A message on behalf of Mary Ellen Wade, Director of Assessment and Planning in the Division of Student Affairs. Original post here.

Calling all undergraduate and graduate students! The Division of Student Affairs (DoSA) Strategic Plan Steering Committee is developing its strategic plan for the next three years and we need your input! On Monday, April 20 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. stop by Lower Flat Tuesdays in The Commons for free breakfast snacks, beverages, and to offer your feedback about the student experience and how DoSA can better support you. Commuters, we will also have a table at Good Morning Commuters on April 21. 

If you can't stop by, please check out our survey between now and April 24 to provide your thoughts. We want to understand how you define student success, your experience as a student, how our division can do better, and to see if our anticipated strategic plan priority areas meet your needs.

Attached is a document with more info about the departments that make up our division, our draft strategic priority areas, and the questions we want to know more about. We look forward to your insights!

A message on behalf of our colleagues in the Department of English, the Dresher Center for the Humanities, and the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. View the original post to register for this event. Learn more about UMBC’s National Library Week x Bookfest 2026 and see the full list of events.

Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act, passed in 2024, ensures that “library materials and resources remain accessible to the public and cannot be removed solely because someone disagrees with their viewpoint alone.” Yet, book challenges and censorship efforts are still on the rise across our state and nation.

What can you do to protect the right to read and to ensure access to our nation’s library services? Join us for a panel of distinguished library professionals and advocates to learn more!

• Morgan Miller, Maryland State Librarian

• Stacey Nunn, Library Media Specialist, Southwest Academy Magnet School for Science and Engineering and finalist for School Library Journal’s School Librarian of the Year

• Christine Feldmann, Anne Arundel County Public Library

• Andrea Lewis, President of Citizens for Maryland Libraries

This event is supported in part by the Maryland State Library Agency. Refreshments will follow the program.

A message on behalf of our colleagues in the Department of English, the Dresher Center for the Humanities, and the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. View the original post to register for this event. Learn more about UMBC’s National Library Week x Bookfest 2026 and see the full list of events.

What should you know about the current assaults on authors, readers, libraries, and librarians? How can you better advocate for libraries, access to reading materials, and the freedom to read? 

Join facilitators Allison Jennings-Roche (UMBC Alum and Associate Director of Digital Initiatives and Collections at The University of Baltimore Library & Archives) and Tif Sutherland (Calvert Library and Maryland Library Association) for a lunch-and-learn.

Participants will...

• Develop an understanding of the historical and political contexts fueling the current surge in censorship and attacks on libraries across the country.

• Learn how libraries, advocacy organizations, and library workers are responding to the threats posed by anti-democratic, pro-censorship movements and how they can support their local librarians.

• Identify and practice rhetorical strategies to respond to the spurious attacks on library workers and collections. They will also brainstorm practical actions that they can take to protect libraries, the freedom to read, and their local communities.

This event requires registration. Lunch will be provided and space is limited to 30 participants, so please secure your spot no later than April 20. REGISTER HERE!

UMBC’s Department of Information Technology has highlighted the work of two of its student security technicians who have played a critical role in ensuring that UMBC’s digital environment remains safe and uncompromised. They are Grace Robinson and Ouwen Dai, who have served in their DoIT roles for the majority of their academic careers and are now taking the next step into the professional world. Both are 2026 graduating seniors who have followed the cybersecurity track in the Computer Science program.

Read more about Grace and Ouwen and their work in DoIT’s Meet the Seniors Behind UMBC’s Cybersecurity post.

Come out to learn about life as a student, doctor, resident doctor, guidance, etc. Come prepared with lots of questions. 

Where: Math and Psych 103 

When: Thursday, April 16, 2026 4-5 pm 

Register here (by Friday, April 24): https://forms.gle/7WH2WxCZjPAiH9yV8

CAHSS faculty are invited to the first workshop in a new CARAT learning series, CARAT Gems (Grant Education Modules). The goal of the series is to increase faculty's understanding and comfort level with the grants process at UMBC. 

The inaugural workshop, Getting Started, takes place on Wednesday, April 29, from 12:00-1:00PM (hybrid in PUP-451 or Webex). You can choose to attend the entire workshop, or one half.

The first half -- Pre-award -- will focus on what's involved in becoming a PI (Principal Investigator) and the first steps in starting an external funding proposal at UMBC.

The second half -- Post-award -- will discuss, from a practical standpoint, how to plan and begin spending on an award. 

Time will be given for questions. You may also include a question on your registration form.

Questions: Sara Quershi (saraq1@umbc.edu), CARAT Senior Specialist for Grants and Research Development 

Campers! We are so excited to welcome you all to Camp Pride, from April 27th to May 1st!

Join Jess this Friday at 12 p.m. for a strength-focused yoga class. GetActive

We’re gathering student input to help shape future improvements to the AOK Library. This survey takes just a few minutes, and your voice directly informs upcoming planning decisions. Thank you for sharing your perspective!