supplement story, "Health and wellness initiatives create strong sense of community on campus." Smith discussed Community Conversations, a collaboration between the Office of Health Promotion and Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b). Smith developed the program with Jasmine A. Lee, M.S.W., Ph.D., director of inclusive excellence and of i3b.
Community Conversations advances health equity by embedding mental health prevention efforts within identity-based spaces. An interactive event that helps students understand the role of community in supporting their well-being and mental health, the conversations also highlight what it means to "show up" for others.
"When Smith was working on her doctoral dissertation, she recalled gaining an understanding that people were not getting a lot out of mental health, particularly in marginalized communities. To address that, Smith says she wanted to take the table to places where people were not offered a seat. She worked with i3b to bring deep conversations with 'radical levels of intensity' to students who come from marginalized backgrounds due to race, gender and sexual orientation."
Smith's interview begins on page 7 of the Education supplement.
David Hoffman, J.D., Ph.D. '13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life was recently interviewed for the February 2023 Baltimore Sun Education supplement story, "The importance of experiential learning." Hoffman discussed Alternative Spring Break, during which students spendsix days exploring the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore and identifying pathways to long-term community engagement.
Hoffman explains that "'students get to know Baltimore on a human and systemic level to get a deep understanding on the issues in the area....This year's topics are disability justice and the impacts of structural inequities on people with disabilities in Baltimore City; educational justice for youth impacted by intimate partner violence and the barriers to academic success resulting from IPV; and the racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care in Baltimore. Students will meet with various non-profits, residents, activists and city government officials to not only better understand the issues but also work collaboratively on solutions. 'We are fortunate that UMBC has the Shriver Center, so we already have various strong partnerships in place.'"
Hoffman's interview begins on page 1 of the Education supplement.
Families are an important part of UMBC's community, and keeping them informed, engaged, and supported is the goal of Student Affairs' Family Engagement Program. The program's success was recently highlighted at the national Campus ESP conference on family communications and in the October 2022 Baltimore Sun Education supplement.
Fritzie Charne-Merriwether, assistant to the vice president of student affairs and director of parent/family engagement, has led family programming at UMBC for 12 years. "'Research shows that college students are increasingly engaged with their families through Zoom, FaceTime, emails, and texts. Families can be incredible motivators for our students and great allies and partners for us. If there is a critical deadline looming or information that students need, if we put that information in front of family members, they will increase the likelihood that students will be successful,' Charne-Merriwether says. She adds that parents know their children best and can see when 'something seems off' with their child and help their child tap into resources for help at UMBC."
The Family Advisory Board, begun in fall 2017 with five volunteers, has grown to over 60 volunteers who regularly participate in board meetings and outreach events, and share invaluable feedback with Student Affairs staff. In collaboration with Student Affairs leadership, staff, and campus partners, Charne-Merriwether developed approximately 15 new virtual family programs since 2020, covering such issues as COVID-19, campus life programming, and student well-being. Families are attending move-in weekend and Homecoming family events in increasing numbers, and new campus partnerships are developing, including one with the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program.
Launched in fall 2021, the new Family Connection portal provides over 14,800 UMBC parents and family members, including over 2700 parents and families of incoming students, with increased engagement via weekly news updates, events, and resources. Of the total subscribers, over 10,000 are active users in the portal. Family Connection is now being used as the model platform by Campus ESP staff as they recruit and manage family communications for other institutions nationwide. The company recently invited Charne-Merriwether to speak at its annual conference on family engagement.
UMBC's family portal engagement numbers are higher than what Campus ESP has seen at other institutions. The average email open rate for UMBC families during FY 23 is 69%, with key communities such as First Generation and First-Year Families over 75%. In December 2022, the open rate for parents and families of incoming students was 96%, and since January 2023 the open rate for all members has ranged from 65 to 70%.
Increased family engagement has also helped to boost family donor participation. The number of parents donating to UMBC for its annual Black and Gold Rush giving day has increased from 295 parents in 2019 to 478 in 2022.
UMBC Family Advisory Board Member Sally Gaines says,"I'm excited that the growth of the Student Affairs family program is providing more support and connection than ever, from the new Family Connection portal and resources, events, and webinars to the individual support that the office gives parents and families when they are in need. These actions demonstrate to parents and family members that they are part of a caring community. I am also grateful for the commitment and dedication that Fritzie brings to this work every day."
UMBC departments and offices are invited to share news and events with families via the Family Connection portal. Information from the UMBC community is shared with families throughout the calendar year.
In September 2022, Seymour Chambers, assistant director of residential student conduct and community well-being, was appointed as the co-chair for the Historically Underrepresented Institutions community of practice for the Association for Student Conduct Administration. In this capacity, Chambers will be working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and schools that have large underserved populations, to get them active in the Association and provide assistance to them in addressing student conduct on their campuses.
Chambers joined the UMBC community in August 2022 after serving as the chief judicial officer at Morgan State University for 19 years.
The American Democracy Project (ADP), an initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), presented its first Spirit of Democracy Award to Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life Romy Huebler '09, modern languages and linguistics, M.A. '11, intercultural communication, Ph.D. '15, language, literacy, and culture (LLC).
Huebler's award was one of five handed out on June 22 during the 2022 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Meeting in Minneapolis. Huebler and the Center's Director David Hoffman, Ph.D. '13, LLC, are leading the UMBC delegation of staff and students attending the meeting.
The Spirit of Democracy Award honors exemplary leadership from staff in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students and the work of AASCU's ADP on campus and/or nationally. As a founding member of UMBC's Center for Democracy and Civic Life, Huebler won the award for her integral, relational, organic, and generative work. She is also a national leader in developing and disseminating the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change.
"It is our honor to shine a light on the great work being done at AASCU ADP campuses," said Catherine Copeland, director of AASCU's American Democracy Project. "By presenting these awards, ADP continues to support our campuses, share strategies and successes, and demonstrate the critical importance of civic education and civic skill-building in our students."
Huebler serves as co-principal investigator for the PLACE Collaboratory at UMBC, a project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that uses community organizing and humanities methods to address community-identified issues in South Baltimore. She is UMBC's institutional representative for the NASPA LEAD Initiative, and works with the American Democracy Project (ADP) as a Civic Fellow and UMBC's campus liaison. Her recent publications include co-authored articles about the CLDE Theory of Change in the Leadership Exchange, eJournal of Public Affairsand NASPA Knowledge Community Publication, and a chapter about democratic teaching practices in the edited volume Creating space for democracy: A primer on dialogue and deliberation in higher education.
Hoffman says, "Romy is creative, caring, and wise, and she has made brilliant, distinctive contributions supporting students and colleagues as co-creators of inclusive communities. I'm thrilled to see her leadership recognized by the American Democracy Project."
Learn more about Huebler and the Center for Democracy and Civic Life.
Nationally recognized for her leadership and broad expertise, Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young is creating strategic partnerships across the university and beyond, and she is passionate about fostering a campus community in which all students are valued, engaged, and safe. In honor of her professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring, Young was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record.
"The 2022 Maryland's Top 100 Women are high achievers who are leading change and mentoring the next generation. They bring unique gifts to leadership roles and help advance and grow companies across this great state," said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, senior group publisher of The Daily Record. "They are leading businesses during extraordinary times by guiding their teams from survival to ongoing success. We are pleased to celebrate these incredible women and all they have accomplished."
Young joined the UMBC community in 1986 and has served as the vice president for student affairs at UMBC since 2007. Most recently, she was instrumental in developing an integrated approach to health and counseling to support students' physical, behavioral, and emotional well-being as a foundation for academic success, and in securing a new combined health and counseling building which opened in fall 2021. She also guided the creation of DoSA's newest department, Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b), the result of a multi-year divisional effort to appropriately align diversity and inclusion support and resources for underrepresented and marginalized populations and provide leadership for staff-related diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and concerns.
As the 2021 chair of the Council of Student Affairs for the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, Young collaborated and developed strategies with other student affairs leaders across the U.S. to create and promote practices that enhance students' experiences and well-being during one of the most challenging times in higher education and student affairs.
Under Young's direction,UMBC's Division of Student Affairs leadership and staff help students maintain community connections and engagement--recognizing, celebrating, and supporting students as whole people and emerging leaders. She strongly believes that student success is not a policy or program but must be deeply embedded in the university culture. "When we think about our student engagement initiatives, we see the links to recruitment, retention, and student outcomes, which is why our partnerships across the university are so important," she says.
Young continues to work with partners across the university and the University System of Maryland to manage UMBC's response to COVID-19, and played a critical role in bringing the American Council on Education's (ACE) Internationalization Lab to UMBC. As a member of the Internationalization Steering Committee, she is helping to develop a plan for advancing intercultural, international, and global initiatives. Young also collaborates with Academic Affairs and other divisions to build programs that support students' academic and professional success and strengthen the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion. In addition, she mentors and teaches student leaders.
A long-time resident of Maryland and graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee's leadership program, Young is equally passionate about her hometown. She volunteers with Central Maryland Volunteers and as an instructor with KidPower, serves on the advisory board of the Maryland Collaborative to Reduce High Risk Drinking, and served on the Red Cross Life and Baltimore Child Abuse Center Boards.
"As vice president for student affairs, Dr. Young has demonstrated her deep commitment to our students in building a strong, student-centered student affairs program focused on student development, engaged and active learning, and holistic, community based initiatives," says UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. "She has developed meaningful partnerships across the university that have enhanced our student success efforts, and she is an amazing leader and role model who has inspired countless young people over the course of her career. Dr. Young is a superb example of compassionate and effective leadership, and we are proud that she is being recognized for her work."
Maryland's Top 100 Women will be honored at a reception and awards celebration May 9 at 4:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland Riggs Alumni Center. Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the May 10 issue of The Daily Record and will be available online at TheDailyRecord.com.
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.
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.