UMBC vision statement is “Our UMBC community redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. We will advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds.”
LGBTQ+ inclusivity is a critical part of creating an inclusive and affirmative community at UMBC. Below are some resources and suggestions to living out UMBC’s vision.
Know and promote UMBC’s preferred name practice.
Syllabi are a great place to set a tone of inclusion for your course. Here are some ideas (several are based on this article) for setting a tone with your students.
Sample portions of syllabus used by one of our LGBTQ FSA members:
INSTRUCTOR & TEACHING ASSISTANT INFORMATION
Instructor: Instructor Name
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Teaching Assistant: TA Name
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Email: email address
COURSE POLICIES & INFORMATION:
1. Diversity & Inclusion
UMBC is committed to diversity at all levels and seeks to create a campus community rich in intellectual, cultural, and ethnic diversity. Diversity is defined in its fullest scope embracing racial and ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, foreign nationality, non-traditional students, family income, body size, and other important characteristics. During this course many viewpoints may challenge your thinking on a topic. All participants in this class – including the professor, teaching assistant(s), and students – should strive to create an atmosphere that welcomes, encourages, and respects all members of the class and diverse viewpoints. Please note that a part of respectful interaction in each classroom is that students, faculty, and teaching assistants address each other using the names and gender pronouns requested by each individual (if you do not know the gender pronouns the individual prefers, please ask!), and identity statuses (such as disability status, racial identity, religious affiliation, etc.) are not assumed.