Jennifer Artis, senior director of student belonging, and Dr. Samantha Smith, director, Office of Health Promotion (OHP), were selected for the 2024 Ujima Institute Cohort, held in October. The institute, part of NASPA, offers an intensive, challenging, and collegial learning environment for student affairs professionals as they develop culturally relevant leadership skills that leverage their unique ethnic heritages and histories and prepare to lead increasingly diverse institutions.

Ujima is the third principle of Kwanzaa and embodies an active commitment to the collective and to shared liberation. Inherent to the principle of Ujima is sharing in one another's achievements and hardships. Ujima, as a practice, assumes that the reconstruction of the history and humanity of the African diaspora is a fundamental part of the struggle for human liberation. The principle of Ujima serves as the foundation for this institute, which has been envisioned and developed by senior level leaders committed to investing in building successive generations of student affairs leaders with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to build vibrant, diverse, global, and socially just higher education environments. 

“I am thrilled that both Jennifer and Samantha were selected for the Ujima Institute,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Renique Kersh. “The principles of Ujima are exactly the principles that I hope all leaders across the division will embody in our work and as we engage with partners across the University. I look forward to seeing how the lessons learned through this experience show up both in Jennifer and Samantha’s work and throughout the division.”

Dr. Smith shared, “The Ujima Institute was a well-timed pause from the hussle of the campus to re-discover and begin to uncover the leader that I am destined to be. This transformative experience allowed me to better understand the nuances of student affairs practice and cultivate strategies to better infuse health and wellbeing into those strategies. I believe this experience will allow me to better co-create with students and provide robust support for each team member within OHP and the greater UMBC community.”

Cohort members chart a plan for professional growth that addresses key competencies, career discernment, and personal values; experience safe space to share and strategize about navigating institutional challenges and politics with integrity and cultural alignment; and develop mentoring relationships with senior student affairs leaders invested in their success.

Artis explains, “The Ujima Institute came at exactly the right moment! Unlike many conferences where I focus solely on gathering resources for the communities I serve, this experience allowed me to invest in myself and refill my own cup, which was running low. Though I wasn’t sure what to expect initially, I quickly realized I was exactly where I needed to be. Surrounded by inspiring Black student affairs professionals and leaders, I gained invaluable insights, built lasting connections, and reignited my passion. This transformative experience will shape both my personal and professional journey, and I am deeply grateful to the Ujima Institute for offering such an empowering space for growth and reflection.”