Check some ways you and/or your office can stay connected with the wider UMBC community this week by informing you of select events, programs, resources, as well as some tips and tricks to maximize your virtual campus experience.
Here are some items to check out this week (June 29th - July 2nd)
Call To Action
In recent weeks, there have been a series of developments related to immigration and international travel policies that affect our community. We wish to take this opportunity to provide an update, resources for those affected, and affirm our university value of welcoming inspiring and inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. We know that this is a stressful time for those who are impacted by these decisions and we encourage you to seek support. IES will be hosting a virtual town hall on Monday, June 29, at 3 p.m. eastern for anyone in the UMBC community who would like more information about these decisions. Students in need of emotional support are encouraged to contact the Counseling Center. Community members in need of a safe space for advocacy and relationship-building are encouraged to contact the Mosaic. Faculty and staff can access individual support through our Employee Assistance Program. If you feel you have been affected by racism, discrimination, or xenophobia, please know that the Office of Equity and Inclusion is available to support you.
Events and Engagement
For Staff & Faculty: Lost + Found: Faculty + Staff Summer Care Discussion Series
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | 2:00-3:30p.m. | Online
We have collectively hit weary - some of us have been there for a long time. The need for community and the need for care is (and has been) palpable.We see you. We believe you. You matter. We want to come together with you and for you in all the ways you’re showing up right now. In order to do this, the Women’s Center is providing care space this summer for faculty and staff to be in community together as we continue remote work, distance learning, and navigating the ever-evolving context in which our lives go on. We invite faculty and staff interested in coming together to explore various topics like grief + loss, empathy, wholeness, and showing up for others and how these experiences intersect with the necessary physical isolation of working and living through a pandemic. This care space will also be intentional in holding space to explore the ways in which these topics intersect and inform our experiences with the movement for racial justice, healing, and accountability.
For Incoming and Current Students: Where My People At? Session I: LGBTQ+ at UMBC
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | 3:00-4:15 p.m. | Online via Webex
This is a three part mini-series that highlights each of our centers and the communities we serve. Our first session will focus on The Pride Center. This will be our first ever virtual open house focusing on LGBTQ+ Engagement at UMBC. Join us and learn about The Pride Center, meet current LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty, and More! The other two sessions will be posted soon and will focus on the Interfaith Center/Spiritual Engagement in July and the Mosaic/Multicultural Engagement in August.
For Students and Alumni: Alumni Perspectives: Intern Like a Pro
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 | Noon-1:00 p.m. | Online
As you may know, there are many benefits to participating in applied learning opportunities -- internships, research and co-ops, but how do you successfully navigate being an intern, especially during this pandemic? Attend this interactive session and listen to UMBC alumni share tips and strategies on how to intern like a pro. Discussion pertaining to strategies for successfully navigating remote internships will also be included. Simply click on the GOING button below to also let us know you are attending. Questions? Email Susan Hindle at shindle@umbc.edu. NOTE: The link to this virtual event will be added closer to the date. See the full schedule of Career Launch Summer Series events.
Click here for a full list of UMBC Events.
Update for on-campus events from Campus Life’s Events Conference Services (ECS): As UMBC acts on guidance from the University System of Maryland and public health leaders working to limit the spread of COVID-19, and until we have additional details on the state of in-person events, we will be removing all fall 2020 event requests from 25Live and maintaining any spring 2021 event request in Tentative Status. Decisions on how to host these events in the future will be consistent with the University’s commitment to the health and safety of the UMBC community, our partners, and our guests. While we do not have final details, we know that physical distancing guidelines will dramatically change the capacity and availability of our spaces, which is part of why we are taking these actions now. We ask that you remain patient alongside our office as we manage this new environment together. As the campus develops official guidance on the appropriate safety precautions and procedures required to host events in UMBC facilities we will follow-up with our 25Live schedulers to resume the scheduling and advising process. For the most up-to-date information, please visit UMBC’s COVID-19 resource website. Thank you for your patience and partnership during this challenging time.
Resources
Stories
This Retriever opinion article was written by Anjali Dassarma: University System of Maryland: Stop buying into current prison labor system
Contact Info
Website: umbc.edu/together
Email: together@umbc.edu
Social Media: #UMBCTogether
Today's talk is How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them by Verna Myers. Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how.
Today's talk is How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them by Verna Myers. Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how.