Building Community Through Employee Resource Groups at UMB

Building Community Through Employee Resource Groups at UMB

At the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), we genuinely care about our employees’ well-being and cultivating a workplace culture grounded in our Core Values: Respect and Integrity, Well-Being and Sustainability, Equity and Justice, and Innovation and Discovery.

To further strengthen our inclusive, innovative, and engaged workforce, we are proud to introduce a formal central Employee Resource Group (ERG) Program that engages faculty and staff across the university who share common interests, backgrounds, or experiences.

This initiative supports UMB’s Strategic Plan, particularly:

  • Theme 1: Accountability and Integration of Core Values
  • Theme 3: University Culture, Engagement, and Belonging

By formalizing the creation, renewal, and funding of ERGs, we are not only supporting employee growth but also driving organizational success.

What are ERGs?

Employee Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster professional development, inclusion, and organizational growth.  

ERGs can provide opportunities for community building, knowledge sharing, networking, mentoring, support, and collaboration. These groups unite faculty and staff around shared interests, identities, or experiences fostering a more inclusive and engaged workplace.

Examples of past ERGs include Stonewall Pride and Unidos.

Each ERG:

  • Must include members from at least two different schools or administrative units
  • Welcome all UMB employees as members and to participate in events and activities
  • Receives administrative support and funding from the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI)
  • Will support and abide by the UMB Notice of Nondiscrimination policy(UMB Policy VI-1.00(c)

Get Involved

If you are interested in joining an existing group or starting a new one, we invite you to be part of this exciting program. ERGs are a meaningful way to build relationships, influence positive changes, and enhance your experience at UMB.

For more information or assistance, please contact:

Reetta Gach, Director of Programs
reetta.gach@umaryland.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Alewell, D., & Hansen, N. K. (n.d.). Human resource management systems — A structured review of research contributions and open  questionsIndustrielle Beziehungen / The German Journal of Industrial Relationshttps://www.jstor.org/stable/info/23279825

Bryant, K. (2023, September 15). The impact of employee resource groups in the workforce. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalinabryant/2023/09/15/the-impact-of-employee-resource-groups-in-the-workforce/

Yadav, R., Sinha, M., & Srivastava, A. (2024). Employee relations: A comprehensive theory-based literature review and future research agendaManagement Review Quarterlyhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00473-6

Shuck, B., & Wollard, K. (2010). Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the foundationsHuman Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484309353560

 

All ERGs will support and abide by the UMB Notice of Nondiscrimination (UMB Policy VI-1.00(C)).

The Director of Access and Engagement Programs will serve as a resource to staff and faculty as they plan to create a group, apply to be a formally recognized group, and event program, and resource planning after group creation.

The Director of Programs will:

  • Review and approve new groups and renewing groups.
  • Guide UMB employees through the formation or renewal of an ERG.
  • Provide guidance and resources for issues that may arise during the group's development or after it is established, misconduct and/or actions or experiences not-abiding by UMB’s Core Values.
  • Support ERGs by sharing information about the ERG’s activities and encouraging attendance at key events.
  • Create and lead a network of ERG leaders who will challenge and inspire each other to create and implement new and innovative ideas for events, programs, and workshops.
  • Be be available for counsel when needed.
  • Meet at least quarterly with leadership as a group (ERG Council Meetings) and one-on-one, as needed, with the leadership of each group.
  • Review and approve funding requests.

Reach out to the executive board to express interest in joining the group.

Formal Groups: Formal groups have gone through the formation or renewal process, are recognized on OEDI’s website, are active (meetings or events), and have leadership that attends ERG Council meetings.

Informal Groups: Although informal groups may be similar to formal groups, they are not recognized on OEDI's ERG website, do not receive financial support from OEDI, ERG leadership do not meet regularly with OEDI leadership, and the informal groups have not gone through the "New Group Creation" process or the yearly "Renewal" Process.

 

To be approved as a formally recognized group, the group must be accessible and open to all and require leadership and membership from at least two schools or units.

After Approval:

After approval and before recognition on OEDI’s website, the group must create a mission statement, goals and objectives, and bylaws. OEDI is available for consultation.

  • Mission Statement (please indicate the mission of the ERG)
  • Goals and Objectives (please indicate the goals and objectives of your ERG)
  • Alignment (please provide examples of how your ERG’s goals and objectives align with the objectives of the OEDI)
  • Bylaws [Sample ERG Bylaws]

Spending of State funds must adhere to Financial Affairs’ policies and procedures.

OEDI's website will include contact information and a two to three-sentence description for officially recognized ERGs.

If an ERG does not submit a renewal application, it will become inactive and be removed from OEDI’s website. After one year of inactive status, it will no longer be recognized as a group. To restart the group, an “ERG New Group Request” must be submitted.

Other ways a group may go to inactive status are ERG not meeting as a group, leadership not meeting with OEDI, the group having no activity during the prior year, the group having no leadership, or the group having no group members.

A Team site must be created for the group as the official repository of agendas, meeting minutes, and planning documents. The Director of Programs must be added to the Team site as an administrator to support document turnover to new leadership.

 

All groups established must adhere to UMB's Policies.