The University System of Maryland (USM) hosted a Civic Education and Civic Engagement Symposium on Friday, November 3, to focus attention on the urgent need to prepare students to engage productively in civic life. Vice President for Student Affairs Renique Kersh, Ph.D., and Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life David Hoffman Ph.D. '13, joined other staff, faculty, and student leaders as members of UMBC's delegation. UMBC Student Government Association President Musa Jafri '24, political science, addressed the gathering as part of a panel of student leaders.

Participants heard USM Chancellor Jay Perman identify "committed citizenship" as "the premise and the promise of higher education," and declare with respect to student learning outcomes that informed, engaged, ethical civic participation "matters more than anything else." U.S. Senator Ben Cardin added that from his perspective, "civilization is at risk today" because of the erosion of democratic norms, and that the role of higher education in strengthening democracy is to educate students for community leadership.

Jafri emphasized the importance of civic engagement in everyday settings, not just on Election Day. USM Associate Vice Chancellor Nancy Shapiro, the Symposium's convener, affirmed and amplified Jafri's statements, emphasizing the importance of local civic engagement, and naming that "local" for students includes the campus communities of which they are members.

Each campus delegation now has the opportunity to develop a grant proposal to assist with infusing civic learning into the curriculum.

Four Residential Life staff members presented at the ACPA - College Student Educators International's Institute for the Curricular Approach (ICA) in October 2023: Assistant Director for Residential Education Chris Ambrose, Community Director Sam Ferrigno, Community Director Danielle Parker, and Residential Education and Leadership Coordinator Grace Collins. Community Director Charlito Iwuagwu helped develop the presentation, entitled "The 'With' Box - Infusing Restorative Practices in the Review Process."

UMBC Residential Life was chosen as an ICA spotlight institution because of its well-developed residential curriculum that is rooted in restorative practices. Ambrose says, "It was a great professional development opportunity for all of us. We really enjoyed showcasing our institution and all of the hard work that has gone into making our residential education experience strong for our students." 

Presenters shared UMBC's journey in the review process of the residential curriculum, the creation process in improving areas within the curriculum, and the benefits of implementing the restorative philosophy throughout the whole process. They engaged key stakeholders, including RA's, the Residential Education Team (community directors and some graduate assistants), and residents. Outcomes included gaining more information about residents' knowledge and experience with the curriculum; assessing curriculum implementation and creating supporting tools to improve implementation; and revising curriculum sequencing and creating better learning outcomes.