 Jay A. Perman, MDPresident, University of Maryland, Baltimore |  |
The INSIGHT Into Diversity Giving Back Award honors college presidents and chancellors who go above and beyond their everyday duties to give back to their institutions and communities. President Perman was nominated by colleagues and selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity as a 2016 Giving Back Award recipient for his dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion and encouraging community service both on his campus and in the surrounding community.
Civic Involvement
Member of the board of directors for Baltimore’s Promise, a citywide collaborative dedicated to improving cradle-to-career outcomes for Baltimore city youth
A Climate of Inclusion
Perman is conducting a university-wide climate survey to better understand how students and employees feel about the state of diversity and inclusion at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and to determine areas for improvement. He also launched a diversity and inclusion speaker series to add expert and passionate voices to the critical conversation on race and representation in higher education.
A Focus on Affordability
Perman has lobbied the Maryland General Assembly to provide additional state support for graduate students; he increased the number of graduate and professional students receiving need-based scholarships at UMB from 1,272 to 1,882 and the total amount of money disbursed for need-based aid from $5.5 million to $7.6 million.
Established Initiative
The Center for Community-Based Engagement and Learning, which coordinates, guides, and enhances opportunities for community-based student engagement, scholarship, service, and learning to improve the health and welfare of the West Baltimore community
Ensuring Equity for Faculty
Perman launched a comprehensive equity analysis of the university’s personnel actions relating to recruitment, promotion, and tenure in regard to race, ethnicity, and gender; findings will be used to address any deficiencies. He also initiated an evaluation of the university’s job classification system to prevent employees’ stagnation, particularly in lower-paying jobs, in order to create more opportunities for career advancement.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Perman is committed to using the university’s assets and expertise to improve community health, strengthen schools, create jobs, drive neighborhood development, and advance social justice. [He] understands that UMB is strong not despite its diversity, but because of it. He understands that UMB has a profound obligation to apply its influence, assets, and expertise in service [to make] the city he loves every bit as strong as his own institution.”
