Kick off Graduate Student Appreciation Week by finding your competitive rhythm.

Join us and the Military and Veterans Office for a night of board games, video games, and community.

You deserve a break from the research—come hang out!.

HAPPENING NOW FROM 3-6PM

COMMONS GAMEROOM

To all our hardworking graduate students: we see the late nights in the lab, the endless research, and the dedication you pour into your work every single day. You are a vital part of what makes UMBC move.

Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW) is our way of hitting "pause" on the grind so you can take up space, find your rhythm, and be celebrated for the incredible impact you have on this campus. From wellness sessions to game nights and a formal prom, this week is all about you. You’ve earned the right to relax, connect, and enjoy the community you help build.

FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC FOR ALL GSAW INFO!

Pre-GSAW Kickoff Events

TODAY - Game Night with Military and Veterans

• Friday, April 3 | 3–6 p.m.
• Gameroom, The Commons

TOMORROW - Grad Outing to Dave & Busters

• Saturday, April 4 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Off Campus

GSAW Event Schedule

Grad Wellness Day | Monday, April 6

• Wellness Tabling 
• 1–3 p.m.
• The Commons, Main Street

• Candle Making 
• 3–5 p.m.
• The Commons, Room 329

• Break the Mold (Pottery & Networking)
• 4–6 p.m. 
• The Commons, Fireside Lounge (with The Office of Health Promotion)

GEARS Research Symposium & 3MT

• Tuesday, April 7 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• UC Ballroom

Grad Bingo Night

•  Wednesday, April 8 | 4–7 p.m.
•  UC Ballroom
• RSVP & FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC

Grad Cultural Day

• Thursday, April 9 | 12–4 p.m
• UC Ballroom

Career Paths by The Graduate School

• Thursday, April 9 | 5–8:30 p.m.
• Fireside Lounge, The Commons

Grad Prom & Awards

• Friday, April 10 | 5–8 p.m.
• UC Ballroom
• RSVP & FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC

Note:All programs and events are open to full participation by all individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category.

Effective immediately, travelers seeking an exceptions due to a religious, medical, or other accommodation must submit documentation to the designated office PRIOR to travel. 

Religious accommodation documentation must be sent to the Office of Equity and Civil Rights. Begin the online accommodation request here.

Medical or other accommodation must be submitted to the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services (OADS)  here.  No confidental information is included on the documentation included in Concur.

Where to include in Concur? Copy of approved accommodation must be included with travel request and the expense report as support documentation.  No confidental information is included on the documentation included in Concur.

When to get approval? All accommodations must be approved in writing by the relevant office prior to booking travel, to be considered during the travel approval process.

For questions concerning the accommodation process please contact:

Office of Accessibility and Disability Services: adasupport@umbc.edu

Perfect housing opportunity for an incoming professor, post-doc or doctoral student. The house is in Catonsville on a quiet street, 5 minutes from campus, in a family oriented neighborhood (ie. lots of kids.) 
Available starting August 1 for a 1-year lease.

Rent Includes:

• 2 bedrooms
• 1 + 1/2 bath
• Fully Furnished
• Utilities are included
• High Speed Internet
• Central Heat and A/C
• Washing Machine
• Dish Washer
• Electric Car Plugin

Contact me atbisbell1@umbc.edu

We are delighted to announce the Community Builder Award, the first-ever award created to recognize outstanding members of AAAFSC .

Over the past four years, AAAFSC has experienced tremendous growth, reflected in a significant increase in membership and strong engagement across the community - especially among junior members. Today, we are proud to be one of the strongest affinity groups on campus. This success would not have been possible without the members who consistently contribute their time, ideas, and energy to support one another and strengthen our community.

The Community Builder Award was established to honor and celebrate individuals who exemplify our core values of peer support, informal mentoring, and community building. 

Based on their exceptional engagement and contributions, the AAAFSC leadership team is pleased to recognize the following inaugural recipients:

• Lili Cui,  Physics
• Tejas Gokhale,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Yi Huang,  Mathematics and Statistics
• Riadul Islam,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Prasanna Joeg,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Dong Li,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Weihong Lin,  Biology
• Neha Raikar,  Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering
• Mario Sto. Domingo,  The Meyerhoff Scholars Program
• Rowena Winkler, Career Center
• Fan Yang,  Media and Communication Studies
• Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
• Lira Yoon,  Psychology
• Lei Zhang,  Information Systems

Congratulations to all of our recipients on this well-deserved recognition! 

We are also planning an end-of-year celebration in May. Stay tuned for more details. 

Hi MTC! We hope you're enjoying the warm weather and are ready for some fun upcoming events:

Prom Updates

The votes are in and our prom theme is... Birds of Paradise! Come dressed in an outfit inspired by your favorite feathered friend, have drinks and snacks, and paint birdhouses.

Due to conflicts with Quadmania, the date of our prom has been moved to Wednesday, April 29 and the time extended to 7-10pm. It will still be held in the Apartment Community Center (ACC) Gold Room. We hope to see you there!

Executive Board Election Info

Are you interested in running for a position on the 2026-2027 Executive Board? Complete this short interest form by April 24 at noon. You may apply for as many positions as you would like, though you must been an active member of MTC for at least 2 semesters to run for President.

You can view the available positions and their descriptions here.

Small Fall Director Application

Do you want to direct our 2026 Small Fall musical? Submit an application by May 1 with your desired show, your vision, and your experience. You will then be interviewed by the 2026-2027 Executive Board.

Grease Tickets

Opening night for Grease is one week away! Get your tickets online now or at the door 30 minutes before each performance. Tickets are FREE for UMBC students and $7 for general admission. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing show!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at umbc.mtc@gmail.com.

Blackboard is currently working on improving the Ally Course Accessibility Report. They are collecting feedback from users in a short survey to understand how you use it, what’s working well, and what could be improved. 

If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on the Ally Course Accessibility Report, please Take the Survey. Your feedback will directly help Blackboard make the survey more useful and easier to navigate.

Image: Dashboard screenshot showing Algebra course accessibility score at 72% with a pie chart detailing course content items by type.

For questions about using Ally, please contact Instructional Technology via RT Ticket.

Greetings,

We would love to see this club continue, and need all 3 officer positions filled to do so! Currently, we do not have an applicant for the Treasurer position. If you or anyone you know is looking for a student organization leadership position, please consider Meditation @ UMBC! Learn more about us and what we do on myUMBC!

E-Board Interest Form: https://forms.gle/awSbL7NaXNaw1HL16

Eligibility for Running:

• Must be willing to hold position for 1 full academic year
• Must be willing to build your leadership skills and maintain a safe space for members!

Semesterly Officer Responsibilities:

• Attend Involvement Fest to promote the club (We have an existing poster board)
• Communicate with the Club Advisor/Session Instructor, SGA, and/or SABSC (Student Affairs Business Services Center) as needed
• Communicate with Gathering Space staff for recurrent room reservation
• Set up cushions for each meditation session

New Officers will receive SGA training and tranisiton information from outgoing officers.

Meditation @ UMBC (Meditation Club)

Overall Series Description:

Media Bytes is a signature series  from the Center for Social Justice Dialogue with programs designed and facilitated by Social Justice Dialogue Facilitation Fellows. Programs in this series  invite participants to engage social justice topics through shared media and meaningful dialogue. In this series, we listen to short “bytes” of podcasts, films, or TV clips, or songs and come together for guided conversation. Media Bytes encourages curiosity, critical listening, and collective reflection as we unpack complex issues, one byte at a time.

Session Descriptions:

1. Rest is Resistance 

Wednesday March 25th, 7:00-9:00pm, Women Gender and Equity Center (Commons) 

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152157

Join us for a fun and reflective evening rooted in rest, dialogue, and community! We’ll be watching one of Tricia Hersey’s talks on rest as resistance and engaging in dialogue on how rest and collective care are tools for collective liberation. Come for a chance to reflect, chat with new friends, enjoy some snacks/refreshments, and decorate your own rest journal.

1. The Sound of Resistance: A Lesson From Sinners

Friday April 17th, 4:00-5:30, Commons 318

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152876

Inspired by the film Sinners, this interactive dialogue invites participants to explore how music carries the experiences, struggles, and resilience of communities across generations. Centering the powerful “I Lied To You” scene, we will reflect on the historical role of music in Black culture and examine how songs can communicate truth, challenge injustice, and preserve stories that might otherwise go unheard. Together, we’ll explore how music has shaped social movements, sparked cultural conversations, and united people across differences. By the end of the event, participants will contribute to a collective playlist that reflects the sounds of our generation; songs that capture the power of music to inspire, resist, and create lasting meaning. Join us for an evening of dialogue, reflection, and community as we ask: what gives music the power to transcend generations? 

1. Meaning in Bollywood Music

Monday April 20, 6-8pm, The Center for Wellbeing

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152883

Join us for an engaging and reflective evening centered on music, language, and cultural meaning. Dialogue and Meaning in Bollywood Lyrics invites participants to thoughtfully explore the depth behind popular Bollywood songs, examining how lyrics convey emotion, identity, and cultural narratives that often extend beyond direct translation. Through a guided selection of songs, we will analyze key lyrical excerpts in both their original Hindi/Urdu and English translations. Participants will engage in facilitated dialogue to consider how meaning is shaped by language, context, and personal experience. What nuances are lost or transformed in translation? How do cultural references and poetic expression influence interpretation? This program creates space to critically reflect on these questions while learning from diverse perspectives.