We the Terps: A Day with the U.S. Constitution

When:
Wed, Sep 17, 2025 - 10:00AM
to
Wed, Sep 17, 2025 - 2:00PM

Where:
Stamp Student Union, Prince George's Room

Host:

Speakers:

 

Dear Colleagues,
We are excited to share details about this year’s upcoming Constitution Day programming, which will highlight our 2025 First Year Book (FYB) selection, The Constitution of the United States: Smithsonian Edition.

Main Event: “We the Terps: A Day with the U.S. Constitution”
📅 Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.
📍Stamp Student Union, Prince George’s Room

This civic engagement celebration will include:

✅ Voter registration opportunities with TerpsVote
✅ Interactive student and community activities (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) featuring UMD Libraries Special Collections
✅ “TerpTalk”-style overview of key constitutional concepts:

10:00 a.m. – The Body of the Constitution
An introduction to the structure of the Constitution and how its design has shaped historical crises and debates across time
By Dr. Michael Ross, Professor of History, University of Maryland

11 a.m. – The Bill of Rights
A look at why the Bill of Rights was created and what it tells us about liberty and power in a new republic
By Dr. Holly Brewer, Burke Chair of American Cultural and Intellectual History; Director of Undergraduate Studies; Associate Professor of History, University of Maryland

Noon – The 14th Amendment
A deep dive into equal protection, birthright citizenship, and the expansion of constitutional rights in the states
By Dr. Michael Ross, Professor of History, University of Maryland

1 p.m.– The Constitution in Modern America
An exploration of how the Constitution shapes and is shaped by contemporary political and legal debates
A panel discussion with Michael Spivey (Senior Lecturer, Government and Politics) and Robert Koulish (Director, MLAW Programs; Director, Justice and Legal Thought, College Park Scholars), and Patrick Wohlfarth, (Professor, Government and Politics),  moderated by Laura Anderson Wright (Senior Associate General Counsel, University of Maryland)

We encourage faculty and staff to:

Share this event with students and encourage participation from your unit.
Incorporate Constitution Day and Teaching Resources for the Constitution into class discussions when relevant.
Find additional nonpartisan resources to help students navigate the voting process at terpsvote.umd.edu
Sponsored by the Department of History, Adele H. Stamp Student Union — Center for Campus Life, Leadership & Community Service-Learning Office, TerpsVote, College Park Scholars, UMD Libraries, and the First Year Book Program.

Additional marketing materials will be distributed at the start of the fall semester. The book will be available at the beginning of the semester. To request copies, please fill out this form.

Constitution Day is an annual federal observance, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Constitution Day and Citizen Day were combined in the 1950’s and designed to “instruct citizens of their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States. The FYB will launch a yearlong initiative that invites faculty and students to engage anew with the Constitution through their coursework and everyday civic life.


Sincerely,

UMD First Year Book Program