(1) Amica Center for Immigrant Rights: Undergraduate Internship - Development and Communications

Amica Center is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area that is exclusively focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region and beyond.

Undergraduate Internship- Development and Communications

Amica Center is looking for an undergraduate or graduate student to support their staff on their Development and Communications Team.

The internship will provide the opportunity to learn and work in a wide range of projects centered on communications, nonprofit development, grants, and database management.

Applicants from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. If relevant, please discuss in your application how your background motivates your interest in this position or otherwise affects your career goals.

The Summer Internship program asks for a commitment of 15-30 hours a week for at least 10 weeks, starting on or about May 26, 2026.  

Internships are unpaid; however, Amica Center can assist students seeking internship credit or funding.

See Amica Center's LinkedIn post for more information.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, May 1

(2) Global Refuge: Policy and Advocacy Intern

If you are passionate about transforming communities with a mission-driven organization, then we have the opportunity for you!

At Global Refuge, welcoming newcomers isn't just their duty-it's an inherent part of their identity, rooted in their Lutheran heritage and inspired values and serving as a testament to their unwavering commitment to those in search of refuge.  

The Policy and Advocacy Intern will support the Global Refuge Policy and Advocacy Team and assist in the daily activities of Global Refuge's office in Washington, D.C. We're looking for someone with excellent written and verbal communication skills and who's passionate about advancing our organizational mission.

This is a part-time, paid internship opportunity ($18/hour) for students pursuing a relevant undergraduate or advanced degree.

See this website for more information.

You can also see the full internship posting on LinkedIn.  

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Although there is no posted deadline, interested students should apply ASAP.

“I Probably Shouldn’t Say This, But…” Sociological Approach to Understanding Motivation to Give in Japan

The Department EDHS, Japanese Area-MLLI, & the Asian Studies Program are excited to welcome guest lecturer, Dr. Aya Okada to campus on Monday, May 11th, at 1pm in FA 459! This discussion will be hosted with professors, Dr. Jungwon Yeo & Dr. Tomoko Hoogenboom.

Dr. Okada specializes in civil society studies with focus on the role of nonprofit organizations and voluntary actions in contemporary Japan. Her research asks, is there anything distinctive about civil society, philanthropy, and giving behaviors in Japan? If so, how and why?

More details from the flyer below.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Hello folks,

Please seen the info below about the Pride Awards! I hope to see many of you there on Wednesday.

Join us this Pride Week for the FSA Pride Awards! Watch the award ceremony, enjoy appetizers, and mingle with queer professionals here at UMBC! The event will be 4/29 from 5-7:30pm in the Commons Skylight Room.

Here's the FSA Page's posting: Pride Week: FSA Pride Awards · LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association (Public Site) · myUMBC

And here's the Pride Center's posting: Pride Week: FSA Pride Awards · The Pride Center for LGBTQIA2+ Diversity · myUMBC

Have you ever wrestled with Blackboard's group management -- spending too many clicks trying to organize students, waiting for pages to load in large courses, or losing track of who's assigned where? We have good news: Blackboard has completely rebuilt the Groups tool, and it's a meaningful upgrade.

Just the Facts:

• The new Groups tool goes live for SU2026 courses on May 20, 2026.

• Want to explore it first? You can preview it on our test server from April 24 – May 19. Please open an RT ticket to get access. 

What's Changed in Groups Management

A more logical setup flow. Instead of diving straight into managing individual students, you now start by choosing how you want to structure your groups: manual assignment, automatic assignment, self-enrollment, or CSV import. This upfront choice eliminates a lot of guesswork.

Image 1: Instructors now start by creating a group set by choosing how they want to structure groups—before managing individual members.

Smarter automatic enrollment. Just enter the number of students you want per group, and Blackboard does the math, creating the right number of groups and randomly assigning students in one step. No more counting rows.

More ways to move students around. You can assign students from an unassigned list, assign a selected group of students to a specific group at once, or add and remove members from within a group. Fewer clicks, more flexibility.

Better sorting and visibility. You can now sort students by first name, last name, or student ID, and sort groups by name or number of members. This sounds small, but if you've ever tried to manage 200 students across 40 groups, you know how much it matters.

Image 2. Instructors can now sort group members by first or last name, student ID and sort groups by group name or number of members.

Context about how groups are being used. Each group now shows whether it's connected to assignments, tests, or discussions, so you can understand the impact before making changes.

Much faster performance. Save operations that previously took minutes in large courses now complete in seconds. You can even close the page mid-save and Blackboard will finish the job in the background. The previous limits of 5,000 students and 1,000 groups per course have also been removed.

More features on the way. Future improvements to groups will include search and sort functions, drag-and-drop group management, and bulk group creation options.

Want to see it in action? Watch a short video walkthrough.

Coming Later This Summer: A New Gradebook

Groups management isn't the only thing being reimagined. Blackboard is also actively developing a redesigned Gradebook experience, with a technical preview beginning May 21. We'll share more details about when the new Gradebook will be released as they become available. Stay tuned for updates as we head into the fall semester.

Questions?

Reach out by opening an RT ticket. We're happy to walk you through what's new or answer questions about how the changes might affect your course setup.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

• Check our extensive FAQ collection 
  • What's new in Ultra? | Known Issues 
• Open a ticket via RT
• Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff
• PIVOT | Academic Continuity | Keep On Teaching | Student Technology Resources

Thumbnail-image: Ultra news update

Happy Monday! Take a look at the events that will take place at The Mosaic Center this week: 

Monday, 4/27/2026 | Donuts & Dialogue X Pride Week 12-1 PM 

Wednesday, 4/28/2026 | Unidos 4:30 - 5:30 PM

Thursday, 4/29/2026 | Music & The Mosaic X Pride Week 12 - 1 PM 

We hope to see you at our upcoming events and sponsorships! Questions regarding Mosaic programming can be sent to our email: themosaic@umbc.edu. 

The Mosaic Center and all events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Start your morning the UMBC commuter way.

Join us for breakfast with fellow commuters and connect with helpful on-campus resources. There's no better way to kick off your day!

Good Morning Commuters (GMC) takes place every Tuesday from 8:30–11:00 AM *except one a month when Good afternoon Commuters (GAC) is held* and is complimentary with your Commuter Gold Card.

Gold Cards are a one-time purchase per academic year and can be bought at any GMC event (cash only):

• $5 for Commuter Students

• $10 for Residential & Graduate Students

We can't wait to see you there!

https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/ocss/events/149343

Hi everyone,

Voting is now officially live to elect your new CWIT Student Council Officers for the 2026–2027 school year.

Be sure to cast your vote today and help choose the leaders who will represent and advocate for our community next year.

Voting closes on May 1st, so do not miss your chance to make your voice heard.

VOTE HERE

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who has decided to run for one of our officer positions! Voting is open today until Tuesday, May 6th and the ballot is a google form accessed at the bottom of this post. Here are the candidates and their speeches for the upcoming year:

Neha Matthew - President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary
Hello! My name is Neha Mathew, and I am a freshman majoring in Ancient Studies, Anthropology, and Biochemistry. My interest in the ancient world started when I first learned about the Indus Valley Civilization, and since then I knew that I would like to pursue a career that involves studying ancient civilizations. One step to finding more peers with similar interests would be to be more involved with Ancient Studies Council. At UMBC, I have been involved in multiple projects. I am the events coordinator and social media manager of Anthropology Club, where I have organized biweekly meeting, including the viewing of ethnographic films and workshops about material anthropology. I am also part of the university's Model United Nations team, where, as a delegate, I have excelled in problem solving and collaboration. More recently, I had the opportunity to be a contributor to UMBC's first Book Fest. More specifically, I worked with different department at the university to host this year's One Maryland One Book author, Lawrence Burney. As a member of the Ancient Studies Council E-board, my expertise in strategic planning and emphasis on partnership can prove useful in facilitating engaging and education meetings in the upcoming semesters.

Rebecca Lee - Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary
I'm Rebecca Lee and I'm an Ancient Studies and Philosophy double major and Political Science minor. I am the current vice president and former treasurer of Ancient Studies Council. I am also the current vice president and former secretary of Philosophers Anonymous. During my time as part of the E-board, I’ve become very close with the ANCS department’s wonderful faculty and students, as well as the intricacies of running a student organization—from financial transactions, to advertising and hosting events, to communicating with other student organizations and resource centers at UMBC. I have loved my time with ANCS council, even at its most difficult moments, because being able to connect with others over shared passion for the ancient world—and to learn about it from our superb faculty—makes it all worthwhile to me. I hope our members will allow me the chance at another year to help make learning about antiquity fun and accessible for the UMBC student body.

Nicholas Mocko - Treasurer and Secretary
Salvete Omnes (Hello everyone). I am Nicholas Mocko, a current freshman Ancient Studies major, and I am running for Treasurer/Secretary. I have been a huge fan of the ancient world since a young kid, and that inspired me to take Latin in high school. This further cemented my love for the classics, and also introduced me to a club called the Junior Classical League. Long story short, I eventually became the head of the JCL, and went on numerous trips across Maryland and 3 week long conventions across America. While the JCL is for middle and high school, there is a college version called the Senior Classical League, which I am currently apart of. However, the Maryland SCL (MDSCL) is trying to reestablish itself as a unifying force of classics throughout colleges in Maryland. I plan to connect our club with the other clubs across Maryland colleges and to the nationwide NSCL. Not only will this allow opportunities for events/competitions with other colleges, but it will link us with the wider classics network that can provide us with connections and scholarships for Ancient Studies. Thank you all, and vote Nicholas for Treasurer/Secretary!  

Madeline Ivester - Treasurer and Secretary
I really enjoy going to ancient studies council meetings, and I want to make sure all the positions get filled. I am willing to put in the work to help the club run smoothly.

Here is the link to the voting ballot: https://forms.gle/XHXSLZvD1x3VSYkKA

Thank you again to all that applied to this year's election! If you have any questions regarding voting, the election in general, or anything club related, reach out to sbraun1@umbc.edu. 

Stop by Coffee Mondays to grab a free cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and take a breather between classes.

Whether you're coming to study, chat, or just refuel, this is your weekly reminder to slow down and connect with fellow grad students.

Where? Office of Graduate Student Life (Commons 308)
When? Every Monday | 10am - 2pm

Come as you are — pajamas, laptops, and coffee orders welcome.

Monday, April 27th, 11 AM - 1 PM, Student Mental Health Conversations, The Gathering Space

OHP and RIH are hosting student-led mental health conversations. UMBC students will facilitate these conversations. Join for storytelling, crafting, and snacks! 

Wednesday, April 29th, 12-1 PM Wellness Wednesday, Commons Mainstreet

Join the Mental Health Peer Educators at the Consent Cafe on Mainstreet. Stop by to make your own consent-centered cup. What are your ingredients for consent?

*All events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.