A summary of the programs, events, and activities that the JEDI Collective has accomplished over the 2022 - 2023 academic calendar. This report also corresponds to the ADVANCE and TerrapinSTRONG responsibilities.
2022 - 2023 ACADEMIC YEAR
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University-wide: JEDI Officer representation of the MAPP+D School on Diversity Officers, TerrapinSTRONG, and ADVANCE Professors’ university committees and their projects.
- Within MAPP+D: JEDI Officer representing JEDI issues in the crafting of Graduate Mentoring Policy, Workload Policy, COVID Statement Policy, job interviews for faculty candidates, promotion and tenure processes, exit interviews, onboarding, recruitment and retention.
- Mentoring new junior faculty and other colleagues.
FALL 2022
- MAPP+D Community Wellbeing Survey
Anonymous survey was shared out at the beginning of the fall semester to take a pulse on what our students, staff, and faculty were feeling about their wellbeing and stress levels. A total of 72 responses from students, staff, and faculty were collected within one week’s time. While the survey’s rate of response is not representative of MAPP+D’s population, together with conversations we’ve had with community members, it calls attention to the fact that many people report experiencing high levels of stress and burn out. We designed the JEDI Program in response to these findings and the activities that survey respondents reported as wanted. Read the full report here.
- Monday’s Care Droplet Weekly Newsletter
The Monday’s Care Droplet weekly newsletter intents to nurture a culture of care and belonging in the MAPP+D community. It features journalistic articles, webinars, and event announcements covering various topics around mental and emotional health, community wellbeing, stress management, work-life balance, and self-care tips.
- International Student Karaoke Outing
The JEDI GA hosted a karaoke dinner outing for first year international students at one of the restaurants close to campus during the mid-semester after hearing a few students express their struggle adjusting to a new community in the US. Another event reaching out to this community was offered in the Spring.
- Coping with Stress Workshop
An online workshop with Simone Warrick-Bell, the Graduate School Counselor. The workshop featured a stress-test, important information about stressors for graduate students and ample discussion times sharing personal stories. It had low attendance.
- Weekly Online Restorative Yoga
A 30-minutes gentle, slow paced restorative yoga practice that explores different relaxation techniques and mindful movements that can be integrated throughout the day. It was offered several weeks but had low attendance.
- “Poetry, Prose & Communi-Tea”
A creative and healing rest space that featured stories, art, music, and light snacks and tea was offered weekly for 3 weeks towards the end of the semester. The room was reserved for the whole afternoon so that anybody could come and go as they’d like. It had low attendance, mostly Arch undergrad students.
- JEDI Collective Fall Social
A school-wide lunch party that features artwork from The Greats and catered food from Cocineros, a local minority owned business in Hyattsville. The social was an opportunity to introduce students, staff, and faculty to the members of the JEDI Collective and make visible in the community the JEDI programs and initiatives. It had good and diverse attendance.
SPRING 2023
- MAPP+D Bias Incident Support Service (BISS) Liaisons
A new BISS Liaison group was established for the school. Liaisons aids students, faculty, and staff who have experienced or witnessed an incident of hate/bias, harassment, and/or discrimination. The program creates a support system with a clear set of options that empowers the individual experiencing harm to choose his/her own safe path to healing, reconciliation, and reparations. The goal is to integrate with—not duplicate—the resources available at the campus-level Bias Incident Support Services office. The four members are Dawn Jourdan, Ingrid Ferrell, Kristen Stack, and Clara Irazábal. An event announcement was made at a JEDI social event but remains to get further dissemination (in newsletters and on the website). Some liaisons need to complete training.
- Monday’s Care Droplet Weekly Newsletter
In addition to articles, the newsletter improved its graphic format and expanded to include upcoming events on and on-campus as well as accessible self-care resources. See list of newsletters.
- Baltimore Lexington Market Tour
This event was organized by the JEDI GA and MCP student Wendy Nevett Bazil. It was open to all MAPP+D students who were interested in learning more about the intersection of food, culture, and the built environment to attend. Founded in 1782, Lexington Market is one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the US. This Baltimore icon recently completed a $45 million redevelopment led by Seawall Development and Baltimore Public Markets Corporation. Over half of the businesses are black-owned and over half are women-owned.
- “Coming to the USA”: Lunch and conversations with international/immigrant students, staff, and faculty
This 90-minute luncheon was open to MAPP+D, UMD and non-UMD communities. This was a space intended for international/immigrant students and faculty to share their stories of and tips for navigating life and careers in the US. Good and diverse attendance.
- Planning to film a new video for the school
Preliminary conversations with video company for the planning of a new school video for promotion and onboarding purposes that highlights the school commitment to JEDI and our new Strategic Plan.