Office of Equity and Inclusion and Inclusion Council Update

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 15:47:49 -0500
diversity

Dear UMBC Community,

I am so pleased and grateful to share that the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) is now a year old. This office was formed through a collaborative, year-long process that included several listening sessions and campus conversations. Key recommendations from students, faculty, staff, and alumni helped create the initial structure for this important work. Much of our work evolved from the large numbers of our community members who participated in our work on addressing sexual violence, which grew into Retriever Courage. We have also been deeply focused on social justice work and will be sharing more information and updates in the coming weeks.

This work changes and evolves regularly and I am grateful and very proud of the flexible and innovative team we have put in place to support our campus community, even as we navigate the challenges presented by a global pandemic, a racial reckoning in our country, changing federal regulations related to civil rights, and a polarizing election.

OEI is responsible for promoting and coordinating the University's core values of inclusive excellence and equity, and has primary responsibility for managing UMBC's efforts related to Title IX, as well as other civil rights issues, including discrimination, harassment, hate, and bias.

We could not do this work without our campus partners and support from the UMBC leadership. Thank you all.

Candace Dodson-Reed
Chief of Staff to the President and Executive Director, OEI

Reminders and Updates

The OEI 2020 Annual Update is now available on the OEI website and includes accomplishment and data from 2020, along with goals for 2021.

As has been shared in the new training, most faculty and staff at UMBC are "responsible employees," meaning they must report any instances of sexual and gender based violence or harassment to OEI. Employees are encouraged to report other instances of discrimination as well. All reports can be made using this online reporting form.

The Inclusion Council brings together students, staff, and faculty across a broad, inclusive spectrum of our campus. The Inclusion Council has been meeting regularly since its formal creation in June, 2020.The Inclusion Council has launched working groups to gather information, develop recommendations, and propose a plan of action with respect to a number of issues that have been identified by our community as priorities. More than 170 students, faculty, staff, and alumni have volunteered to take part in these working groups and plan to present their recommendations to OEI and the UMBC administration at the end of the semester.

More than 75% of students and employees have completed the mandatory Title IX (Sexual Misconduct) training required each year. This training, offered through SafeColleges, is part of the campus's commitment to fostering an inclusive community for everyone. If you have not completed the training, please do so as soon as possible. The deadline is February 15, 2021.

OEI will be hosting a Spring Open House on February 25 at 2 p.m. OEI will give their first annual update as well as be available to answer any questions or concerns. If you would like to attend, please register here.