Welcome to the fall 2020 semester at UMBC! We’re excited to welcome you back even though these extraordinary times create unique challenges for many of us. We want to provide you with information about how to protect yourself, support the health and safety of our campus community, and reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 at UMBC and beyond. We also write to share UMBC’s community expectations during the transition back to campus.

All students who will be attending face-to-face classes and/or living or working on campus this fall are required to complete the Return to Campus COVID Awareness training by August 27, 2020. To access the training, please use the following instructions:

• Log in to your UMBC Blackboard site.
• Select the “Organizations” section located on the left side of your screen.
• Select the training “Return to Campus COVID Awareness.”
• Select Module 1 to begin the training.
• This training does not have to be completed in one sitting; however, you must complete all five training modules.

If you are having any issues accessing the training, please follow the instructions located at this FAQ page to self-enroll in the Return to Campus COVID Awareness.

At the end of module 5, you will be asked to acknowledge and sign the Retriever Community Agreement making a personal commitment to precautions and actions required in order to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19 on our campus and beyond.

If you do not complete the training and sign the Retriever Community Agreement by August 27 you will be required to take classes online and/or live off campus until circumstances allow for a return to campus.

Additional information on all of the requirements for students approved to return to campus, including information on COVID-19 testing options and daily symptom tracking, is available on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site.

Thank you very much for your commitment to helping us keep our UMBC community as healthy as possible. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Over the last week UMBC has experienced a large increase in the use of DocuSign as we gear up for the Fall semester.

• UMBC’s new Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, and Gender Discrimination goes into effect on August 14, 2020. UMBC’s new Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy and Procedures go into effect on August 18, 2020.
   
• For Prohibited Conduct that occurred prior to August 14, 2020, and was reported prior to August 14, 2020, including matters currently under review, the definitions, policies, and procedures in UMBC’s former Title IX policy will be used through conclusion of the matter, including any appeal and enforcement of any sanctions.
   
• For Prohibited Conduct that occurred prior to August 14, 2020, but is reported on or after August 14, 2020, the policy and definitions in UMBC’s former Title IX policy will apply, but the procedures in the new policy will be used to investigate and resolve any formal complaints through the conclusion of the matter, including any appeal and enforcement of any sanctions.
   
• Where Prohibited Conduct occurs on or after August 14, 2020, the new definitions, policies, and procedures will apply, except that when the Prohibited Conduct is sufficiently related to a matter already under review, the former policy and/or procedures will apply to the related matter.
  
  
• There may be legal challenges to some of these regulations, and the U.S. Department of Education is issuing additional implementing guidance for the new regulations nearly every day. Either or both of these could modify the regulations and/or guidance and require us to make modifications to the new policy. In the event this occurs, OEI will work to promptly inform the UMBC community of any changes.

Are you ready to learn how to get your finances back on track?

The CASHCoach program provides students with one-on-one assistance to create a budget and helps them understand their spending habits. Your coach will help you identify a savings goal and create a spending plan. You will meet once a month to explore and discuss various financial literacy topics while making progress toward your savings goal.

You'll also have the opportunity to earn a CASHCoach badge that you can highlight on social media pages like LinkedIn!

Click on the flyer to find out how you can apply to participate in the CASHCoach program! 

[Alt Text Image] CASHCoach program badge 

Click on the flyer to find out how you can apply to participate in the CASHCoach program! 

CASHCoach is a money mentoring program where your coach will help you identify a savings goal and create a spending plan. You will meet once a month to explore and discuss various financial literacy topics while making progress toward your savings goal.

You'll also have the opportunity to earn a CASHCoach badge that you can highlight on social media pages like LinkedIn!

[Alt Text Image] CASHCoach program badge