TerrapinSTRONG

What Is TerrapinSTRONG?

TerrapinSTRONG is a shared vision and values for the entire campus community. All new faculty, staff and students participate in the TerrapinSTRONG onboarding course, as well as TerrapinSTRONG onboarding initiatives within their division/college/school. These onboarding experiences are just the first step to creating an inclusive campus. TerrapinSTRONG is the shared understanding from which we work to improve the sense of community, connection and inclusion on our campus.

What Are We Trying to Do?

Vision

The University of Maryland strives to create an inclusive environment where every member of our community feels that they belong and are empowered to reach their full potential.

Mission

TerrapinSTRONG introduces and infuses its vision of inclusion and our institutional values across the university to create a more cohesive identity and a stronger commitment to community, connection and inclusion.

Priorities

Community

TerrapinSTRONG creates a sense of belonging and an expectation of personal responsibility among UMD community members. It acknowledges the exclusionary issues in our shared community history, communicates our values, indicates the importance of taking care of our community and emphasizes the role every person plays in the success of this place.

Connection

TerrapinSTRONG connects people to history, place, and people. TerrapinSTRONG helps members of the UMD community build relationships, find support systems and understand how their work connects to the wider vision of inclusion. It provides opportunities for engagement with ourselves, with each other and with our institution.

Inclusion

TerrapinSTRONG emphasizes the importance of an environment where everyone can reach their full potential. It represents the diversity of our campus community in the past, present, and future, provides resources for support of diverse people, and encourages practices that serve everyone. TerrapinSTRONG brings marginalized voices to the table and clearly communicates our commitment to be a welcoming and safe place.

Through TerrapinSTRONG, the University of Maryland Commits To:

We cannot move forward if we do not admit the mistakes of our past and present. The University of Maryland takes responsibility for our history of causing harm and preventing people from participating in our community based on their race, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, income, disability, national origin and religion. We recognize that our campus rests on land first stolen from the Piscataway Tribe and later used as a slave plantation.

TerrapinSTRONG Annual Report 2022-2023

The 2022-2023 year in review from the TerrapinSTRONG onboarding program