Programs and scholarships funded by The University of Baltimore Foundation
STRENGTHEN UBALT’S COMMITMENT TO
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
PROMOTING DIVERSITY
This past year, the Robert L. Bogomolny Library (in conjunction with the Office of Human Resources) introduced successful virtual town halls to support campus conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion. These allowed community members to engage in open dialogue, draw upon self-reflection, and transform the collective consciousness.
The new “JEDI” Series is an engagement platform for University faculty, staff and students to dialogue, learn, and reflect on current issues related to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. JEDI series events included “Black Women and the Hidden Workload,” as well as “Allyship: An Advocacy Power Tool.”
Early Coll
ege Initiatives at The University of Baltimore help local high school students get a head start on college through College Readiness and Dual Enrollment programs. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, these programs thrived in FY21, thanks to your support.
- Participation in Dual Enrollment Classes increased by 14%, with 76% of participants earning college credit.
- Virtual programming was offered for both the College Readiness Academy and the Summer Academy.
- 8 new courses were added for the 2020-21 academic year.
Learn more about our Early College Initiatives>>
FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation is an independent foundation that began in 1979 as the result of a bequest from the estate of Mrs. Newcombe, a Philadelphia philanthropist. In her will, Mrs. Newcombe named five Trustees and charged them with creating a foundation that would continue her lifelong interest in supporting students pursuing degrees in higher education.
The Newcombe Foundation funds UBalt through their Scholarships for Mature Students Program with the goal of supporting students as they pursue a first or career transformational bachelor’s degree. These scholarships support completion of bachelor’s degrees by students who are twenty-five years of age or older who need financial assistance at selected colleges and universities.
Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Scholarships by the Numbers
120+ Institutions Funded
60+ Endowed Institutions
40,000+ Students Supported
$50 Million+ Scholarships Awarded
We spoke with Gianna Durso-Finley, executive director of the Newcombe Foundation, about their commitment to
inclusion and support of UBalt students:
What is the most important way you see the goals of the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation aligning with those of the University of Baltimore?
The connections between Newcombe’s and UBalt’s mission and goals could not be clearer. From the very beginning 40 years ago, the Newcombe Foundation Trustees were intentionally focused on supporting students who were then—and I would argue still are—underserved by traditional scholarship funding formulas. Newcombe funds UBalt through our Scholarships for Mature Students Program. The Program’s goal is to support mature students as they pursue a first or career transformational bachelor’s degree. The Foundation’s experience is that such students tend to enter—and become leaders—in professions with a social impact, and they tend to stay local; the University seeks to provide career-focused education for aspiring regional professionals who make a contribution to their community. The students nurtured by both Newcombe and UBalt are making a difference for themselves, for their families, and for a broad range of local constituents and stakeholders.
Students faced particular hardship during the COVID19 pandemic. Did that reaffirm or realign your Foundation’s goals for support? How?
The pandemic absolutely reaffirmed Newcombe’s mission to support students, no matter what format in which their learning occurs. With our funding model, Newcombe does not award directly to students; rather, we seek institutions like UBalt that are serving students well, and then turn the decision-making over to them. We believe that institutions know their students and their needs better than we ever could, and that was borne out during the pandemic. We were so impressed by our grantee institutions’ ability to pivot their educational offerings to be effective online, to provide emergency assistance for both technology and basic needs, and to continue to provide the supportive services that help students stay enrolled. The Newcombe Scholarship is designed to be very awardable, with not a lot of hoops for students to jump through, and we feel that flexibility was crucial to helping students make progress toward their goals during this extraordinarily difficult time.
“I am an undergraduate student pursuing my bachelor’s degree in business with a specialization in accounting. As the first person in my family to attend college, I was unsure of how I would be able to finance my education. However, thanks to the support of donors, I have been able to focus on my degree. I will not stop until I reach my full potential, as I know how much this accomplishment means, not only to me, but also to my entire family. I plan to continue my education beyond graduation, and to pursue a master’s degree. I will always carry my experiences at The University of Baltimore with me in my career and future endeavors.”
– MONIQUE CURTIS, CURRENT STUDENT
Newcombe Foundation Scholarship Recipient
SCHOLARSHIPS AT WORK
The Bronfein Scholars Fund (originally the Arthur G. Bronfein Scholars Fund) was established to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce by rewarding academic excellence in the Merrick School of Business’ Accounting program. Michael Bronfein, B.S. ’77, notes that the scholarship is a “tribute to [his] father’s dedication to diversity and empowering economic success through accounting.” (The University of Baltimore Magazine, 2019)
Our Bronfein Scholars are proof that the investment Michael and his wife, Jessica, made in the program continues to demonstrate a positive return, even after graduation. The three most recent scholarship recipients are already establishing themselves in the field of Accounting: Tavon Shiheem, B.S. ’17, is a CPA candidate, and currently working for Marcum LLP in Washington, DC; Tyler Medley, B.S. ’19, is a licensed CPA who received his MAcc in 2020 and works on the assurance staff at Ernst & Young; and Ryan Clagget, B.S. ’20, is an audit associate at KPMG US.
Ryan actually started at UBalt as a freshman, and shared some final observations about the culmination of his journey, before his graduation in 2020:
Why did you choose UB?
Well, my situation’s unique—my dad went here, my brother went here, two of my aunts attended and my grandma as well, so it’s always been the family option. Also, it was close to home. I don’t have to travel too far to get there, and I knew that they had a pretty strong accounting program.
What do you what do you like the most about your specialization?
I like that the coursework can be challenging, but kind of like a puzzle. If you don’t figure it out the first time, there’s always a right answer. Sometimes in other studies, I know there’s not always one right answer, or there’s a lot of confusion. With accounting, with a lot of your work, if it doesn’t match up at the end, then you can go back through the work on your own and figure out where you messed up. It might take you a long time to do so. I mean, I’ve had problems that take me hours to figure out, but I’ve always enjoyed that. It’s like working with a puzzle and I’ve always found that interesting. And as far as it goes for a career, I always knew that with accounting, there are a lot of directions you can go with it. With an accounting degree, there are a lot of things you can do and that you’re already prepared to work toward.
What kind of opportunities outside of class did UBalt offer that you think will help you wherever you go in your career?
I think that the Beta Alpha Psi program (an honorary organization for Financial Information students and professionals) is really good. I’m in it; I’ve always enjoyed it. There’s a lot of different companies and organizations that come to the meetings to talk about their organization and what it’s like to work there, from large firms like KPMG, companies like T. Rowe Price, or even state organizations like the State Office of the Inspector General. Plus, sometimes these companies have students who were students from UBalt who now work there so, it’s always great to have that connection.
I always like the accounting fair that we have in the fall. A lot of different companies will come in and it’s a great opportunity just to see what’s out there. A lot of times they’re trying to hire students, so that’s always great. Whether you’re going to go public accounting or work for a company or work for the federal or state government. I always thought that UBalt did a good job of trying to get people to come on campus that are looking to hire students, and it’s been easier for students to find jobs that way because you’re already in a comfortable setting.
Tell us something that stands out to you about UBalt.
That would be the just the gap in age between people. I’ve always thought it was interesting, and it’s kind of helpful as far as when you’re going into the workforce and doing your internships, after being in several group projects within a wide range of ages and some people who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, or even late 20s, and me being a traditional college-aged student, I’m still able to work with people despite their age. You know, with different ages, there’s different communication styles. There are different preferences. So, I feel like other schools might not have to navigate that until you’re in the workforce and at that point you’re not necessarily comfortable with it or you’re not used to doing it. So, I think UBalt has been helpful to prepare me—and I’m sure a lot of students—to work with people who are outside of their traditional age range.
When did you realize that UBalt was the right choice for you?
I felt like it was the right choice for a while now, at least a few semesters. But the ultimate confirmation was when I got the Merrick School of Business Outstanding Student Award, and in the presentation they talked about all the things I’ve been able to do while I’ve been here. It was a moment for me: “OK. I made the right choice. I was able to do a lot of things while I’ve been here, and I’ve been able to help other people while I’ve been here.” So, ending my undergraduate time and seeing I was able to have an impact while I was here, and now going to do something meaningful and serious, has been a moment for me to be able to reflect, to look back and see everything that I’ve been able to accomplish or help others accomplish.