We invest in people and communities

The Terrapin Commitment program began in January 2023 and ensures that tuition and fees are fully covered for low-income in-state students, who are enrolled full-time and have unmet financial need. The program will dramatically reduce the financial barriers to obtaining a higher education for Marylanders. Enhanced financial aid awards support the recruitment and enrollment of low-income students and promote their success at UMD and beyond graduation. The program has already impacted thousands of students.

Investments include historic increases in faculty and staff compensation. Since January 1, 2022, with support from the state, The University of Maryland boosted salary/wage outlays for employees by over $120 Million.

This effort includes:

• Over 8,000 The University of Maryland employees received three cost-of-living adjustments and two merit raises, resulting in an average salary increase of over 13.5%

• 3,700 hourly student workers, primarily undergraduates, benefit from the campus' move to a $15 minimum wage, a 20% jump in pay taking effect several years ahead of the state's timeline

Through FAMILE, The University of Maryland will invest $40 million over 10 years to add over 100 new tenured or tenure-track faculty in departments and units across campus. The University of Maryland launched the FAMILE faculty diversity hiring initiative in March 2021. This initiative includes three hiring incentive programs.

Recent milestones include:

• Increasing access and flexibility for students through remote therapy options

• Implementing the student-supported counseling center fee, the T.E.R.P.S. (Training to Evaluate, Respond to, and Prevent Suicide) program, and the PHLOC (Post Higher Level of Care) case management system

• Establishing the Mental Health Coalition

• Continuing strong, ongoing consultations with student communities

The University of Maryland launched staff-focused initiatives centered around recognition, career advancement and professional development.

The Terrapin Innovation Award and the MVP Impact Award recognize remarkable ideas and/or a commitment to excellence by staff.

Efforts have also been made to create new pathways and development opportunities through an Excellence in Supervision training program, a Career Pathways Work Group, and a compensation review.

Our focus in these areas is the result of feedback we heard directly from our staff through a survey, idea booths and campus conversations. The findings from community input activities are summarized in this brief.

Graduate students at the University of Maryland are a key part of our vibrant community of scholars and researchers.

We have made many investments in our graduate students, including:

• Graduate Assistant stipends
• Graduate student housing
• Living-learning communities centered around grand challenges
• Fellowships and career/professional development
• Holistic admissions program
• Mentoring expectation statements and providing mentoring support for graduate faculty

Investments in graduate student education and life are developed in collaboration with the leadership of the Graduate Student Government (GSG) and the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee (GAAC). Recognizing the value of shared governance, we are committed to working with graduate students to develop policies, structures and processes that lead to improvements and shared successes.

TerrapinSTRONG is a shared vision and values for the entire campus community. TerrapinSTRONG includes a campus-wide onboarding initiative introducing all new community members to The University of Maryland’s history, values, traditions, resources, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As of February 2023, almost 30,000 people have enrolled in the program, with over 90% enrollment of new faculty, staff, and students.

In the second year of the program, TerrapinSTRONG introduced a Gallery of Trailblazers, a library of diverse & impressive alumni to explore. TerrapinSTRONG also introduced Design for Belonging workshops to help reimagine onboarding.

The new cultural centers will support students' transition to university life by offering holistic learning experiences that foster a sense of belonging and connection to the communities with which they identify and to the broader campus community. These spaces will also provide students with access to tools and resources that will promote their persistence, retention, and success at The University of Maryland.

They will be located in Cole Field House, with an opening anticipated in Summer, 2024. A steering committee includes a cross-section of student leaders, faculty and staff representing the communities being served, and an advisory committee which consists of Multicultural Involvement Community Advocacy (MICA), Stamp Student Union and Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs leadership.

In March 2021 University Human Resources launched a suite of family care resources for faculty, staff, and graduate assistants to assist them with balancing work and family responsibilities. The cornerstone of these resources is the Care@Work program which provides eligible faculty staff and graduate assistants with access to a free premium Care.com membership. Care@Work also provides enrolled employees with two options for subsidized backup care for children, adults, or elders when their regular care is unavailable.