All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Starting the Spring Semester

Dear UMBC Community,

The first day of classes is always an exciting day, and today is no exception. I am optimistic for what is to come and grateful for the opportunity to begin a new semester with all of you. 

To be sure, we start this semester in a challenging and complicated context. I know that many of us are particularly concerned about the potential effects on higher education of various executive orders and related actions of the new administration in Washington. I want to acknowledge your very real concerns about the potential for direct impacts on individuals, as well as on the education we provide and the research we pursue. 

We are monitoring the developments out of Washington closely. I have assembled a core team of relevant leaders that will meet weekly to understand the changes and how they may affect UMBC. The team will draw on the expertise of the members of the UMBC community to analyze the implications for UMBC and to develop recommendations for how we proceed. As we do, we will keep you apprised.

I want to offer a reminder of ongoing support for all members of our community, including this short list of relevant resources:

In this moment, as in any, we will continue to lead with our mission and vision and remain grounded in our shared values. We will not retreat from our mission as a research university that advances the public good nor from our commitment to creating a campus environment that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all. 

UMBC’s vision statement remains our north star, and I think it bears repeating today: 

Our UMBC community redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. We will advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds.

I am even more inspired by that vision today than I was the first time I heard it, and I am more committed than ever to working with you to achieve it. My best wishes to all of you as we begin the spring semester together. 

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

 


Leadership Announcement for UCM

Dear UMBC Community,
I am pleased to share that I have appointed an interim vice president for University Communications and Marketing (UCM), the university’s central hub for marketing, communications, and brand.
With the assistance of The Registry, a firm that specializes in higher education interim leadership placements, we have secured Tim Cobb, a seasoned marketing and communications leader, to serve as interim vice president starting today, January 8.  
Tim brings more than 29 years of experience in leading strategic marketing and communications efforts for universities and professional service organizations. Most recently, he served as interim executive director of communications and marketing for Bemidji State University in Minnesota, where he successfully launched the university’s first centralized marketing and communications division. Prior to that, in his work as vice president of marketing and communications at Willamette University in Oregon and as vice president for integrated communications and chief marketing officer at Southwestern University in Texas, he was responsible for all marketing and communications—including brand strategy, market research, online marketing, social media, creative development, media planning and buying, public relations, and crisis management. Tim has also spent time leading creative strategy at several marketing agencies.
Tim earned his bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and his master’s in management science from Purdue University. He has also served as president of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of the American Marketing Association and as president of the Portland Advertising Federation.
Tim’s arrival marks an important next step in the continuing evolution of UCM following the departure of Vice President Tracey Reeves at the end of last year. I am so pleased that he has chosen to share his talents with us in this important leadership role at this pivotal time. We have also launched the search for UCM’s permanent vice president, with the goal of filling that position in the coming year.
Please join me in welcoming Tim to Baltimore and to our UMBC community.
Sincerely, 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby

UMBC receives major recognition by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge 

UMBC has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) for innovative planning and efforts to encourage nonpartisan voter engagement in the 2024 election. In December, the university received the ALL IN Highly Established Action Plan Seal with a perfect score, and last month was named an ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. 

UMBC’s campus action plan is considered among the best in the country for building and fostering nonpartisan civic engagement. The 2024 ALL in Highly Established Action Plan recognition was awarded to just 228 higher education institutions with strong plans to promote civic learning, political engagement, and college student voter participation. Action plan strength is determined by reviewing plans with the Strengthening American Democracy Action Planning Rubric.

The 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. UMBC joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions: participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge; sharing 2022 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN; developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN; having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. 

“Everyone stepped up”

Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, shared, “The research is clear: colleges and universities that make intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement have higher campus voter registration and voter turnout rates. This year we saw more colleges than ever before step up their efforts to ensure that their students were registered and ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box.” 

During the fall semester, students, faculty, and staff all contributed to UMBC’s efforts to plan and engage its community in the 2024 election. From voting education initiatives developed and hosted by Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff and others, to voter registration efforts from various campus units and student organizations, to intentional spaces for processing and learning together, everyone helped members of our community cast their whole vote. 

“More than we have ever seen, everyone stepped up,” said Ricky Blissett ‘11, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. “Every week, we would hear from people on our campus asking, ‘How can I help?’ Students, both as individuals and as leaders of campus organizations; staff, including those representing academic, student affairs, and other campus departments; faculty from every part of our academic community; alumni who participated in programming—from every corner of our campus, people created opportunities for the UMBC community to connect with the election in ways that centered dialogue, exploration of values, and care for one another. We will sustain that momentum as we move forward into the future.”

The “Highly Established Action Plan” and “Most Engaged Campuses” came into being in 2022 and are awarded during election years. UMBC earned both in 2022 and now, 2024. This is the first year UMBC received a perfect score for its action plan. In September 2024, UMBC was recognized for Excellence in Student Voter Registration and Turnout During the 2022 Midterm Elections. 

Wishing You a Wonderful Winter Break

Dear UMBC Community,
As the year comes to a close, I would like to share my best wishes for a joyful winter break for you and your loved ones.
Throughout the seasons, I appreciate everything you do to embody UMBC’s core value of inclusive excellence and to make UMBC such a wonderful place to learn and work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Wishing you a restful break!
Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

Strategic Planning Fall Update ↗

Dear UMBC Community, 
As the fall semester quickly comes to a close, I write with a brief update on our work to develop the next strategic plan for UMBC. When I wrote to you in November about strategic planning, I noted that the input and feedback of the broad UMBC community is essential to the success of our plan. It is in response to your feedback that we have decided to expand the strategic plan steering committee to ensure a more comprehensive and representative body to oversee our work. The newly expanded committee, which I am chairing, comprises the following members: 
  • Renique T. Kersh, Vice President, Student Affairs (vice chair)
  • Shannon Tinney Lichtinger, Director, Institutional Research (strategic planning project manager)
  • Lynne Adams, Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Aminah Amjad, Vice President, Graduate Student Association
  • Crocetta Argento, Senator, Nonexempt Staff Senate
  • Tanyka M. Barber, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Institutional Equity
  • Robert J. Bennett, Chair, Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee and Part-time Lecturer, English
  • Meghna Chandrasekaran, President, Student Government Association
  • Felipe Filomeno, Associate Professor and Director, Global Studies (Faculty Senate representative at-large)
  • Kacey Hammel, Chief of Staff to the President
  • Kathleen Hoffman, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics and Associate Dean, Faculty Development (CMNS representative)
  • Vandana Janeja, Professor, Information Systems and Associate Dean, Research and Faculty Development (COEIT representative)
  • Nicole King, Associate Professor, American Studies (CAHSS representative)
  • Nancy Kusmaul, President, Faculty Senate 
  • Yvette Mozie-Ross, Vice Provost, Enrollment Management and Planning
  • Cael Mulcahy, Vice President, Exempt Staff Senate 
  • Jenny O’Grady, Assistant Vice President, Strategic Content and UMBC Magazine Editor, University Communications and Marketing
  • Christopher P. Steele, Vice Provost, Division of Professional Studies
  • Karl V. Steiner, Vice President, Division of Research and Creative Achievement
  • Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann, Vice President, Government Relations and Community Affairs
  • John M. Young, Chief of Staff to the Provost
This expanded steering committee met in early December for initial conversations with President Valerie Sheares Ashby, hearing directly from her about the value of a strategic plan and the opportunity before us now to chart a course for UMBC’s future. President Sheares Ashby shared with the committee her sense of the high-level aspirations and directions that will frame the strategic plan—themes that reflect the input of the community during the Bold Conversations. 
We are also reviewing the nearly 800 responses we received to the recent Core Values Survey. Our thanks to all who participated; we are grateful for your engagement. Preliminary analysis of the results shows consistency with what we heard in the Bold Conversations, particularly around the shared values of inclusive excellence, student success, academic excellence, community engagement, and an innovation mindset. 
We look forward to sharing more with you as this process progresses in the spring semester, including opportunities for you to continue to engage. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season. 
Sincerely,
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen 
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Take UMBC’s Strategic Planning Survey by November 17 ↗

Dear UMBC Community, 
Last week, I was thrilled to share that UMBC is kicking off a strategic planning process this semester. This is an exciting opportunity for us to envision UMBC’s future together and determine how we can be a catalyst for progress in higher education. Your input is essential to this work; we  will include the broad UMBC community in a variety of ways throughout this year-long process. 
Foundational to envisioning the future of any organization is understanding our shared values—the fundamental beliefs or principles that guide our core work, actions, and goals. To that end, we would like to invite all students, faculty, and staff to take this short, anonymous survey so that we may assess the values important to our community. Please complete the survey by November 17. 
If you have questions, please contact Shannon Tinney Lichtinger, strategic planning project manager and director of institutional research in the Office of Institutional Research, Analysis, and Decision Support.
In the coming weeks, you will receive additional information about the strategic planning website and timeline, including opportunities for the campus community to be involved in shaping UMBC’s next strategic plan. 
Until then, thank you for your continued commitment and investment of time and energy into ensuring that UMBC is ready for its bright future ahead. 
Sincerely, 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen 
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

On the Eve of Election 2024

Dear UMBC Community,
 
Tomorrow is a milestone occasion in our civic life and, no matter the outcomes, a historic event. On the eve of Election Day, we write with a reminder of our values as an inclusive community and with encouragement to seek resources for support as you need them, whether today, tomorrow, or in the days and weeks ahead.
 
First, VOTE! The early voting period in Maryland has now ended, but we encourage all who are eligible to and have not yet voted to show up to the polls tomorrow, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and cast your ballot. For more information, please see UMBC’s Election Central website.
 
It may seem obvious, but it is important for us to remember that we do not all hold the same political views. That is a very good thing. We treasure the diversity of this community, which enriches us all and shapes the educational experience that UMBC provides. Please continue to hold close our shared values of inclusive excellence, respectful discourse, and civic engagement. Doing so can take many forms today and in the coming days. Among other things, it could be students expressing viewpoints respectfully, whether in the classroom or a social setting; it could be faculty setting clear expectations for discussion and leading by example; it could mean honoring others’ wishes to not discuss politics; or it could mean giving grace to friends, classmates, colleagues, and others who are struggling.  
 
Nationally, election-related stress has been building for months and is peaking now, and our community members are likely feeling a range of emotions. After the polls close, emotions will still be wide-ranging, perhaps for quite some time. Beyond election-related stress, it also is true that we are in what is always a busy time of the semester, when workloads are heavy and deadlines loom large. Please use and share these resources:
Resources for Care and Support
 
Resources for Building Support for Social Change and Constructive Dialogue for Dissenting Views
 
We are grateful every day for this community and for the commitment of our students, faculty, and staff to being engaged and informed global citizens. You know that your voice matters and that it is our shared responsibility to attend to our community and our democracy. Thank you for your dedication and care.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby
 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Toward a New Strategic Plan for UMBC ↗

Dear UMBC Community, 
As I shared with you at the Fall Opening Meeting, this semester we will re-engage with the work to develop the next strategic plan for UMBC. Strategic planning is an important process in any organization and provides an opportunity to focus the work we do together to best serve our students and community. Strategic planning is also an opportunity to be visionary, to envision UMBC’s future together and determine how we can be a catalyst in advancing higher education. Having led several strategic planning efforts, I have seen how this process can bring out the best in an organization and its people, and I so much look forward to working with you on the strategic plan. 
Your input is essential, and we will be including the broad UMBC community in a variety of ways throughout this year-long process. Such opportunities build on the work that so many of you shared throughout the past year, including the 22 Bold Conversations that saw more than 1,000 participants engage in discussions about UMBC’s distinctive strengths, its challenges, and our aspirations for the future. In addition, there are many other initiatives currently going on—for example, the Middle States Self-Study and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Self-Study—that will help inform the great opportunities we have as a UMBC community to set a course for the future. As we move forward with the strategic planning process, we will also ensure that our goals and priorities align with the University System of Maryland’s Vision 2030 plan and the Maryland Higher Education Commission goals. 
Throughout my first four months at UMBC, it has been clear to me that one of UMBC’s key strengths is its people—their dedication, commitment, and innovative mindset. I have worked over these months to develop an approach to strategic planning, and to help lead this work, I have engaged a strategic plan steering committee, which I will chair, comprising these members: 
  • Renique T. Kersh, Vice President, Student Affairs (vice chair)
  • Aminah Amjad, Vice President, Graduate Student Association
  • Tanyka M. Barber, Vice President, Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer
  • Meghna Chandrasekaran, President, Student Government Association 
  • Nancy Kusmaul, Associate Professor, Social Work and President, Faculty Senate 
  • Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, Vice Provost, Enrollment Management and Planning
  • Christopher P. Steele, Vice Provost, Professional Studies
  • Karl V. Steiner, Vice President, Research and Creative Achievement
  • Shannon Tinney Lichtinger, Director, Institutional Research (strategic planning project manager)
  • Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann ’06, Vice President, Government Relations and Community Affairs
In the coming weeks, we will share additional information about our timeline for this process, including opportunities for the campus community to be involved in shaping UMBC’s next strategic plan. 
Until then, thank you for your continued commitment and investment of time and energy into ensuring that UMBC is ready for its bright future ahead. 
Sincerely, 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen 
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Care and Compassion For Our Community

Dear UMBC Community,
 
With the semester now in full swing and the impacts of many national and international issues and events being felt deeply by our campus community members, I write today to express my support and my belief in this community and share a reminder of resources available to you. 
 
UMBC’s values—among them, its rich diversity of perspectives and backgrounds and its commitment to respectful discourse—are the strong foundation upon which this community was built and continues to thrive. I see our students, faculty, and staff living these values every day. It is in times of challenge, including when events on or beyond our campus threaten to divide us, and when members of our community are struggling, that we are reminded of the responsibility that comes with the privilege of being a member of this community: to care for it, and for each other. 
 
Resources exist for helping us do just that, and many are listed below. Please seek them. In addition, beginning this week, i3b and the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being are hosting a series of shared spaces for reflection, partnering weekly with UMBC staff and Religious Council members. Separately, UMBC Counseling staff will be available in Commons 327 from noon to 2 p.m. on October 7. If you or someone you know has an immediate concern, please contact Retriever CARE.
 
I ask all members of our community to be mindful that classmates and colleagues may be struggling and to show one another a generous amount of grace and compassion in the days and weeks ahead. 
 
I offer another reminder and a caution, as well: It is our collective work to ensure that every member of our community feels safe, welcome, and valued. We do not tolerate harassment, bias, or discrimination. I ask that you review the relevant policies listed below, and I urge you to report incidents through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights’ online reporting form, by emailing ecr@umbc.edu, or by calling 410-455-1717.
 
We are living in consequential and complicated times, to be sure. We see human suffering across all of society, and some days, the good news is hard to find. But there is good news every day on this campus, and inspiration in our educational mission and the dedication of our students, faculty, and staff to contribute to the betterment of humanity. I am proud of and grateful for UMBC.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby 
 
 
Resources for Care and Support
 
Resources for Building Support for Social Change and Constructive Dialogue for Dissenting Views
 
Campus Safety and Security
 
UMBC Policies and Other Resources
 

Hrabowski Fund for Innovation awardees announced

UMBC’s Faculty Development Center has announced the projects selected to receive grants in the 2023 – 2024 rounds of the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation competition. The Fund supports initiatives to enhance teaching and learning at UMBC, with specific emphasis on innovative approaches to increase student success. 

“These high-profile awards emphasize the university’s ongoing commitment to support faculty and staff efforts in innovation in teaching and learning,” says Kerrie Kephart, interim director, Faculty Development Center. “Projects funded from the Hrabowski Fund are often catalysts for the broader adoption of innovative teaching and student success initiatives across campus.”

Proposals for the next round are due by October 25, 2024. For more information and to apply, visit UMBC’s Faculty Development Center website. Many awardees will be sharing their work during the poster/demo session at the Eighth Annual Provost’s Teaching and Learning Symposium (PT&LS) on Friday, September 27. Please see the PT&LS myUMBC post for more information and to register for the symposium.

UMBC recognized for excellence in student voter registration and turnout during the 2022 midterm elections

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recently recognized UMBC for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. UMBC received the 2022 America East Campus Votes Highest Registration Rate and a Silver Seal from ALL IN based on the university’s 2022 campus voting rate from its National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that engagement with democracy is a defining feature of campus life.

UMBC was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the NSLVE out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. 

“UMBC students are highly engaged in their communities, and our strong voter registration and turnout rates are important ways in which that engagement shows up,” says David Hoffman, Ph.D. ‘13, language, literacy, and culture, director of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life. “I’m especially proud that so many student organizations and campus departments are working together to support and expand that culture of engagement. Not everyone is eligible to register to vote, but all of us can help build communities and a society in which everyone can thrive.”

a group of people stand around a ballot box to encourage voters on campus
Sunil Dasgupta, Musa Jafri ’23, Markya Reed ’18, M.S. ’23, David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, and Tess McRae ’22 gather around the mail in ballot drop off box on campus in 2022. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Hoffman adds, “This is timely news, as we are in the midst of working with campus partners to provide resources and events to encourage turnout in Election 2024. The stakes are high, so register and vote if you are eligible!” 

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses like UMBC, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge strives to change civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs on college campuses, making voter participation a defining feature of campus life. More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN. The Center for Democracy and Civic Life hosted ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge leaders at UMBC on August 29 so they could pilot a voter registration workshop directed at staff and student leaders.

Happy Fall Semester! ↗

Dear Students,
 
With the first few days of classes officially in the books, I hope you are settling in well to new routines, new classes, and new spaces, and I hope you are as excited as I am as we embark upon the fall semester together.
 
Anyone who knows me knows that the start of the academic year fills me with joy and inspiration. I am reminded of the meaning and importance of our mission and the remarkable human beings who constitute our beloved UMBC community. It was such a delight for our new provost, Manfred van Dulmen, and me to see this place abuzz with students as we walked around campus on the first day of classes and to visit with many of you at numerous welcome events last week. We are thrilled you are here, and we wish you all the best for a wonderful year ahead!
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby
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