Are you part of a student org on campus? Any student orgs are elgiible and encouraged to be part of the Office of Sustainability's Green Retreiver Group Certification!

Join the Green Retriever Summit

Thursday, April 16th

630-8pm in ILSB 116

 Join us for a social event with pizza, conversation , and collaboration to get your org set up to certify!

We will also
- Recognize student organizations for their sustainability efforts
- Highlight what groups can gain from getting involved in Green Retriever Certification process
- Host an open Q&A and discussion space to hear your thoughts and experiences
- Gather feedback to improve how we support student organizations moving forward
- Have free Pizza!
-Offer Green Retriever Group In Progress certification for your org and individual resumes

Your voice and involvement are important to shaping a more sustainable campus community! Please fill out this RSVP form to let us know you are coming.

Winter And Spring Break Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program Applications Open!

The Education Abroad Office has announced 9 new and returning faculty-led programs for Winter and Spring Break 2027! Whether you are interested in Computer Science, Photography, or Storytelling, there is something for you! Check out our website to learn more. Applications will be opening soon and will all be due on September 21, 2026. 

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

• Have you confirmed your participation in a Study Abroad program for Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Academic Year 2026-2027? If so, please make sure that you have marked your calendar for your Orientation!

  • General Program Orientation: May 1st, 1:30-4-30pm, ILSB118

If you are unable to make it to your assigned orientation, please contact our office by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.

• Advising for Spring 2027 and Winter 2027 study abroad programs is now available! After you have attended a Study Abroad 101 session, email educationabroad@umbc.edu to schedule your meeting!

• Study Abroad 101 Sessions
  Monday | 2pm-3pm | Virtual
  Tuesday | 1pm-2pm | Virtual
  Friday | 11am-12pm | Virtual

Want to join the Sisterhood E-board next semester? Apply for Class Rep & GBM Coordinator by scanning the QR code or using the link below!

Applications are open now until April 26th! 💕✨

Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYqD4sKB60T9-OWh4ci7Eu3aWYtQwMENtRMBeS8pwc9y7Szg/viewform

Pleaase join us on Monday, April 20, 12-2 in UC 115 for our 6th annual Allied Health Symposium. You will have an opportunity to hear from allied health professionals across different areas and hear directly from Towson's OT representative. Light refreshments will be served. 

Dear UMBC Community,
 
One of the privileges of serving as president of UMBC is that the role gives me a view of the entirety of the institution and the chance to hear voices from all across it, through a regular cadence of engagement with shared governance groups on our campus. 
 
My calendar was particularly full of such opportunities last week, as I participated in meetings of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Exempt Staff Senate, and University Steering Committee (whose members represent every UMBC governance group), as well as an all-staff meeting hosted by the Exempt and Nonexempt Staff senates. These meetings and others connect me to all parts of the community and allow me to join you in the work of thinking through current issues and planning for a shared vision for the future. 
 
Through the questions, feedback, and ideas I heard from so many of you, last week’s meetings reflected the richness of experiences and viewpoints across our institution and were a terrific reminder of the strength of shared governance at UMBC. 
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby 

All COEIT undergraduate students (BTA, IS, Comp Sci, CompE, MechE, and ChemE majors) are encouraged to complete the 2026 COEIT Undergraduate Student Voice & Experience Survey.

This survey aims to understand your experiences and perceptions related to your experience in your major, classroom interactions and environment, campus involvement and resources, and the diversity and inclusion within COEIT. 

Extended Deadline: Sunday, April 19, 2026

Take the Survey Here: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iI6xaFXbYdbZGu or check your email for a direct link via an email from the Dean! 

Want to take the survey with others? Join CWIT Student Council on Wednesday, April 15th at 12pm in ITE 456. Pizza will be available to those who complete the survey during this event.

Join us on Monday, May 4 for a celebration of the many accomplishments of the Global Asias Initiative here at UMBC! The Global Asias Initiative, a three-year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation, has created a forum for engaging in conversations in the fields of Asian American Studies, Asian diaspora studies, and Asian Studies and has strengthened support for Asian and Asian American students on campus. The Initiative has has created connections across disciplines, institutions, organizations, and communities here on campus and beyond. 

Full information is available on the event website and through the myUMBC event posts linked below. 

*Please RSVP for each event using the myUMBC links below*

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Schedule of Events

11:00am-12:30pm
Welcome & Belonging and Community Luncheon: Conversations on Asian experiences at UMBC
Fine Arts 011

Lunch Provided!

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1:00pm-2:15pm
Stories of Displacement: Unearthing Submerged Histories and Engaging Multiple Publics Keynote Address with Dr. Anna Guevarra
Fine Arts Recital Hall (Room 118)

Samosas & chai after the talk!

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3:00-4:30pm
Global Asias in Dialogue Roundtable
Performing Arts & Humanities Building (PAHB) Room 216

Refreshments Provided!

*

5:00-6:30pm
Global Asias Student Showcase & Reception
Location: AOK Library Gallery

With food from Ekiben!

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Thank you to our partners the Asian Studies Program, Mosaic: The Center for Cultural Diversity, Residential Life, McNair Scholars Program, and the Baltimore chapter of National Association of Asian American Professionals for support organizing this celebration.

Please contact Global Asias Project Manager, Priya Bhayana at priyab@umbc.edu for more information or for a parking pass if you are a community member.

Poster Design by Tyra Bounxouaysana ’26, commonvision UMBC Student Design and Print Center

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These 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.

We invite self-nominations to become representatives on the UMBC Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee (AFAC). The AFAC is an elected body charged with representing the interests of our part-time adjunct faculty within our campus system of shared governance. Members of the AFAC are responsible for communicating adjunct needs and concerns to the campus administration, making recommendations related to adjunct professional development and working conditions, and providing advice on policies and procedures that concern adjunct faculty. In recognition that adjunct faculty are compensated only for course-by-course instructional services, AFAC members receive a yearly stipend equivalent to one semester course and are reimbursed for travel and other reasonable expenses, consistent with USM and UMBC travel policies.

AFAC representatives will serve a two-year term from Fall 2026 through Spring 2028.

Elections are being held for 4 AFAC representatives:

2 representatives from CAHSS

1 representative from CNMS

1 representative from COEIT.

All Adjunct I,  Adjunct II, and Adjunct III faculty employed to provide instruction on a course-by-course basis at UMBC this spring, including UMBC programs at Shady Grove, who have taught in this capacity at UMBC for at least four previous semesters, are eligible for nomination. 

Please note that regular faculty and staff at UMBC who receive additional compensation to teach on a course-by-course basis are not eligible to serve on the AFAC.  

Self-nominations must include name, College, and length of service at UMBC as well as responses to the following questions:

1.       What strengths do you think you would bring to the AFAC? (200 words or less)

2.       What issues do you think the AFAC should be addressing during the 2026-2027 academic year? (200 words or less)

Nomination materials must be submitted electronically via https://forms.gle/PGmNs9ZqCMAg2EpP8 by Monday April 20th.  

Candidate statements and voting instructions will be posted the following week and voting will take place over a period of ten days.

For additional information, please contact Robert Bennett (bennerob@umbc.edu) or Bonnie Kegan (bkegan1@umbc.edu)

Hey everyone,

We'll be having out second range trip soon. Please let us know what days work best for you:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4NW8rC2SR89lwuLqkedrtLgg3COlGojqV1zhp8SI-nkmZ1w/viewform

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Reposted from the Center for Social Justice Dialogue.

Sign up for the April 15 UMBC Talks dinner program (5:30 - 7:30 p.m., UC 312) here.

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Inclusive excellence has long been a cultural touchstone at UMBC. Before now, we haven't had a definition or any other shared language to describe what we mean. This is your chance to inform our definition. Leaders in the Division of Institutional Equity have drafted a framework for inclusive excellence, and we want your input! 

The framework aims to articulate our community's shared commitments in a way that can communicate our values, guide action, inspire new collaboration, and support the development and implementation of UMBC's next strategic plan.

Join The Centers for Social Justice Dialogue and Democracy and Civic Life for UMBC Talks, which are 90-minute, co-facilitated dialogues designed to support your engagement with the framework. Each UMBC Talk will be the same, so please sign up for the one that best suits your schedule. We hope to see you there. Come and leave your mark on this important moment in UMBC's history. 

This session is open to everyone. Conversations will be held in mixed groups.

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UMBC Talks is a collaborative initiative that aims to enhance the sense of community, vibrancy, and well-being at UMBC through guided community conversations that reestablish our commitment to inclusive excellence and foster a sense of pride for what it truly means to be a UMBC Retriever. Using this framework offers a dialogic process for gathering community input on shared values.

If you have any questions about this feedback process, please feel free to reach out to Drs. Ciara Christian and David Hoffman at culture@umbc.edu.

These 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.