I hope this memo finds y'all well! I'm just writing to inform you all about this year's debate! In collaboration with the Philosophy department, we have organized a talk in the Fine Arts Recital Hall on October fourth (THIS FRIDAY) at 7:30 PM (doors at 7). Four of UMBC's Philosophy professors, Dr. Eric Campbell, Dr. Joonho Lee, Dr. Blake Francis, and Professor James Thomas, will be engaging in a discussion of 'the good life', focusing closely on three specific questions:

After each topic, there will be a Q&A section where the audience can chime in with their questions to further the discussion. 

I will be moderating the debate and I am so excited to see how they narrow these questions down and discuss.

All my heart,

Chloe <3

Hope to see you there!

In this second event of the AI in Practice series, Mike Kentz discusses a new way of using AI, one that leverages your existing skills and removes the fog and mystery from a process we already know and understand. Discover what safe and effective use of AI looks like, thereby bringing you one step closer to incorporating in your classroom in a way that is understandable, effective, and helpful to your students. 

Mike Kentz is an award-winning educator with over 14 years of experience across journalism and teaching. He is a TEDx Speaker and his work in AI in Education has been featured in EdSurge, Edutopia, the Wall Street Journal, Canadian National Radio, and more. His workshops have been formulated as a product of direct classroom experience in 2023-24, when he developed a ground-breaking approach to teaching with AI in the classroom that has since been accepted for presentation at multiple national and regional education conferences. These experiences now inform his unique, humanities-based approach to developing AI literacy among adults and students and helping schools to adapt to the advancement of artificial intelligence.

NDAM's roots go back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with various types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Awareness Month" to address inclusion more broadly.

Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of our population, which brings more celebration to this month, underneath the umbrella of the  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)  celebrating its 32st anniversary, and Section 504 celebrating its 51st Anniversary. This month includes:

and given the beauty and complexity of being human, we respectfully nod to disability-related health conditions that are highlighted at other times.  We see you.  You matter.

Accessibility and Disability Services, remains committed to building on past progress and creating inclusive change as we work in partnership with the entire UMBC community, including Facilities Management, Human Resources and Instructional Technology. Student Disability Services provides support for students with disabilities, as education is a path toward progress.   While huge strides have been made with accessibility and inclusion (which can happen via accommodation), people with disabilities still face discrimination and lack of understanding. and has many events planned - the fight for full inclusion remains (Judy Heumann Ted Talk link). 

Accessibility and Disability Services

Student Disability Services

Retriever Integrated Health includes The Counseling Center as counseling (of course) as well as workshops and group meetings - they are recruiting for their Executive Functioning Workshop now.

Retriever Integrated Health also has a range of health services that support campus members of all abilities in the new, very-accessible Center for Wellbeing  across from Erickson Field (D7 on the map).

Student Organizations:

Faculty Group:  Disability Studies Working Group

October 11: Delta Alpha Pi Disability Honor Society Meeting

October 14: Campus Accessibility Walk

Oct 15: Assistive Tech Open House

October 15: Voice Thread and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 

Oct 16:  Campus Accessibility Presentation with Facilities Management

Oct 16: UDL Guidelines 3.0: What's New and Why It Matters

Oct 17: Create Accessible Documents

Oct 17-19: Superfest Virtual Film Festival

October 22: Cyborg Meets AI Virtual Lecture with Dr. Ashley Shew 4:00

October 25: Dis/Ability on the Job: Accommodations and FML 101 (for non-supervisors)

Read up on UMBC's Style Guide on Inclusive and Affirming Language to communicate well about disability 

Sign up for Accessibility and Disability Services myUMBC page

Go on UMBC's Accessibility Tour to better support your role as an accessibility ambassador.

Report Accessibility Concerns online via the ADS website.

Students (Undergraduate and Graduate):

Check out Student Disability Services Student (SDS) Resource Pages.

Check out Student Disability Services' Faculty Resources Page

As course syllabi are updated, add or confirm UMBC's recommended Disability Syllabus Statement 

Take advantage of all that Instructional Technology and Blackboard (via Ally) have to offer for course accessibility:

Whether through accessible facilities, inclusive policies, or awareness initiatives, each step we take brings us closer to a campus that celebrates diversity and offers a welcoming space for everyone to thrive. Let's embark on this journey together, co-creating a community that values accessibility, dignity, and mutual respect.

A photo of a woman with dreadlocks and noise-canceling headphones sitting at home with a laptop accompanies this post.  Credit: Surface via Unsplash.

Enjoy some of the excellence from this year's Paralympic Games in Paris (they always follow the Olympics)

Ryan Bloom, English department faculty member, has received a highly competitive 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship for Translation. As a recent post from UMBC News notes, Bloom's fellowship will support his work translating "the first complete edition of the French-Algerian author Albert Camus’s notebooks, journals, and other works."

Congratulations, Ryan!

Applications are now being accepted through October 15^th for an internship with the Maryland General Assembly’s Legislative Intern Program. These internships are in-person and located at the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis from January 6 through April 11, 2025. Please notify interested students, who may visit our website for more information:  https://dls.maryland.gov/careers/legislative-intern-program/.