Overseas Marylanders Association Charter/Draft

March 10, 2014

The Overseas Marylanders Association (OMA) began as a newsletter published in 1996 at the suggestion of University of Maryland University College (UMUC) President Ben Massey. He wanted to keep former overseas faculty and staff involved with the University community.  Although official support for the project waned after President Massey’s retirement in 1998, groups in the Washington area and further afield continued to meet informally and to stay in touch with colleagues across the U.S. and around the world. They called themselves The Overseas Marylanders Association after the publication, and their meetings, large and small, brought together people who had worked in UMUC overseas programs under unusual circumstances not common in academia.  The current UMUC administration led by President Javier Miyares has reached out to the Overseas Marylanders Association to re-establish ties to UMUC, seeking its advice, engagement and support for current and planned international endeavors.  The charter below describes the Association and defines the renewed ties to UMUC.

Membership

OMA welcomes all who were part of the Maryland overseas project from 1949 to the present. They include faculty, staff and field representatives at locations in the former Atlantic, European and Asian Divisions, at campuses in Munich, Mannheim, Augsburg and Schwabisch Gmund and in non-military locations in Malaysia, Japan and Russia. Membership is gained through registration on the OMA website (www.gypsyscholars.com).

Mission

The mission of the OMA is to serve its members and support UMUC in areas related to members’ international experience.

Statement of Purpose

• Hold occasional regional and national gatherings,
• Maintain a website that connects members to the times and locations of their overseas service and enables easy communication,
• Provide advice to UMUC leadership on issues related to the University’s overseas vision, programs and presence,
• Support a UMUC overseas archive by recording oral and video histories and collecting members’ photos and memorabilia,
• Raise funds for projects related to these purposes, especially scholarships for members of the overseas military community who lack access to Tuition Assistance (spouses, for example) and for returning veterans, and for the archival work described above,
• Offer OMA members volunteer mentoring opportunities, particularly engaging UMUC’s military and international community members seeking academic or career assistance.

Relationship to UMUC

The OMA, through its Council described in the next section, advises the UMUC President and other senior leaders on matters related to the University’s overseas engagement. It functions as other volunteer organizations in the University community, meeting with the UMUC president periodically to learn about UMUC international efforts and offer suggestions, contacts and advice drawing on its members’ wide international experience.

OMA Leadership

The Overseas Marylanders Association is a volunteer organization. It is lead by an Overseas Council consisting of a chair plus vice-chairs with responsibilities in the areas of IT and website management, membership, archival development, annual and regional meetings and fundraising. The term of service in these posts is two years. The original leaders serving two year terms are those volunteers who have been active during the informal stage of OMA’s history. Subsequent leadership will be elected by the membership from candidates who volunteer or whose names are put forward by others.

Colleagues,

I am quite skeptical toward this idea.

What is the benefit for our group? 

1-That we would give "advice" to the administration? The administration's institutional version of advice is that they present a plan and expect support. I know this from 6 years in UMUC shared governance.  

We do not need a charter to give advice anyway. 

2-The get togethers are appealling because we have once worked together and enjoy sharing memories and friendship. We don't need a charter to continue this, which only brings about a political structure of the kind that makes PTA meetings a kind of hell. 

3-The overseas divisions are currently undergoing a trauma that was arguably unecessary. Many of the OMA will not be so pleased to become an official part of the larger structure because it implies agreement with these policies. A true vehicle for "advising?" Sure.

4-I would like to hear from whoever wrote the draft charter: What would be the benefit to OMA from such a charter? 

Yours

Bill Kerr, soon to be retired Professor, Philosophy. Former Chair of Faculty Advisory Council, University Advisory Council

Greetings Joe, Julian, and Doug

I have seen the proposal that OMA align itself with UMUC.   What advantages would OMA gain from entering into such a relationship?   Javier suggests that UMUC would seek advice from OMA, but my experience with UMUC’s senior administration has been one where Adelphi administrators demonstrated very little interest in overseas faculty ideas and suggestions.   Is there a reason to think that UMUC would change its disposition towards Europe and Asia faculty now that most of us are retired?

Perhaps there are some other benefits that would come our way if OMA connected to UMUC.   Could you give a rundown on what those benefits would be?

Thanks,

Bruce Hull