At UMBC, Inclusive Excellence is a shared commitment to cultivating an empowered, transformative, and connected community where every person (regardless of role, identity, beliefs, or background) has the opportunity to be seen, heard, valued, and supported to thrive. Excellence here means more than achievement; it means our community reaches its fullest potential only when every member can participate, contribute meaningfully, and grow without barriers.
Every person in our community is fully human, and there is no hierarchy of human value at UMBC. How we engage in dialogue, how we share responsibility, and how we hold ourselves accountable all flow from this recognition. We believe that excellence is only possible when diversity, inclusion, equity, access, belonging, and civic learning are intentionally woven into the daily life, policies, practices, and expectations for our entire community.
Inclusive Excellence at UMBC includes developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to build communities where everyone can flourish. As a community, we listen deeply; reflect critically on the systems we inhabit; engage across differences with curiosity, honesty, and respect; build trust; navigate conflict constructively; and work together toward meaningful, equitable change. We hold ourselves accountable to these aspirations and to the people whose belonging and thriving depend on us living them out.
We know this vision is aspirational and that many people’s current experience at UMBC does not yet match it. That gap is part of what drives this work. These commitments belong to all of us. When this framework says ‘we,’ it means every member of the UMBC community: students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and partners. They are shared agreements about who we are and how we show up together.
Each administrative and academic unit, and every community within UMBC, is encouraged to use this framework as the foundation for defining what inclusive excellence looks like in its specific context, with attention to the work, the populations served, and the challenges faced. Through the values, domains, and commitments, the framework provides shared language and structure for collective progress and accountability.
