Dear colleagues,

We are excited to invite you to partner with the Division of Institutional Equity in an ongoing, community-wide effort to foster a more loving, inclusive, and just campus: Culture Builders @ UMBC.

Culture building is the intentional practice of shaping the values, relationships, and everyday practices that define how we live, learn, and lead together. In a time marked by polarization and a loss of shared humanity, creating an inclusive culture requires all of us—each of us has a role to play.

Culture Builders @ UMBC is an academic-year cohort for staff and faculty who are interested in deepening their capacity to support meaningful culture change in their local contexts. This is not a traditional training or a space for quick fixes. Instead, the cohort invites participants into a process of reflection, dialogue, and practice that supports more sustained and thoughtful approaches to inclusive excellence.

As a Culture Builder, you will:

• Engage in critical, practice-based conversations about identity, community, and belonging

• Reflect on your own role in shaping culture within your department, unit, or sphere of influence

• Learn alongside colleagues across roles and disciplines

• Develop a context-specific action plan and implementation strategy to support culture change over time

Throughout the year, participants will be guided through a process of deepening awareness, grappling with complexity, and taking thoughtful action in their work.

This year’s cohort will engage Valarie Kaur’s See No Stranger as a shared text to support reflection and dialogue. The book will serve as a conversation partner as we explore what it means to build a more just and connected campus community. All participants will receive a copy.

What to Expect:

• Small cohort experience: 10 staff and faculty participants will be selected from across campus
• Monthly cohort sessions: 2-hour meetings for reflection, dialogue, and applied learning
• Small group connections: Opportunities for ongoing support and accountability
• Culture Change Project: Each participant will develop a strategic action plan, with the goal of piloting a program, initiative, or practice where appropriate
• Campus engagement: Participants will contribute to a shared kickoff event in the fall and a final showcase of learning

If you are already engaged in equity-focused work—or looking for a meaningful way to begin—this is your invitation to join a community committed to building the culture we want to see at UMBC.

APPLY TODAY

Please complete the application form HERE by April 30, 2026.

Supervisor support is required and must be submitted by May 1, 2026 via the Supervisor Support Form. Applications will be reviewed after the deadline, and participants will be notified in mid-May.

We look forward to building a thoughtful and engaged cohort for the year ahead.

Call for Events, Programs, and Ideas: Cultural Heritage Month Curations

DOIE is excited to work toward a unified announcement of events, programs, and initiatives in celebration of upcoming Cultural Heritage Months. 

This is your opportunity to highlight events and programs, or offer fresh ideas for engagement. Whether you are planning an event or simply have an idea you would like to support in bringing to life, we want to hear from you. 

We are currently curating for:

• Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15); 

• LGBTQ History Month (October); 

• Disability Cultural Month (October); 

• Native American Heritage Month (November);

• Black History Month (February);

• Women’s History Month (March); and

• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May).

Updated application details: 

To be considered, please use THIS FORM to provide the personal information and your statement of interest by May 30, 2025. Additionally, your immediate supervisor must complete and submit the Supervisor Support Form, indicating their endorsement of your participation and commitment to supporting your proposed Culture Builders initiative by May 30, 2025.

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Call for Culture Builders

We are excited to invite you to partner with the Division of Institutional Equity in an ongoing, community-wide effort to foster a more loving, inclusive, and just campus: Culture Builders.

Culture building is the intentional practice of developing shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape how we live, learn, and lead together. In a time marked by polarization and a loss of shared humanity, creating an inclusive culture requires all of us. Each of us has a role to play.

More than a semesterly speaker series, Culture Builders is a call to action. It’s a space where faculty and staff can deepen their commitment to inclusive excellence by:

• Engaging in critical conversations about identity, community, and belonging

• Centering shared values that draw us closer across lines of difference

• Exploring practices and programs that support inclusive engagement, teaching, service, leadership, and scholarship

• Co-creating a campus culture where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported

We invite you to join the fall '25 Culture Builders Cohort as a thought partner, co-sponsor, and co-facilitator. This fall’s shared text will be Critical Hope by Dr. Kari Grain—a powerful exploration of how we can lead with clarity, complexity, and care in the pursuit of justice. 

Drawing from the book’s key themes—including the importance of grounded action over naïve optimism, leading with imagination, and cultivating hope through reflection and radical relationships—our fall cohort will focus on how these practices can shape UMBC’s culture of inclusive excellence. Explore the fall themes HERE.

What to Expect:

• Small cohort experience: Only 8 Culture Builders will be selected per semester. Culture builders will represent their office/department.

• Shared learning: Culture Builders will participate in three virtual dialogues (July, August, and September) to explore the book and identify themes and values that can inform institutional change. We will provide each participant with a free copy of Critical Hope.

• Campus engagement: Each Culture Builder will host a fall event, program, or learning opportunity connected to cohort themes. We will provide up to $500 in funding per event.

• Community connection: All Culture Builders will promote and attend the fall Culture Builders keynote event in November. We will host and fully fund this event and provide 20 free copies of Critical Hope to audience members.

To explore the ideas behind the book, you can listen to the following podcast interviews with Dr. Kari Grain: Critical Hope for Educators: Equity Analysis, Possibility, and Responsibility. You might also read The Social Justice Turn: Cultivating "Critical Hope" in an Age of Despair by Kari M. Grain and Darren E. Lund.

If you’re already leading equity-centered work or seeking a way to begin, this is your invitation! Become a Culture Builder and help shape the culture we want to see at UMBC.