4. To promote body positivity and sex positivity 5. To promote a deeper understanding of the feminist and womanist movements through the lens of intersectionality Faculty Advisor: Dr. Samantha Fuld Latinx Unidos for Community Healing and Awareness (LUCHA) The purpose of LUCHA is to promote a feeling of solidarity and pride among Latin American students and other members within the School of Social Work, to increase Latin American awareness within SSW, to focus on and improve educational, cultural, and social development within the Latin American community and to provide the student body with knowledge of Latin American cultures and their diverse ethnic heritages through various activities. Faculty Advisor: Nalini Negi, PhD There are currently no student leaders for this group. Please contact Student Services if you are interested in becoming a student leader. Macro Student Union (MSU) The purpose of the MSU shall be to encourage greater knowledge and awareness of macro social work, increase macro social work opportunities for students, and support networking among fellow students and macro practitioners within the broader social work community. Faculty Advisor: Angela Jachelski, MSW MSW Student Organization at USG The University of Maryland School of Social Work, MSW_ SO at USG is dedicated to enhancing both the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the Universities at Shady Grove student experience. Members of this group engage in community outreach, social events, interprofessional development, learning enrichment, and networking opportunities. The group meets regularly and plans events that are both meaningful and representative of the values for the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the Universities at Shady Grove. Faculty Advisor: Jessica Rider-Amin, MSW, LCSW-C Organization of African-American Students in Social Work (OASIS) The purpose of OASIS shall be to promote unity among African-Americans and to empower students by providing academic, professional, social, and spiritual support. OASIS works to highlight issues of race, African-American
culture and provisions of social service to AfricanAmerican communities. Additionally, OASIS strives to improve the school’s overall climate for all students. Faculty Advisor: Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW Queer Community Alliance (QCA) The purpose of QCA is to create a supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight ally students, faculty, staff and alumni while educating the School of Social Work community concerning homophobia and heterosexism and their relationship to racism, sexism, and classism. To advocate for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues in the curriculum and to identify and address homophobic stances and actions in school policies, guidelines and classroom situations. To work for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer faculty, staff, and students. To collaborate with other groups outside the university to promote equal rights for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Maryland. Faculty Advisor: Aaron Betsinger, MSW There are currently no student leaders for this group. Please contact Student Services if you are interested in becoming a student leader. Parent Alliance The Parent Alliance will: • Create a safe space that fosters Connection, Openness, Validation, and Encouragement for MSW and PhD students who are parents/child caregivers. • Collaborate and plan social events for student parents and alumni. • Create and share resources with SSW students that are parents. • Advocate for policies on behalf of SSW students that are parents Faculty Advisors: Alexandra Wimberly, PhD There are currently no student leaders for this group. Please contact Student Services if you are interested in becoming a student leader. TIKKUN TIKKUN, the Jewish Social Work Student organization, promotes events in the school which help raise awareness about Jewish concerns and issues in social work while working towards the goal of “tikkun olam” (repairing the world).Through guest speakers, films, and special events, we help educate the school community about Jewish
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