“The first. The first. The first,” emphasized Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA, chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer and vice president, as she welcomed attendees to the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) inaugural State of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) convening.
The first in a series of gatherings focusing on EDI progress, challenges, and future strategies across UMB’s schools, the Sept. 9 convening featured presentations from the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies and the Francis King Carey School of Law — and, as Forbes Berthoud noted, the event was the result of years of other EDI “firsts” as well as the hard work of the entire UMB community.
“As many of you know who’ve been here for a decade-plus, diversity, equity, and inclusion have been priorities for the University for quite a while,” she said, pointing to EDI hiring and strategic planning efforts during that time. “Thank you so much for all of you who’ve worked to this point to get us here.”
Forbes Berthoud also stressed that the purpose of the convening was to not only assess and strengthen EDI efforts, but to ensure that as many voices as possible are included in the process. “If we’re going to reach our full potential — as an educational, as a research, as a service entity — every person on this campus needs to feel that they’re part of that activity, that they’re included, that their voices are heard,” she said. “And, more importantly, that their voices are not only heard, but also actions are taken as a result.”
That same approach was taken in creating UMB’s Diversity Strategic Plan, whose four pillars — Recruitment and Retention; Experience and Climate; Professional Development and Career Advancement; and Scholarship, Service, and Education — provided the framework for presentations given during the convening.
School of Graduate Studies: Building Pathways and Support Systems
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean Kenneth H. Wong, PhD, gave the Graduate Studies presentation, focusing on the school’s efforts to diversify its student body and faculty, improve retention, and foster an inclusive environment.
Kenneth H. Wong, PhD, gave the School of Graduate Studies presentation during the inaugural State of EDI convening at UMB.
In outlining Graduate Studies’ approach to recruitment, he emphasized partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions and highlighted the need for flexibility in developing outreach programs tailored to communities, including Latin, Native American, and Pacific Islander populations. Wong also stressed the importance of creating supportive environments through EDI learning communities and monthly meetings, noting, “We focus a lot on social identities and how we can create a space where our students, faculty, and staff can thrive.”
Regarding the representation of minority groups in faculty positions, Wong acknowledged disparities in the number of Black and Asian faculty and outlined efforts to improve inclusive hiring practices and professional development opportunities. He said that the school is working toward better data collection to understand and address the needs of underrepresented groups more effectively.
Wong also said that despite a retreat from EDI initiatives at other institutions, Graduate Studies remains committed to demonstrating the value of such efforts, and he rejected the idea that EDI efforts take resources away from other areas.
“I think that’s not true. And if we look at the evidence that is coming out, if you think about things like health equity — how can you even begin to address that if you’re not addressing some of these topics and understanding the history, understanding what has gone before?” he asked, and stressed Graduate Studies’ opportunity “to demonstrate good, solid scholarship research in these areas under that umbrella.”
Francis King Carey School of Law: Addressing Systemic Inequalities and Preparing for the Future
Maryland Carey Law Dean Renée Hutchins Laurent, JD, provided a detailed overview of the school’s EDI efforts, including the challenges faced and the steps taken to address them. She began by discussing the law school’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on race-based affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, noting that the school revised its admissions questions to signal its continued commitment to diversity while also adhering to the new legal framework. Despite the changes, Laurent said, Carey Law maintained one of its most diverse incoming classes.
Laurent also discussed efforts to close the racial gap in bar exam pass rates and pointed to Maryland Carey Law’s recent partnership with BARBRI, a bar preparation provider, in an effort to ensure all students have access to high-quality resources. “It’s not enough just to do the DEI work on the front end; you also have to do it in the middle very intentionally to ensure that the results that happen on the back end are results that you are proud of,” Laurent explained.
She highlighted additional initiatives that focus on faculty and staff, including equitable hiring practices and salary adjustments to address disparities. She mentioned that all assistant professors at Maryland Carey Law are hired with the same starting salary to prevent inequities caused by negotiation differences.
Laurent noted that enrollment declines due to falling birth rates are expected in professional and graduate schools between 2025 and 2028 but added that law school enrollment has historically been heavily driven by cultural trends. With an applicant pool that will be more diverse, with more first-generation students, and more students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, she said that current EDI efforts will position Maryland Carey Law as a welcoming, supportive environment.
“There are a lot of things that we are doing absolutely right here to ensure that a more diverse student population’s needs are being met right now,” Laurent said. “And talking about that more so as that wave of new applicants comes and hits us, we are well positioned, in their eyes, as being an institution that is going to meet their needs squarely. It’s going to be a place where they can feel they belong, a place where they feel they are valued, a place where they feel we actually care about their outcomes.”
Engaging the Campus Community and Looking Forward
Both presentations ended with lively question-and-answer sessions.
After Wong concluded the Graduate Studies presentation, a participant asked about the disparity between increasing Black student enrollment and an apparent decrease in Black staff presence at the school. Wong acknowledged the issue, noting that high staff turnover in certain positions contributed to the challenge. He said the school is exploring ways to improve outreach efforts to encourage a more diverse applicant pool as well as ways to make staff positions more attractive.
A question after the Maryland Carey Law presentation focused on the racial disparity in bar exam pass rates, and whether the issue was due solely to access to preparation courses. Laurent said that the disparity is common across law schools, and that while the difference is not entirely understood, access to commercial bar prep courses plays a role. She outlined the level of commitment to pass the bar — including eight to 10 hours a day for 10 weeks between graduation and the exam — as well as the cost of prep courses, saying both time and financial considerations make it difficult for students from lower-income backgrounds. Laurent also pointed to the historic links to race and access to wealth in the United States as potential factors.
UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, concluded the event by noting that leadership from two other schools who will be presenting at future convenings were in attendance, and he asked for participant feedback.
“So, obviously, the purpose of these sessions is to learn about schools and to get insights into what we can do better, what we’re doing well, what we’re not,” he said, before asking, “The question here is, does this format work? Should we be considering anything different? Should the presentations be different?”
Participants praised the event’s format for fostering transparency and collaboration while offering suggestions for improvement moving forward. One attendee suggested that future presentations include printouts and accessible formats to accommodate diverse learning and processing abilities. Another called for a more comprehensive breakdown of staff-specific EDI data to better understand disparities.