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Albin O. Kuhn, Guy Chisholm, and Homer Schamp at the UMBC Groundbreaking

Remembering Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr.

It is with great sadness we share with you that Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr., an icon in Maryland’s higher education system and a founding leader in the UMBC community, passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. In 1965, a year before UMBC opened, Dr. Schamp was appointed dean of the faculty, with responsibility for hiring the university’s first faculty members. “Homer was both a pioneer and visionary leader,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “A renowned physicist, he and other early leaders laid the foundation for the high quality education and research that UMBC is known for today.” Throughout his career at… Continue Reading Remembering Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr.

Kiplinger again names UMBC a “Best Value College” for strong academics and affordability

UMBC has again been named a Best Value College for 2016 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, appearing on both the Best Value Public University list and “top 300” national Best Value University list. Kiplinger has recognized UMBC as a Best Value College for seven consecutive years. This ranking recognizes affordable four-year schools with outstanding academics. It is based on a combination of factors, including admission rates, student-faculty ratio, four-year graduation rates, and financial aid. See Kiplinger’s UMBC profile for details. This follows U.S. News rankings announced earlier in the fall that again recognized UMBC as a national leader in undergraduate teaching, tied with… Continue Reading Kiplinger again names UMBC a “Best Value College” for strong academics and affordability

Data from learning management systems help improve teaching, say UMBC experts

Systems that store and analyze data about how students are progressing through their coursework can be a powerful source of better decision-making in higher education. That’s the theme of a CampusTechnology.com article featuring a lengthy section on UMBC’s use of the Blackboard learning management and data-analysis system to promote student success. At UMBC, Blackboard data about student performance are now “across all the colleges and all the key functional offices that are responsible for student success, so they’re all able to get the data they want,”  says Jack Suess, chief information officer and vice president of information technology. Among the… Continue Reading Data from learning management systems help improve teaching, say UMBC experts

Take Back the Night 2015 (4/16)

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, join the Women’s Center, UHS Health Education and Voices Against Violence on Commons Main Street on April 16th at 6pm and let’s take back the night! Events and activities include: Community Resource Fair (beginning at 6pm) The Clothesline Project Survivor Speak Out Forum (begins at 6:30pm) March Against Sexual Violence (begins approx around 7:20pm) Art Activism and Community Building (post march) Community members are encouraged to make rally signs prior to TBTN to show your solidarity with survivors. You can make signs in the Women’s Center between 12-3pm on April 13, 14 and… Continue Reading Take Back the Night 2015 (4/16)

UMBC hosts White House College Opportunity Initiative workshop to improve STEM education nationwide

“What is UMBC’’s special sauce?” ”That’s what Susan Singer, director of the National Science Foundation’’s Division of Undergraduate Education, pondered aloud when she took the stage on September 16, 2014, at an education workshop co-hosted by the White House and UMBC. How has UMBC so successfully supported students from all backgrounds, while many other universities struggle with lagging retention rates and achievement gaps, particularly in the sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM)? Later that morning, Dean Bill LaCourse revealed the UMBC recipe. We’’ve succeeded, he shared, through a commitment to inclusion, community of support, stable leadership, recognition of the diverse… Continue Reading UMBC hosts White House College Opportunity Initiative workshop to improve STEM education nationwide

Renetta Tull: Equity in STEM

Renetta Tull, Associate Vice Provost of Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, is seeking equity in STEM for all. Tull was recently the lead author on an article for peerReview titled, “The Jessica Effect: Valuing Cultural and Familial Connections to Broaden Success in Academe.” The article begins: Jessica Soto-Pérez, daughter of Antonio Israel Soto and Luz N. Pérez, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez. She was a promising chemical engineering graduate student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and peer mentor for its National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Alliance for Graduate Education and the… Continue Reading Renetta Tull: Equity in STEM

Diane Lee, Dean of Undergraduate Education, Discusses How UMBC Supports Transfer Students in The Baltimore Sun

A recent article in The Baltimore Sun examines the increased number of students transferring into Maryland colleges and universities. Diane Lee, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, spoke to the Sun about how UMBC supports transfer students, including new efforts enabled by a major grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to eliminate some of the major challenges these students face, such as with transferring credits necessary to fulfill degree requirements.Lee explained how UMBC’s close partnership with community colleges plays a major role in this work. For example, UMBC officials have interviewed local community college faculty to learn… Continue Reading Diane Lee, Dean of Undergraduate Education, Discusses How UMBC Supports Transfer Students in The Baltimore Sun

Lynne Schaefer, VP for Finance and Administration, in College Planning and Management

Lynne Schaefer, vice president for finance and administration, spoke to College Planning and Management about best practices for contracting housekeeping, dining, grounds maintenance and other services in higher education. College Planning and Management is a monthly journal focusing on campus safety, facilities, technology and more. Schaefer discussed the lessons she has learned from her time at UMBC working with campus vendors and ensuring student satisfaction. She recommended establishing contracts that are descriptive and performance-based rather than prescriptive, saying, “If you are going to use outside experts then rely on their expertise.” Click here to read the article titled “Let It… Continue Reading Lynne Schaefer, VP for Finance and Administration, in College Planning and Management

President Hrabowski speaks about education and U.S. workforce on Education Nation panel

UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former governor of Michigan John Engler and U.S. Manufacturing Council’s Mary Isbister to discuss the role of higher education in preparing the U.S. workforce for global competitiveness in a panel discussion at NBC News’ fourth annual Education Nation Summit. The segment, What It Takes: Keeping Up with the Competition, Part II – Our Workforce, moderated by NBC News “TODAY” co-anchor Matt Lauer, revolves around the recently released Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) report, which compares the skills and competencies of the adult workforce in 23 countries. According… Continue Reading President Hrabowski speaks about education and U.S. workforce on Education Nation panel

Men’s soccer ranked no. 7 in nation by NSCAA

The defending America East champion UMBC men’s soccer team opens its conference season this weekend ranked no. 7, nationally, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Over the past two weeks, UMBC has climbed nearly 20 spots. The latest rankings mark the first time in the team’s history to crack the top ten. On Saturday, the team will travel to Hartford to open defense of their 2012 America East crown. The team’s next home game will be against Albany at UMBC’s annual Homecoming celebration, Saturday, Oct. 12, at 2:30 p.m. at Retriever Soccer Park. The team’s non-conference… Continue Reading Men’s soccer ranked no. 7 in nation by NSCAA

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