]]>
]]>
Dear UMBC Community,
Now that we are several weeks into the Fall semester, we wish to thank each of you for everything you are doing to keep our community healthy and safe. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 prevalence in our community and Maryland. While the nation continues to experience a surge due to the Delta variant, we are cautiously optimistic that responding to the virus on campus is going well, due to your efforts.
Our campus vaccination rate has surpassed 98% and our positivity rate remains less than 1%. These numbers are updated weekly on our public health dashboard.
Surveillance Testing
As a part of our safety protocols, UMBC is conducting ongoing COVID-19 surveillance testing. This testing helps us understand the prevalence of COVID-19 in our community, identify potential cases, and guide additional action. Periodically, members of our community will be randomly selected to complete mandatory COVID-19 testing. Surveillance testing will happen routinely in residential life, and faculty, staff, and commuting students may also periodically be asked to test.
If you are selected for testing, you will receive an email with detailed instructions. You will have a four-day window to complete testing, which will be on campus and free of charge. More information is available here. Please keep in mind that on-campus testing is provided for community members assigned a testing plan in their COVID Compliance Card or who are participating in surveillance testing.
Case Response and Close Contacts
UMBC’s Case Response Team is tasked with responding to positive cases in our community and is meeting regularly. You can learn more about our process here. If you test positive for COVID-19, please complete a case report form immediately to receive resources and support. The page also contains information for individuals who have been identified as a close contact to someone who has tested positive.
When the University is made aware of a case of COVID-19, whether through reporting or testing, we help identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact with that community member. This includes other attendees in courses. The guidance for each situation will vary based on the type of exposure and the vaccination status of all involved. You will receive detailed instructions by email if you have potentially been exposed.
Please keep in mind that if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, even if you do not think it is COVID-19, please stay home! Help keep our community safe and healthy.
Thank you for all that you are doing.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
Have extra meals on your ID card that you won't be able to use? Students on a meal plan can now “Save-A-Swipe” by donating 5 or 10 meals from your meal plan to Retriever Essentials. Students in need of a meal can anonymously claim those extra meal credits at True Grits dining hall.
This semester, students can sign up to donate 5 or 10 meals through our online form. Sign up here to donate meals: http://tinyurl.com/saveaswipe The last day to donate meals is September 20th.
If you are in need of meals, email retrieveressentials@umbc.edu to be assisted.
We are delighted to share that the 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings released yesterday affirm UMBC’s continued national leadership in higher education. UMBC is #6 among all U.S. universities in both undergraduate teaching and innovation. These rankings once again showcase our commitment to student success, demonstrate the value of a public university education, and highlight UMBC’s strengths in several other key areas.
Read more here.
In addition, we are honored that, for the twelfth consecutive year, UMBC has been named a Great College to Work For. This year UMBC is recognized in all ten award categories﹘from job satisfaction and support to mission and pride﹘and is listed on the Great Colleges Honor Roll.
On September 9, 2021, members of the UMBC community gathered to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by learning from panelists who were here at the time how people at UMBC responded to and were impacted by these events. Panelists included Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, Dr. Diane Lee,Tom Moore, Brett McKenzie, ‘04, and Karim Said, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13. The Center for Democracy and Civic Life hosted the program in collaboration with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b), Off-Campus Student Services, and the Wisdom Institute.
If you would like to view the program, the recording is available here.
Town Hall and Listening Session
with Chancellor Jay A. Perman
Friday, October 1, 2021
Noon ﹘ 1 p.m.
University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman will host a town hall on campus on Friday, October 1, 2021, from noon to 1 p.m.. This event was previously scheduled for September 17. All students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend in person or virtually to ask questions about UMBC’s upcoming presidential transition.
As he shared in his recent message to the UMBC community, the Chancellor is eager to hear about the background and experience that the UMBC community wants in its next leader, as well as thoughts about the future vision and priorities for the institution.
The town hall will be hosted in the Retriever Activities Center with limited and physically distanced seating. Masks will be required. Community members can also participate online. Please register and submit your questions before the event.
Register here.
Between now and Monday, September 20, you are also welcome to nominate individuals to serve on the search committee by emailing umbc-presidential-search@usmd.edu. Please include the name, university affiliation, and email address of suggested search committee members. Learn more about engaging with the search process here.
]]>
