Key Points
UMBC and area positivity rates have allowed us to revisit our current health and safety measures.
Effective Friday, March 4, masking is no longer required for much of the campus.
Masking remains required in classes, instructional labs, performance spaces, designated masking areas, healthcare settings, on UMBC Transit, and in other limited areas.
We ask that all in our community Keep Masks in Mind by carrying a mask with them and respecting one another.
Dear UMBC Community,
We are pleased to share that our on-campus testing positivity rate and COVID-19 rates in surrounding counties continue to remain low. We have also carefully reviewed recent guidance from the CDC and its determination that Baltimore County is an area with a low COVID-19 Community Level and improving health metrics.
As a result of these positive indicators, UMBC will adjust the campus masking policy effective Friday, March 4, 2022. In general, masking is no longer required except in classes, instructional labs, performance spaces, designated masking areas, healthcare settings, and on UMBC Transit. We are prepared to update these protocols should the local and/or campus public health situation worsen.
We want to emphasize that many in our community may need or choose to continue to wear a mask in areas where they are no longer required. We need to continue to support each other. Individuals who have recently been exposed to or recovered from COVID-19 should continue to mask for at least 10 days.
We ask that all in our community respect individual decisions to wear masks and carry a mask with them. Please continue to check in with colleagues and friends about whether they would feel more comfortable if gatherings and meetings were masked. Taking care of one another and respecting each other is an important part of our community values. In that tradition, we ask that you continue to Keep Masks in Mind.
When you need to mask, we continue to encourage you to select a high-quality mask. Free KN95 masks are available on campus.
We appreciate your patience while the COVID-19 Planning and Coordinating Committee assessed current public health conditions on and off campus and your continued commitment to keeping our community healthy. If you have questions about these changes, you may contact us at covid19@umbc.edu.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President of Information Technology and CIO Jack Suess
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
Dear UMBC Community,
We are pleased to share the 2020-2021 Inclusion Council Reports and Recommendations with our community. These recommendations are the group's suggestions of how the university can more fully realize our value of inclusive excellence. They represent more than a year of effort from ten working groups made up of more than 150 students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We are deeply grateful for the diverse, thoughtful, and action-focused perspectives they brought to this process.
To respond to this report, and to help us understand our next best steps, we have created an Implementation Team that is modeled on our Retriever Courage work. The team will be chaired by Dr. Carole McCann, Professor and Chair, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; and Beatriz Gutierrez-Malagon, Coordinator for Leadership, Campus Life. The charge of this team is to create a plan of work, timelines for identified projects, and partnership teams. The Implementation Team includes representatives from the Inclusion Council, Shared Governance leaders, and subject matter experts. We will provide you with regular updates on their progress.
We know that the work of the Inclusion Council and the Office of Equity and Inclusion does nothappen in isolation. Rather, it both relies on and is indebted to the decades of work that many in our community have already done and continue to do. As a result of your hard work—your scholarship on diversity and inclusion, your support of marginalized students, your commitment to developing equitable processes—UMBC is nationally known as a leader in the work of inclusive excellence. Yet we also know that just as success is never final, the work of justice is never done. We appreciate your continued support.
If you have questions about this report or the plan to move forward, please reach out to us at oei@umbc.edu.
In partnership,
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Candace Dodson-Reed ’96, Chief of Staff to the President and Executive Director, Office of Equity and Inclusion
Keith J Bowman, Inclusion Council Co-Chair and Dean, College of Engineering and Information Technology
Carole McCann, Implementation Team Co-Chair and Professor and Chair, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies
Beatriz Gutierrez-Malagon, Implementation Team Co-Chair and Coordinator for Leadership, Campus Life
Dear Faculty and Staff,
UMBC has decided to participate in the Great Colleges to Work For program, a national survey designed to recognize institutions that have built great workplaces. Regardless of whether or not we are recognized, the data we receive will be helpful as we continue the process of creating the best workplace possible.
On March 7, 2022, the survey will be distributed to a random selection of our employees. If you are included in this random sample, you will receive an invitation with details about the program and how to access the survey. This invitation will be sent to you via email from Great Colleges.
If you receive the invitation, please take a moment to complete the survey. You will be representing not only yourself, but all your colleagues, so your feedback is invaluable! This is a chance to make your voice heard, and a high response rate helps ensure an accurate representation of our community. At the close of the program, we will receive topline reports that summarize the organizational competencies and relationships that most directly impact and influence our culture.
The survey is voluntary and completely confidential; our institution will not be able to trace results back to individuals. Your survey will be processed by ModernThink LLC, an independent management consulting firm focusing on workplace quality in higher education. They can be reached at 888-684-4658 or at surveys@modernthink.net.
We encourage everyone’s participation and hope you will take this opportunity to share your honest feedback. Thank you in advance for your participation. Please visit the Great Colleges website if you have questions.
]]>Dear UMBC Community,
As we watch news coverage of the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine and the burgeoning humanitarian crisis in the region, our hearts go out to the Ukrainian people. We hope that diplomatic efforts will result in a prompt resolution to this conflict.
These attacks and other acts of heartbreaking violence near and far serve as stark reminders of the urgent challenge to do the hard work of bridging differences. UMBC is a globally engaged campus, and the conflict in Ukraine underscores the importance of educating ourselves about world events and the complicated histories behind long-standing conflicts.
Institutions of higher education have a special role in stimulating dialogue, learning, and critical thinking about complex societal issues. We appreciate all of our colleagues who help our community understand conflicts like these. We hope that many of you will participate in Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Historical, Political, and Personal Perspectives, an online discussion sponsored by the Center for Social Science Scholarship, the Department of History, and the Department of Political Science, talking place on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
We also wanted to share this recent New York Times column by UMBC honorary degree recipient Thomas L. Friedman, which highlights the ways conflict in the age of global interconnection carries new significance for both individuals and nations.
If you are in need of emotional support in light of these events, please ask for help. Students in need of support can contact the Counseling Center at (410) 455-2542 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., or the after-hours support line at (410) 455-3230. Faculty and staff can access support through the Employee Assistance Program.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
This is to follow-up on the recent announcement regarding the search for a permanent dean for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The first two finalists visited the UMBC campus for their final interviews last week; the remaining two candidates will be on campus this week. As part of this process, each finalist will conduct a campus forum with members of the UMBC community. Community members will be able to join these events in person or virtually.
Finalist #3: Tuesday, February 22, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
Finalist #4: Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
For additional information on the finalists, please visit this website on the day before their scheduled campus forum.
Release time will be granted for employees to take part in these events. All campus offices will remain open, and services should continue to be offered. Supervisors and staff are asked to work together to coordinate office coverage.
Health and Safety: In accordance with campus COVID-19 protocols, all attendees at the in-person events are required to wear a KN95 or equivalent mask and to observe physical distancing.
]]>I am delighted to share that Gina King has been promoted to Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation. Gina came to UMBC in 2018 as the Associate Director of Recruitment, Events, and Orientation.
Prior to joining the campus community, Gina was the Director of College Counseling at the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore and before that Director of Admissions at McDaniel College. In these positions, she has played an integral role in helping the schools and students have a successful experience in the college selection and enrollment process. This was especially evident during the past two years in responding to the challenges of the COVID pandemic. During this time, Gina and her team adapted many of our recruitment and events to best meet the needs of the campus and, most importantly, our students and families. Working with campus partners from Marketing to Enrollment Management and DoIT, Gina and her entire team played a critical role in the university enrolling its largest, first-year class ever. In addition, she has been a leader in the initial implementation of the Salesforce CRM that will successfully position the university to engage our students from prospects to alumni. Her mentorship of staff and collaborative approach are also noteworthy, and I am confident the campus will benefit tremendously from working with her in this increased capacity.
As Gina assumes the role of Director and oversees the daily operations of the office, I will be able to focus more of my work as the Assistant Vice Provost for strategic partnerships and enrollment initiatives. I will be working with campus partners such as school systems, community colleges, and community-based organizations, to further strengthen and nurture these critical relationships and to create pathways for students to pursue opportunities for study at UMBC.
Please join me in congratulating Gina in her new role!
Dale Bittinger
Assistant Vice Provost
Dear UMBC Community,
Our on-campus testing and case response results continue to demonstrate that we are on the downward slope of the COVID-19 curve caused by the Omicron variant. Due to these results, we were pleased to reopen lounges and community spaces in residence halls this past week.
Yesterday, the University System of Maryland released a statement sharing that each campus is in the process of evaluating its health and safety measures, and that each would be taking a “measured, step-down approach to relaxing their mitigation protocols.” We want you to know that this evaluation process is currently happening at UMBC.
The COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee and a series of workgroups meet weekly to review the data and recommend next steps. We are also actively consulting with our shared governance leaders and other key constituents to understand the needs of community members. We are discussing several measures - including our mask requirements - and hope to be able to share updates with you soon. We anticipate that any steps we take will include both phased approaches and context specific recommendations. We continue to hear from groups with unique requests and safety concerns and know that one approach may not apply to our entire campus. Since we know that the virus will be with us for some time, any rollback will also be accompanied by an option to reinstate measures should another variant affect our community.
Thank you for your continued partnership and patience as we navigate this pandemic. To understand current health and safety requirements, please visit our COVID-19 website and contact us at covid19@umbc.edu if you have questions. Finally, we continue to offer free on-campus COVID-19 booster shots. If you have not already done so, please sign up today!
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President of Information Technology and CIO Jack Suess
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
Dear UMBC Community,
It is with mixed emotions that we share that our colleague,
Jess Myers, Women’s Center Director, will step down from her position on
February 25. We will miss her, yet are
appreciative of the dedication Jess has shown to UMBC and her commitment to
supporting our community.
During Jess’ 11 years at UMBC, she has been remarkably
effective in reaching and supporting students from all backgrounds and working
collaboratively with faculty, staff and students to advance the work of the
Women’s Center. In addition to
continuing projects hosted by the Women’s Center such as Take Back the Night
and Rebuilding Manhood, Jess also oversaw the creation and implementation of
some of their key programs including the Critical Social Justice and the
Returning Women Student Scholars + Affiliates program for adult learners at
UMBC.
Jess has served on numerous workgroups, committees and
affinity groups including the Provost’s Faculty Caregiver’s Advisory Workgroup,
Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention Program, President’s Commission
for Women, GWST Coordinating Committee, and the LGBTQ Faculty + Staff
Association. Her outstanding work during the unexpected closure of the YMCA
Preschool and her support of impacted caregivers and campus leadership is
widely acknowledged by the campus community.
She has worked diligently with Retriever Courage by serving on the
Implementation Team, co-facilitating University wide training on supporting
survivors and cultivating a survivor-responsive campus and, most importantly,
personally supporting survivors during a critical and sensitive time.
In recognition of her outstanding work and contributions, Jess has been honored by many awards during her tenure at UMBC She received the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Staff Award for Inclusion, Multiculturalism, and Social Justice in 2019, UMBC’s Jakubik Family Endowment Staff Award in 2018, the National Women’s Studies Association’s Women’s Center Committee Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015, and UMBC’s Outstanding Faculty/Staff Ally of the Year award in 2015.
We are pleased to announce that Amelia Meman, Assistant Director of the Women’s Center, will assume interim responsibilities as Director of the Women’s Center.
We thank Jess for her commitment and dedication to UMBC and the wider community and we are grateful for her impressive legacy.
Please join us in wishing Jess the best as we celebrate with open hours at the Women’s Center on February 23 and 24 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Katharine Cole, Dean and Vice Provost, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Philip Rous, Provost and Senior Vice President
]]>Dear UMBC Community,
I am writing, in partnership with Search Committee Chair Alan Yeakley, to provide an update on the search for the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. After receiving and reviewing the submissions from many talented applicants, our search committee has narrowed the field to four finalists. These finalists will be visiting the UMBC campus over the next two weeks for their final interviews.
As part of this process, each finalist will conduct a campus forum with members of the UMBC community. Community members will be able to join these events in person or virtually.
Finalist #1: Monday, February 14, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
Finalist #2: Wednesday, February 16, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
Finalist #3: Tuesday, February 22, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
Finalist #4: Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Please register here.
For additional information on the finalists, please visit this website on the day before their scheduled campus forum.
Release time will be granted for employees to take part in these events. All campus offices will remain open, and services should continue to be offered. Supervisors and staff are asked to work together to coordinate office coverage.
Health and Safety: In accordance with campus COVID-19 protocols, all attendees at the in-person events are required to wear a KN95 or equivalent mask and to observe physical distancing.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the search committee for taking on this critical institutional responsibility. I hope you will support them in this important task by participating in the upcoming campus forums with the four finalists.
Provost Philip Rous
CAHSS Dean Search Committee Chair and Chair and Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems Alan Yeakley
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