March 23rd to 27th
FSU Elections: Voting opens 9AM March 23rd
Voting for your President and members of the Executive Committee opens at 9AM today and concludes on March 30th. See March 20th email for details.
Thursday, March 26th FSU Executive Committee Meeting 11:00AM to 12:15PM
Upcoming events
Wednesday, April 1st UDC Pizza and Cookies 11:30PM to 12:30PM
Stop by the University Dining Club for some pizza (bring your own beverage) and relax, chat with colleagues and meet new colleagues. Pick up some FSU swag – stickers, buttons and t-shirts.
Dear Faculty and Librarians,
We hope that you all enjoyed a restful and restorative break. This week the FSU is holding elections and participating in parking bargaining. Details below.
FSU Elections: Voting March 23rd to 30th (this is open to FSU members in good standing only; if you are not a union member and wish to join, contact the FSU)
Your ballot, while sent by Qualtrics, will have the FSU Election Committee in the sender line and the subject line will read “FSU Ballot 2026”. If you experience any technical issues, please reach out to the FSU Elections Committee: FSU.Elections@umb.edu
The FSU Elections Committee wishes to thank the candidates and members who attended the Candidate Forum on March 11th. The forum was recorded. Email the FSU for access.
New Business Item deadline for FSU Annual Meeting is March 26th (this is open to FSU members in good standing only; if you are not a union member and wish to join, contact the FSU)
Our policies (see below) require submittal of new business items be received no later than 21 days prior to the April 16th meeting. The deadline is March 26th at 5PM EDT via email to fsu@umb.edu.
Policy: The notification shall call for new business agenda items which must be submitted no less than 21 days prior to the meeting. 1. All new business items are to be submitted in the form of a motion. 2. All new business items are to be submitted to the President and FSU Executive Committee via the FSU email account.
Parking and Transportation Bargaining: Update
Our next bargaining session is March 24th. The coalition of the CSU, DCU, FSU and PSU will be meeting with UMB Labor Relations and Parking and transportation personnel. This is our first bargaining session since last fall. We will provide an update on what happened later this week.
The coalition will continue to fight against increases in the daily parking rate, and to demand multi-use passes and an increased transit subsidy. And we will continue to push back on the accelerator language.
In the meantime, please sign the petition and tell administration the impact of their proposed cost increase on your ability to come to campus.
Anti-Racism Grant Recipient Activities (information submitted by grant recipients)
‘Closing the Care Loop’ A gathering to honor our collective grief
On Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 5pm to 8pm in the Campus Center, 2nd Floor, the Alumni Lounge, we are gathering with Dr. Chinasa Elue who is a grief researcher and grief coach. Dr. Elue will lead us through a two-hour workshop (5 – 7 PM) to honor our grief and develop personal and collective strategies to support resourcing our well-being. The workshop will be followed by a dinner and dialogue (7 – 8 PM). Mental health practitioners will be on site for support. This event is open to all UMB staff and faculty. Please register here and share this event with your colleagues.
Why should you attend?
- Recognize how grief manifests within academic workplaces and institutional contexts.
- Reflect on our personal and collective experiences of loss, strain, and change.
- Practice witnessing and care-centered conversations with colleagues.
- Explore possibilities for closing the care loop within our communities.
- Identify personal and collective strategies to support well-being
Join us to develop skills to honor grief in its many forms. There is no hierarchy of loss. Every story, every silence matters. All grief is welcome.
MTA Annual Meeting on May 8th and 9th: FSU Delegates (this is open to FSU members in good standing only; if you are not a union member and wish to join, contact the FSU)
The FSU has been allotted to thirteen delegates. We have not yet reached our allotment. If you are interested in attending the MTA annual meeting, please contact us.
For details, please go to https://www.massteacher.org/about-mta/governance-policies/annual-meeting-delegates. The election for MTA president and vice president along with adopting a budget takes place on Saturday.
MTA Benefits: Federal Student Loan Repayment and Borrowing
Changes are coming to repayment of federal student loans including those with Parent PLUS loans. MTA Benefits has partnered with Cambridge Credit Counseling to host a webinar on March 25th at 7PM. To learn more and to register, go to https://www.mtabenefits.com/articles/student-loan-update-critical-changes-happening-now
Enjoy the week.
Sincerely,
Caroline Coscia
FSU President
Senior Lecturer II
Political Science Department