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University of Maryland Releases Fall 2018 Enrollment Data

The University of Maryland today releases data from the Office of Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment regarding the university's fall 2018 enrollment figures. This fall, the university welcomed an incoming freshman class of 4,714 students from 39 different states and 16 foreign countries. Read more here.

University of Maryland Expands Hate-Bias Response Program

The University of Maryland’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) has launched an online hate-bias report log to help keep the campus community abreast of incidents that occur on campus. The log, a key recommendation of the Joint President/Senate Inclusion and Respect Task Force, is accessible to all UMD students, faculty and staff. Read more here.

University of Maryland Announces ‘Year of Immigration’

The University of Maryland (UMD) today announced that the campus will commemorate the 2018-19 academic year as the “Year of Immigration.” Driven by the support of faculty, staff and students across UMD’s schools and colleges, the Year of Immigration will support the university's mission to cultivate global citizenry by transforming dialogue into impact on urgent issues related to immigration, global migration and refugees. Read more here.

University of Maryland Expands Office of Diversity & Inclusion Staff

The University of Maryland announces the hiring of two new staff members in its Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI). Carlton Green, Ph.D., has been appointed as Director of Diversity Training and Education, and Neijma Celestine-Donnor as the Program Manager for Hate/Bias Response. They begin their new positions on April 9 and April 20, respectively. Read more here.

UMD Continues Action Plan to Shape a More Welcoming and Inclusive Campus

The University of Maryland released a video today with updates on its ongoing action plan to shape a more welcoming and inclusive campus. UMD is committed to creating a campus free from hate, one where our community feels physically safe and safe to be who they are. The university has undertaken many actions to accomplish these goals, and significant work is still underway. Read more here.

UMD Creates Online Tour Commemorating African-American History and Contributions to Campus

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Maryland has created a new online tour exploring the history of African-Americans at the university and their contributions to the campus community. The tour, which features 17 locations on campus,  begins with the university’s founding when Maryland was a slave-holding state. It charts the path of the legal battle to desegregate the campus led by Thurgood Marshall, civil rights advocate and the first African-American Supreme Court justice, and the trailblazers who were among the first black students to attend the university. The tour includes landmarks that celebrate the contributions of African-Americans to our campus and community, including the David C. Driskell Center, Parren J. Mitchell Art-Sociology Building, the Harriet Tubman room in Stamp Student Union, and Frederick Douglass Square. Learn more about the tour here.

UMD to Honor Frederick Douglass’ 200th Birthday with Year-Long Initiative

The University of Maryland will celebrate the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass with several events planned for 2018. On February 5, the university will kick off Douglass 200, a year-long initiative to commemorate the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’ birth, with a public lecture on his life and legacy. Presented by David W. Blight, distinguished professor of American History at Yale University and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, “My Voice, My Pen, My Vote: Frederick Douglass-- Legacies in Our Own Time” will explore the many ways that the life and work of Douglass still remains vital in modern American society. Read more here.

Your Voice Counts. Take the UMD Campus Climate Survey

Today, we are launching an important initiative that provides every member of our campus community an opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives on diversity, equity and inclusion at UMD. As we work to create a more welcoming and inclusive campus for all, the university has undertaken a campus-wide action plan that calls on faculty, staff and students to join in these efforts. A key element of this approach is to more fully understand the views of our community through the results of a campus climate study. The University of Maryland Campus Climate Survey, led by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, will help inform and shape policies and practices that promote a safer and more welcoming campus. The confidential survey will be available beginning Monday, January 29 until Wednesday, February 28. Take the survey here.

UMD to Host Thought Leaders Summit on Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

The University of Maryland will assemble a group of nationally recognized scholars and practitioners on diversity and inclusion in higher education on January 30 through February 1, 2018. The meeting will feature discussions on some of the most challenging issues in higher education, including the resurgence of white supremacy and anti-semitism on college and university campuses; sexual harassment and violence; student activism, protests, and demonstrations; free speech and freedom of expression; and broadening concerns about campus climate and safety. Read more here.

Unity Mural Created by UMD and BSU on Display at Maryland State House

A Unity Mural, created collaboratively by the University of Maryland and Bowie State University, will be displayed at the Maryland House of Delegates, in the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The Maryland House of Delegates is one of many temporary locations across Prince George's County that will display the artwork until it finds a permanent home at each institution. Read more here.

UMD Bestows Honorary Degrees at 2017 Winter Commencement

In memory of 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins, III, a Bowie State University student who was senselessly murdered on UMD’s campus last May, his parents Richard W. Collins, Jr. and Dawn M. Collins received a posthumous Bachelor of Humane Letters on behalf of their son. In addition, commencement speaker Congressman Elijah E. Cummings received an honorary Doctor of Public Service in recognition of his distinguished public career of uplifting and empowering the community he serves and championing greater access to education, housing, health care, jobs, and a better future for all Americans. Skip to 1:23:26 below.

Message from the Chief Diversity Officer

As we reach the end of the semester, I want to provide an update on the work we have been doing to create an inclusive, safe and welcoming campus. There are many challenges ahead of us and we are working on these issues from every angle. Read more here.

Chief Mitchell: A Message on Campus Safety

As we near the halfway point in the academic year, I want to call your attention to safety resources available to our community and restate our unwavering commitment to campus safety. Read more here.

UMD Announces Streamlined Protocol for Hate-Bias Incident Response

The University of Maryland announced a new hate-bias incident response protocol that will ensure a coordinated response, provide support to impacted community members and ensure transparency with the campus community. In addition to the new protocol, the university’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion will be hiring a Hate-Bias Response Coordinator to assist with these efforts as part of UMD’s ongoing efforts to combat hate and create a safer campus. Read more here.

UMD Community Members Reflect

As the University of Maryland continues its work to combat hate and create a safer campus, members of the UMD community reflected on these fraught times in our country and community. This video highlights thoughts from three participants, including Tamara Adams, UMD student and president of the Black Student Union; Jennifer Roberts, assistant professor of kinesiology in the School of Public Health; and Tarif Shraim, UMD’s Muslim chaplain. Watch here.

UMD School Of Music Launches Competition To Write Your Own Lyrics To State Song

The University of Maryland School of Music in the College of Arts and Humanities is launching a university-wide competition that invites UMD students to write lyrics to the tune of the state song “Maryland, My Maryland.” The competition asks students to craft lyrics that express the pride they feel for the State of Maryland. Read more here.

Empowering Voices in Engineering

On September 15, 2017, two graduate students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) organized and hosted Empowering Voices in Engineering (EVE), the first of what they say will be many workshops focused on diversity and inclusion within the A. James Clark School of Engineering. In a confidential and open discussion, participants were able to talk and ask questions about tough racial issues faced by students and engineers. Read more here.

UMD Launches Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

The University of Maryland announced the launch of the new Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, a national hub for research, policy, professional standards, and consultation for universities on critical issues related to diversity and inclusion in higher education. The Center will bring together key faculty from UMD and other major universities, and major national higher education associations, to form a high level think-tank and research center for diversity and inclusion issues across the country and abroad in higher education. Read more here.

Unity Mural with Bowie State Illustrates Peace, Justice & Unity

In a collaborative effort to visually illustrate peace, justice and unity, students and faculty from the University of Maryland and Bowie State University contributed their artistic talents to design and paint a unity mural during UMD's NextNOW Fest on September 15 and 16. The Unity Mural consists of four brightly colored canvas panels, featuring symbols such as the sun and sky, hands, vines and doves interspersed with powerful words and text. Two panels will be installed at each university to help foster community building and healing through art and creative expression.

UMD Selects “March: Book Three” by John Lewis for First Year Book

The University of Maryland has selected the award-winning March: Book Three by U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell as the 2017-18 First Year Book. Each year, the university selects one book to create a shared reading and intellectual experience for first-year students, faculty and staff. Read more here.

Joint President/Senate Inclusion & Respect Task Force Announces Open Forums

The Joint President/Senate Inclusion & Respect Task Force is charged with considering how best to nurture a climate that is more respectful and inclusive of all members of our campus community, stands against hate, and reaffirms the values that define us as a University. The collective input of members of the campus community is a key element of the task force's review process that will help frame their work and the efficacy of their recommendations. As a first step in gathering input, suggestions, and concerns related to the task force's charge, they are hosting two campus-wide open forums. All students, faculty and staff are welcome. Read more here.

Healing After Hate

The events of recent months have prompted concerned conversations in office corridors; debates online and in newspaper columns; pensive commutes to and from work. Terp Magazine reached out to people from across the spectrum of our community—faculty, staff, students and alumni—and asked for their thoughts on hate in America and on college campuses, and how institutions and individuals can find a path forward. Read more here.

UMD Appoints Joint President/Senate Inclusion & Respect Task Force Members

University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh and the University Senate Chair Daniel Falvey have appointed 18 members of the university community to the newly formed Joint President/Senate Inclusion & Respect Task Force. The task force is comprised of faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students and alumni; and will be co-chaired by Warren Kelley, assistant vice president, Division of Student Affairs; Lucy Dalglish, dean, Philip Merrill College of Journalism; and Ja'Nya Banks, Student Government Association diversity and inclusion director. Read more here.

Message from the Interim Chief Diversity Officer

I am writing to you as the new Interim Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), a role that I accepted on July 6, 2017. It is hard to imagine that two full months have passed. Today, I want to offer you my vision and the start of our action plan for the campus moving forward. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: Reflection, Dialogue, and Action

Across our large and decentralized University, there are actions already underway, with more planned as described below. Yet no administrative office, or new initiative, will improve our campus climate without every member of our community playing a part. We all need to ask what we can do each day to stand for our values. Read more here.

Updates to Athletic Policies to Enhance Fan Safety

As part of the University of Maryland's action plan to combat hate and create a safer campus, the university announced it would examine strengthening existing Intercollegiate Athletics policy to explicitly prohibit any hate-bias symbols or actions in any athletic venue. As a result of these efforts, the University of Maryland Department of Intercollegiate Athletics made the following announcement last week. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: Chief Diversity Officer

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Roger L. Worthington. Initially, he will hold the title of Interim Associate Provost and will be a member of the President's cabinet, the Provost’s senior staff, and the Council of Deans. Read more here.

UMD Senate and president’s office: We must be transparent and work together to fight hate (The Diamondback)

Combating hate and violence is something our entire country is grappling with and we must all learn from and lean on each other. It is imperative we work together to address these issues as the editorial board suggested. The board is right to underscore the importance of transparency in rebuilding a sense of safety within our community. Transparency is a central tenant of the University Senate's work and will remain so. University President Wallace Loh and the University Senate are in agreement that this is key, especially as it relates to the upcoming work of the joint presidential/senate task force on hate-bias and campus safety. Read more here.

University of Maryland Alumni Association Board of Governors Statement

The University of Maryland Alumni Association Board of Governors – proud alumni and donors – represent the interests of alumni within the University, and act as ambassadors to the greater UMD community and beyond. We remain deeply saddened by the killing of Second Lt. Richard Collins III. We are also saddened by other events on the campus in the recent past that have sought to cause division and fear among members of our campus community. These acts are all senseless and must be a call to action. Read more here.

Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation Statement

We, the Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, are UMD alumni, community members and donors.  We serve and support the programs of the University and advance the interests of the members of our campus community – students, faculty, staff and our fellow alumni. We collectively mourn the loss of Second Lt. Richard Collins III, a student at Bowie State University who had just been commissioned in the U.S. Army and was within days of his graduation. It is a tragedy. Read more here.

Message From President Loh: Update: Actions to Shape a More Respectful and Inclusive Culture at UMD

Last week I announced actions to fight hate and create a safer campus. I said these actions are just the beginning. Read more here.

UMD President: We All Must Fight Racism, Extremism, and Hate (Baltimore Sun)

These are fraught times on our campus, across the nation and around the world. It is on all of us to stand up and fight racism, extremism and hate. They are cancers in our body politic. United by this recent tragedy, we can be a force for good. Together, we can be stronger and smarter than those who would divide us and subvert the values that undergird our university and our democracy. And, we will prevail. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: Reflection and Action

As we grieve the loss of Lt. Richard Collins III of Bowie State University, we must also act to combat hate and create a safer campus. Read more here.

UMD Community Responds to Tragedy

We are devastated by the murder of  Second Lieutenant Richard Collins III this weekend. We are devastated by the racism and hate that exists in this world.  And we are devastated that hate may have played a role in this and other horrific crimes across the country. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: Update: homicide investigation by campus, county, and federal law enforcement

The horrific assault that took the life of a young man on our campus on Saturday morning has shocked, saddened, and angered our community and beyond. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: A Moment of Silence Today, 1 PM

As we begin today, at 1 PM, the spring commencement exercises to celebrate the graduating class 2017 of the University of Maryland, I would like to ask all of us, wherever we are, to please join in a moment of silence to mourn and honor a Bowie State University student, who lost his life in a senseless and unprovoked assault here on our campus, yesterday morning. Read more here.

Message from President Loh: A Note of Condolence

I am writing to all of you today with a heavy heart. This morning, shortly after 3 a.m., a male student from Bowie State University was assaulted with a knife on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall.  He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Read more here.