To all our hardworking graduate students: we see the late nights in the lab, the endless research, and the dedication you pour into your work every single day. You are a vital part of what makes UMBC move.

Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW) is our way of hitting "pause" on the grind so you can take up space, find your rhythm, and be celebrated for the incredible impact you have on this campus. From wellness sessions to game nights and a formal prom, this week is all about you. You’ve earned the right to relax, connect, and enjoy the community you help build.

FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC FOR ALL GSAW INFO!

Pre-GSAW Kickoff Events

TODAY - Game Night with Military and Veterans

• Friday, April 3 | 3–6 p.m.
• Gameroom, The Commons

TOMORROW - Grad Outing to Dave & Busters

• Saturday, April 4 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Off Campus

GSAW Event Schedule

Grad Wellness Day | Monday, April 6

• Wellness Tabling 
• 1–3 p.m.
• The Commons, Main Street

• Candle Making 
• 3–5 p.m.
• The Commons, Room 329

• Break the Mold (Pottery & Networking)
• 4–6 p.m. 
• The Commons, Fireside Lounge (with The Office of Health Promotion)

GEARS Research Symposium & 3MT

• Tuesday, April 7 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• UC Ballroom

Grad Bingo Night

•  Wednesday, April 8 | 4–7 p.m.
•  UC Ballroom
• RSVP & FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC

Grad Cultural Day

• Thursday, April 9 | 12–4 p.m
• UC Ballroom

Career Paths by The Graduate School

• Thursday, April 9 | 5–8:30 p.m.
• Fireside Lounge, The Commons

Grad Prom & Awards

• Friday, April 10 | 5–8 p.m.
• UC Ballroom
• RSVP & FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC

Note:All programs and events are open to full participation by all individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category.

Effective immediately, travelers seeking an exceptions due to a religious, medical, or other accommodation must submit documentation to the designated office PRIOR to travel. 

Religious accommodation documentation must be sent to the Office of Equity and Civil Rights. Begin the online accommodation request here.

Medical or other accommodation must be submitted to the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services (OADS)  here.  No confidental information is included on the documentation included in Concur.

Where to include in Concur? Copy of approved accommodation must be included with travel request and the expense report as support documentation.  No confidental information is included on the documentation included in Concur.

When to get approval? All accommodations must be approved in writing by the relevant office prior to booking travel, to be considered during the travel approval process.

For questions concerning the accommodation process please contact:

Office of Accessibility and Disability Services: adasupport@umbc.edu

Perfect housing opportunity for an incoming professor, post-doc or doctoral student. The house is in Catonsville on a quiet street, 5 minutes from campus, in a family oriented neighborhood (ie. lots of kids.) 
Available starting August 1 for a 1-year lease.

Rent Includes:

• 2 bedrooms
• 1 + 1/2 bath
• Fully Furnished
• Utilities are included
• High Speed Internet
• Central Heat and A/C
• Washing Machine
• Dish Washer
• Electric Car Plugin

Contact me atbisbell1@umbc.edu

We are delighted to announce the Community Builder Award, the first-ever award created to recognize outstanding members of AAAFSC .

Over the past four years, AAAFSC has experienced tremendous growth, reflected in a significant increase in membership and strong engagement across the community - especially among junior members. Today, we are proud to be one of the strongest affinity groups on campus. This success would not have been possible without the members who consistently contribute their time, ideas, and energy to support one another and strengthen our community.

The Community Builder Award was established to honor and celebrate individuals who exemplify our core values of peer support, informal mentoring, and community building. 

Based on their exceptional engagement and contributions, the AAAFSC leadership team is pleased to recognize the following inaugural recipients:

• Lili Cui,  Physics
• Tejas Gokhale,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Yi Huang,  Mathematics and Statistics
• Riadul Islam,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Prasanna Joeg,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Dong Li,  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Weihong Lin,  Biology
• Neha Raikar,  Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering
• Mario Sto. Domingo,  The Meyerhoff Scholars Program
• Rowena Winkler, Career Center
• Fan Yang,  Media and Communication Studies
• Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
• Lira Yoon,  Psychology
• Lei Zhang,  Information Systems

Congratulations to all of our recipients on this well-deserved recognition! 

We are also planning an end-of-year celebration in May. Stay tuned for more details. 

Hi MTC! We hope you're enjoying the warm weather and are ready for some fun upcoming events:

Prom Updates

The votes are in and our prom theme is... Birds of Paradise! Come dressed in an outfit inspired by your favorite feathered friend, have drinks and snacks, and paint birdhouses.

Due to conflicts with Quadmania, the date of our prom has been moved to Wednesday, April 29 and the time extended to 7-10pm. It will still be held in the Apartment Community Center (ACC) Gold Room. We hope to see you there!

Executive Board Election Info

Are you interested in running for a position on the 2026-2027 Executive Board? Complete this short interest form by April 24 at noon. You may apply for as many positions as you would like, though you must been an active member of MTC for at least 2 semesters to run for President.

You can view the available positions and their descriptions here.

Small Fall Director Application

Do you want to direct our 2026 Small Fall musical? Submit an application by May 1 with your desired show, your vision, and your experience. You will then be interviewed by the 2026-2027 Executive Board.

Grease Tickets

Opening night for Grease is one week away! Get your tickets online now or at the door 30 minutes before each performance. Tickets are FREE for UMBC students and $7 for general admission. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing show!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at umbc.mtc@gmail.com.

Blackboard is currently working on improving the Ally Course Accessibility Report. They are collecting feedback from users in a short survey to understand how you use it, what’s working well, and what could be improved. 

If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on the Ally Course Accessibility Report, please Take the Survey. Your feedback will directly help Blackboard make the survey more useful and easier to navigate.

Image: Dashboard screenshot showing Algebra course accessibility score at 72% with a pie chart detailing course content items by type.

For questions about using Ally, please contact Instructional Technology via RT Ticket.

Greetings,

We would love to see this club continue, and need all 3 officer positions filled to do so! Currently, we do not have an applicant for the Treasurer position. If you or anyone you know is looking for a student organization leadership position, please consider Meditation @ UMBC! Learn more about us and what we do on myUMBC!

E-Board Interest Form: https://forms.gle/awSbL7NaXNaw1HL16

Eligibility for Running:

• Must be willing to hold position for 1 full academic year
• Must be willing to build your leadership skills and maintain a safe space for members!

Semesterly Officer Responsibilities:

• Attend Involvement Fest to promote the club (We have an existing poster board)
• Communicate with the Club Advisor/Session Instructor, SGA, and/or SABSC (Student Affairs Business Services Center) as needed
• Communicate with Gathering Space staff for recurrent room reservation
• Set up cushions for each meditation session

New Officers will receive SGA training and tranisiton information from outgoing officers.

Meditation @ UMBC (Meditation Club)

Overall Series Description:

Media Bytes is a signature series  from the Center for Social Justice Dialogue with programs designed and facilitated by Social Justice Dialogue Facilitation Fellows. Programs in this series  invite participants to engage social justice topics through shared media and meaningful dialogue. In this series, we listen to short “bytes” of podcasts, films, or TV clips, or songs and come together for guided conversation. Media Bytes encourages curiosity, critical listening, and collective reflection as we unpack complex issues, one byte at a time.

Session Descriptions:

1. Rest is Resistance 

Wednesday March 25th, 7:00-9:00pm, Women Gender and Equity Center (Commons) 

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152157

Join us for a fun and reflective evening rooted in rest, dialogue, and community! We’ll be watching one of Tricia Hersey’s talks on rest as resistance and engaging in dialogue on how rest and collective care are tools for collective liberation. Come for a chance to reflect, chat with new friends, enjoy some snacks/refreshments, and decorate your own rest journal.

1. The Sound of Resistance: A Lesson From Sinners

Friday April 17th, 4:00-5:30, Commons 318

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152876

Inspired by the film Sinners, this interactive dialogue invites participants to explore how music carries the experiences, struggles, and resilience of communities across generations. Centering the powerful “I Lied To You” scene, we will reflect on the historical role of music in Black culture and examine how songs can communicate truth, challenge injustice, and preserve stories that might otherwise go unheard. Together, we’ll explore how music has shaped social movements, sparked cultural conversations, and united people across differences. By the end of the event, participants will contribute to a collective playlist that reflects the sounds of our generation; songs that capture the power of music to inspire, resist, and create lasting meaning. Join us for an evening of dialogue, reflection, and community as we ask: what gives music the power to transcend generations? 

1. Meaning in Bollywood Music

Monday April 20, 6-8pm, The Center for Wellbeing

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152883

Join us for an engaging and reflective evening centered on music, language, and cultural meaning. Dialogue and Meaning in Bollywood Lyrics invites participants to thoughtfully explore the depth behind popular Bollywood songs, examining how lyrics convey emotion, identity, and cultural narratives that often extend beyond direct translation. Through a guided selection of songs, we will analyze key lyrical excerpts in both their original Hindi/Urdu and English translations. Participants will engage in facilitated dialogue to consider how meaning is shaped by language, context, and personal experience. What nuances are lost or transformed in translation? How do cultural references and poetic expression influence interpretation? This program creates space to critically reflect on these questions while learning from diverse perspectives.

Spring has officially sprung and the cherry blossoms and tulips are adding pops of color in nearly every direction. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is in full bloom just down the road in D.C. It’s worth exploring if you have the time.Slightly further away is De Keukenhof in the Netherlands. If you are into flowers I would encourage you to put this on your bucket list!

Many of you joined me on Thursday as I highlighted the strategic initiatives that are currently underway in the Office of the Provost. Over 180 people joined us online or in-person. Thank you for being there if you were able to attend. You can learn more about each of the initiatives and how they support the university’s five strategic pillars here. I encourage you to check back periodically as project updates will be added as milestones are hit throughout the year. If you missed Thursday’s event, you can access the slides here.

I am a believer in the importance of collecting and listening to varied points of view, especially when charting a course for an organization as complex and unique as UMBC. With this in mind, I am excited to announce the formation of two new advisory boards: the Faculty Advisory Board and the Staff Advisory Board. Each board will work in tandem with several groups including the larger Provost Advisory Council and the shared governance groups at UMBC. The boards will be asked to provide strategic advice and guidance based on areas of expertise and experience and offer critical feedback on initiatives, priorities, and overall direction of our academic enterprise. Be on the lookout for additional information about the two advisory boards and a call for nominations next week. 

The end of the academic year is quickly approaching and with it comes a slew of commitments and celebrations. Chief among these is Commencement. This time-honored tradition serves as a capstone to our students' journey to a degree or certificate and a celebration of their work and dedication. Faculty and staff who wish to march in the Commencement procession should sign up and order their regalia as soon as possible. Individuals who would like to volunteer as event staff can sign up here.

Earlier this week, Vice Provost Anupam Joshi shared updates to the calendar for the 2026-27 academic year. The updates, made in conjunction with Faculty Senate, include shifting the start of the semester to Monday, August 24, and the addition of a fall recess in October. Additionally, we will be hosting college receptions following Convocation this year in place of the campus cookout that has been held in previous years. Additional information will be provided by each college as details are finalized. My hope is that this new approach will help us forge relationships with our newest scholars from the start of their academic journey. As you know, sense of belonging is a central factor in helping our students succeed.

___________________________________

NEWS & NOTES

Strategic Plan Survey Deadline: April 17

Share your perspectives on UMBC’s strategic plan via this survey. The survey includes five sections, each aligned with one of the university’s strategic pillars. As a reminder, the pillars are:

• Cultivate organizational innovation and vitality
• Redefine excellence in research and creative achievement
• Strengthen Maryland and its communities
• Advance student opportunity and success
• Transform teaching and learning

You can choose which sections you would like to complete based on your interests and experiences. The survey is also designed to capture additional ideas you may have for strengthening these five focus areas. Please note that each section of the survey will take approximately 10 - 15 minutes to complete and all responses are anonymous and confidential.

Visit the strategic planning website for current information, including a new feedback form now available on the home page. 

We hope that you will complete the survey by Friday, April 17. Your insights, ideas, and feedback are essential as we continue the planning process.

Survey link.

One Week Left: Survey on Missed Class Time

You have one week left to share examples and strategies that were utilized this spring to make up missed in-person/synchronous class time due to closures for inclement weather (e.g. asynchronous sharing of content, asynchronous activities, and/or administering additional assignments). 

Please submit the following survey to share with us the strategies you have utilized to make up time for your courses as needed this semester. Don’t miss your opportunity to let us know what worked or did not work.

Deadline: Friday, April 10

Survey link.

Four Calls for Nominations/Proposals

Last week I highlighted four calls for nominations or proposals from the University System of Maryland. If you have not explored these calls, I strongly encourage you to do so. Information about each program is available here. 

• Wilson H. Elkins Professorships

• Elkins Professorships for Academic Transformation

• 2026-27 Elkins SoTL Fellows Program

• Faculty Senior Fellows

Strive for 85: Creating Online Accessibility

The Digital Accessibility Steering Committee (DASC) is launching "Strive for 85." This institutional goal calls for all Blackboard courses to achieve anAlly "Overall" accessibility score of 85% or better across all colleges and departments by the end of 2026.

As of the most recently completed Fall 25 semester, the campus's overall Ally score for Blackboard courses (which make up ~90% of all UMBC courses) is approximately 74%. To help faculty close this gap and reach the "Strive for 85" goal, the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) has prepared a voluntary, self-paced Blackboard training organization called "Course Roadmap to Equity" (CoRE) that complements and incorporates existingAlly FAQs,live workshops, anddrop-in consulting. 

Learn more about the Strive for 85 effort and how you can help close the gap. 

____________________________________

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

despite // bất chấp: The 2026 Intermedia and Digital Arts (IMDA) MFA Thesis Exhibition

Through April 18

Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture

The Intermedia and Digital Arts Master’s Program presents despite // bất chấp: The 2026 Intermedia and Digital Arts (IMDA) MFA Thesis Exhibition. On view from April 1 through 18 at the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, the exhibition features work by graduating students Taylor Goad, Nia Hampton, Bao Nguyen, and Lynn Nguyen.

More information

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Through April 12

Proscenium Theatre

UMBC Theatre presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, adapted by Jacqueline E. Lawton and directed by Joseph W. Ritsch. Life in modern day Baltimore has been a bit boring for Dorothy and her little dog Toto. Until one day, when a cyclone swoops in and takes them “over the rainbow” to the wonderful and magical land of Oz. With the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on the adventure of a lifetime down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. These new friends brave witches, flying monkeys, and a Haunted Forest all to meet the Wizard of Oz, who promises to make their dreams come true.

More information.

Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81

Through May 22

Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents the photography exhibition Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81. In 1976, American photographer Mary Ellen Mark and sociologist Karen Folger Jacobs spent thirty-six days living in the Oregon State Hospital, where they photographed the residents of Ward 81, the hospital’s all-female, high-security psychiatric unit. Their unprecedented access allowed them to create a deeply nuanced portrayal of women navigating psychiatric care in the mid-1970s. Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81 brings together Mark’s photographs, Jacobs’s newly uncovered audio recordings, and rare archival materials, offering an intimate and expanded view of this landmark documentary project.

More information.

Help Make this Newsletter Better

The goal each week of this message is to deepen our connection to UMBC, whether that is learning about an upcoming event, a divisional accomplishment, an innovative program, or an  update from the Office of the Provost. If you know of a program or event that should be highlighted, please share it here.

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen