If you haven't been on campus since the fall final exam week, or even if you have, you may have missed these recent developments at UMBC:
- SGA extended the deadline for this year's Prove It! competition to March 1st. Got an idea for making the UMBC community even stronger? If you're willing to develop a practical plan and put it into action, consider submitting an entry. Three submissions will win $10,000 implementation grants plus $2,000 cash prizes for the authors to keep. Apply here.
- Speaking of Prove It!, the United States Department of Education released a "Road Map and Call to Action" for advancing democratic engagement, citing Prove It! and UMBC's SGA as examples of "next generation" civic engagement efforts:
The University of Maryland Baltimore County, one of the member campuses of the American Democracy Project, transformed its student government from a client service model to one that promotes social entrepreneurship. Students now compete for cash prizes to carry out innovative ideas for improving the campus community. The [2010] winning team was selected for its plan to transform used frying oil into fuel for green campus vehicles.
- The latest update to MyUMBC makes it possible to reply to individual comments on posts.
- Kiplinger once again named UMBC to its list of the 100 best values among public universities.
- The UMBC Chess Team placed second at the Pan-Am Intercollegiate Chess Team Championship, and now heads to the President's Cup, also known as the Final Four of college chess, on March 31-April 1, 2012.
- UMBC is preparing to participate in its fifth RecycleMania competition.
- The Honors College launched a new web site.
- The restrooms on The Commons' first floor are now gender-neutral.
- UMBC now has two electric vehicle charging stations on campus, in the stadium parking lot. They're free for members of the UMBC community and the general public to use.
- UMBC shared with all students, faculty and staff members the news that the University System of Maryland Board of Regents has adopted a new policy on reporting suspected child abuse and neglect. Stephanie Lazarus, Human Relations Manager, is UMBC’s official contact for such reports. She can be reached at 410-455-5745 or slazar@umbc.edu. More guidance and education about the new policy will be provided to the UMBC community early in the spring semester.
- 61 UMBC students and staff devoted five amazing days to becoming better leaders at the annual STRiVE retreat, with some glorious results.
