Mission and Core Values

Mission

The mission of the Academic Success Center is to provide centralized academic support services for undergraduate students to help them achieve their individual goals and earn a UMBC degree. Guided by caring peers, staff and faculty, and in collaboration with the campus community, the ASC’s programs empower students to identify and engage with resources and to develop skills and strategies for success in their academic journey and beyond.

What We Do

The Academic Success Center provides centralized support services to all undergraduate students at UMBC. Through a coordinated approach and an unwavering commitment to student success, the Academic Success Center fosters a welcoming environment and offers free academic support including Academic Learning Resources (tutoring, writing support, supplemental instruction and academic success courses), Academic Policy (petition support), and Academic Advocacy (individual meetings coordinating resources for academic success) for students to achieve their academic goals and claim their future with a UMBC degree.

Several students gathering around in a work group, one student is facilitating the conversation

Core Values

The Academic Success Center is guided by the following core values:

We value inclusivity by providing a space where everybody, regardless of differences, feels welcomed, accepted, cared for, comfortable, and safe. An inclusive environment provides everyone with an equal sense of belonging where all have the opportunity to provide input and the freedom to express themselves and be understood.

We value diversity through comprehensive respect, recognition, and acceptance of individual differences in physical and mental abilities, gender identities, race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, religious and political ideologies. A diverse environment allows everyone to both experience different perspectives and grow from those experiences.

We value equity by providing intentional and individualized support to meet a person’s needs, giving everyone an opportunity for the same desired outcome.

We value service through a reliable commitment to provide individuals with appropriate resources based on their unique needs. We do this through collaboration with UMBC faculty and staff, our campus community, and college learning centers around the country.

We value advocacy by empowering students to voice their desires and needs, equipping them with resources and knowledge, while supporting and guiding them to find their own solutions to challenges.

We value accessibility by ensuring that all ASC academic support services can be accessed and used by any student who needs them.

We value integrity by using our shared values to make consistent and equitable decisions.

We value education by sharing knowledge and being present with students, while seeking to understand and hear their stories. Asset-based education acknowledges and builds on a person’s lived experiences, focusing on what each unique individual contributes to the conversation.

We value a growth mindset by recognizing the potential to learn and achieve is not static or pre-determined and that everyone has the ability to improve.

4/30/2024