Terps Urged to Support Inclusive Campus, Fight Racism

Georgina Dodge, vice president for diversity and inclusion, sent the following email to the campus community today:

I write to you today as many of our friends and neighbors are about to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for our Jewish community. I also write to you as we make progress on our antiracist agenda and reaffirm our commitment to LGBTQ+ Terps through our newly renamed Equity Center. 

I believe our collective commitment to an inclusive campus has never been stronger. At the same time, I am keenly aware that instances of anti-Jewish, anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ+ hate continue to be present across the country and even on our own campus. When these instances of hate occur on our campus, our priority is to support those who are affected by providing services and resources. 

I also have a sense of hope for the changes we are making and the systems we are building—to prevent and address hate on our campus—so I write with a call to action.  

Please join us. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers resources on combating oppression and hate, including a series of upcoming webinars on antisemitism. These lessons are just as important now than ever, and I urge you to prioritize this work and take advantage of the resources that are available to you as part of the UMD community. We need you.

Upcoming training opportunities include:

For faculty/staff

• Stop the Hate - Tuesday, Sept. 28, 4-5 p.m. (hosted by Bias Incident Support Services) 
  
• Stop the Hate - Wednesday, Nov. 10, noon-1 p.m. (hosted by Bias Incident Support Services)
  

For students

• Stop the Hate - Wednesday, Oct, 20, noon-1 p.m. (hosted by Bias Incident Support Services)
  

For any member of our community

• Schedule a training with Bias Incident Support Services
  
• Take a Words of Engagement Intergroup Dialogue course or sign up to be a facilitator
  

There are also resources available for anyone at UMD who has been affected by a hate-bias incident of any kind: 

• Report hate or bias to Bias Incident Support Services (BISS), which is focused on the needs and healing of affected parties. To learn more about what happens when you submit a bias report, view the BISS protocol.
  
• Report harassment to the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct.
  
• Seek support and resources from campus departments, including Diversity Training & Education, the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy, UMD's chaplains, the Department of Resident Life, the Division of Student Affairs, the Faculty Staff Assistance Program and the Counseling Center.
  

We are firm in our support of our community. Please join us in speaking up when you see hate in any form. We can—and must—do better.

Sincerely,