The Social Justice Dialogues Cohort Experience (SJDCE) at UMBC invites participants from all perspectives and experiences to engage in meaningful conversations across difference. Rooted in intergroup dialogue theory, SJDCE provides a space to learn and practice the skills, tools, and mindsets necessary for effective communication across diverse identities and lived experiences — with courage, empathy, and openness.

The Social Justice Dialogue Cohort Experiences at UMBC are 8 two-hour dialogue circles that bring together students, faculty, and staff, to engage in sustained, facilitated dialogue across difference. Each cohort meets weekly within one of UMBC's vibrant cultural centers: The Mosaic, The Pride Center, and The Gathering Space.

In a time of growing polarization and deepening social divides, and fear surrounding living authentically, the Social Justice Dialogues Cohort Experience (SJDCE) offers a way forward, not through debate or persuasion, but through connection, listening, and shared learning.

Cohorts will be split between faculty/staff and students (both undergraduate and graduate), allowing participants to forge meaningful relationships with peers similarly passionate about social change, leadership and humanizing pedagogies. 

Students interested in applying for the pilot program can do so here. Additionally, faculty and staff can nominate students by emailing csjdialogue@umbc.edu by March 10.

Faculty and staff can apply here. Applications are due by March 12.

This is a pilot that is a part of a larger research project, meaning cohort sizes are limited and the 2026 sessions will be used to collect data for assessment purposes.

These events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

To view the original myUMBC post click the link below:
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/posts/157087

Inclusive excellence has long been a cultural touchstone at UMBC. Before now, we haven't had a definition or any other shared language to describe what we mean. This is your chance to inform our definition. Leaders in the Division of Institutional Equity have drafted a framework for inclusive excellence, and we want your input! 

The framework aims to articulate our community's shared commitments in a way that can communicate our values, guide action, inspire new collaboration, and support the development and implementation of UMBC's next strategic plan.

Join The Centers for Social Justice Dialogue and Democracy and Civic Life for UMBC Talks, which are 90-minute, co-facilitated dialogues designed to support your engagement with the framework. Each UMBC Talk will be the same, so please sign up for the one that best suits your schedule. We hope to see you there. Come and leave your mark on this important moment in UMBC's history. 

Spring Semester Open Forums

Friday, April 10, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., UC 312 -Foregrounding faculty and staff experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Wednesday, April 15, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., UC 312 - Open to everyone. Conversations will be held in mixed groups.

Friday, April 24, 10:00 a.m. - noon, UC 312 -Foregrounding graduate student experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Friday, April 24, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., UC 312 -Foregrounding undergraduate student experiences but open to everyone, with opportunities for all participants to be in conversation with people with similar UMBC affiliations.

Tuesday, April 28, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., Virtual - Open to everyone. Conversations will be held in mixed groups.

Stay tuned for potential additional dates! Download the attached flyer to post or share.

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UMBC Talks is a collaborative initiative that aims to enhance the sense of community, vibrancy, and well-being at UMBC through guided community conversations that reestablish our commitment to inclusive excellence and foster a sense of pride for what it truly
means to be a UMBC Retriever. Using this framework offers a dialogic process for gathering community input on shared values.

If you have any questions about this feedback process, please feel free to reach out to Drs. Ciara Christian and David Hoffman at culture@umbc.edu.

These events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

 

 

Join Us at the Dialogue Symposium!

We are thrilled to invite you to the Dialogue Symposium: Bringing Campus and Communities Together, a unique space to explore how dialogue can deepen connection, foster inclusion, and shape the way we work together across campuses and communities. This event will feature interactive sessions, hands-on workshops, peer-led exchanges, and kick off with a dynamic keynote fishbowl conversation you won't want to miss. Register today!

Meet Our Keynote Speakers

We're honored to present a distinguished group of leaders whose work advances dialogue, inclusion, and community engagement:

• Dr. Felipe Filomeno — Professor of Political Science and Director of the Global Studies Program at UMBC. His interdisciplinary work on immigration, civic engagement, dialogue, and human development brings a global and community-centered lens to the conversation

• Dr. Bridget Turner-Kelly — Associate Professor in Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Turner-Kelly's expertise in student development and campus community building highlights how dialogue supports belonging and transformational learning.

• Rhonda Fitzgerald — Executive Director of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, where she brings decades of leadership to efforts empowering campuses and communities to use sustained dialogue for conflict transformation and inclusive engagement.

• Dr. Brighid Dwyer — Vice Dean for Academic Excellence & Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences and Vice Chair of the Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center Board. Dr. Dwyer brings decades of leadership in higher education and intergroup dialogue, offering insight into structural and educational approaches to inclusive campus climates.

What Makes This Keynote Special?

Instead of a traditional panel, our keynote will be presented as a fishbowl conversation — a structured, participatory dialogue method in which a small group discusses key questions in the center while others observe and engage. This format allows for vibrant, inclusive exchange and reflects the very principles of active listening and shared meaning-making that dialogue advocates. 

Whether you're new to dialogue or an experienced practitioner, this conversation will offer rich insights into the benefits and challenges of dialogue as a campus and community approach, and create space for reflection, connection, and shared learning.

Don't Miss Out — Register Today!

Spaces are limited, and interest is growing. Whether you're an administrator, educator, student, facilitator, or community member, this symposium offers opportunities to build skills, connect with peers, and be part of shaping dialogue practice across our region.

Register now and be part of this engaging, thought-provoking event! Link to register: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qT4mFIw7bWNZFY

We look forward to seeing you there — ready to listen, share, and learn together!

Session 3: Imagining Justice and Belonging Together

Session 2: Understanding Identity in Community

3. Imagining Justice and Belonging Together, 11/19

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.