MAY 18 6 PM

i3b’s 9th Annual Lavender Graduation
A time to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ graduates

As additional faculty and staff return to campus over the next two weeks, we wanted to share additional instructions and answers to frequently asked questions about how to complete an on-campus COVID-19 PCR test. All community members are required to test the first day they return to campus, regardless of vaccination status. 

1. We recommend that you take an at-home rapid test the day before you come to campus. 

2. Testing on-campus requires the use of a mobile app. Please review these instructions, download and register now, before you come to campus to test. If you need technical assistance, email mgscanner@umbc.edu.

3. Plan to test as soon as you arrive on campus, before 11am if possible.

4. When you come to campus, plan to pick up a vial and swab at:

• The UMBC police station

• The Center for Well-Being (during operating hours)

• The University Center 3rd floor vestibule

5. Find an isolated or distanced place to complete your swab. This may be your car, your office, or outside. Return your completed test to the drop box at each location. Do NOT test at the pick up and drop off locations as you may expose others.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I be on campus while I am waiting for my results?

Yes. Once you complete your test, you may remain on campus to complete your day wearing an appropriate mask and maintaining physical distance as much as possible. We are relying on masking and distancing protocols to reduce on campus transmission while we await your test results. Given the shortage of testing in Maryland, we felt this was the fairest way to require an entry test.

How long will it take to receive my results?

UMBC cannot check on the status of individual tests. In general, it can take up to three business days to receive your results. Testing results from on-campus tests will be posted to your COVID Compliance Card in your myUMBC profile. 

Is testing on campus safe?

We do believe testing on campus is safe, as long as community members follow instructions, pick up their kits, and swab in a location that is distanced from others. For the first week of classes, we plan to make additional testing, as well as technical assistance, available in the RAC, in order to reduce any potential crowding at testing sites. In addition, it will be helpful to have most employees complete testing next week, before students return. 

What if I recently tested positive? Should I test?

You are not required to test as you may continue to test positive for up to 90 days. You will need to report your result in order to be exempted from entry testing. Information on how to do this and when you can return to campus is available here.

Please email covid19@umbc.edu if you have any questions.

At UMBC, and across the U.S., college students and young adults are experiencing a number of challenges managing their mental health. While we have some data on the mental health trends of our campus community, we want to hear directly from students to improve upon and develop new ways UMBC can provide support and educational resources. 

With the assistance of an outside agency, UMBC will be conducting focus groups with undergraduate and graduate students to learn more about their mental health experience.

There will be upcoming focus groups via Zoom for on the following dates:

• Monday, Jan 24 

• Tuesday, Jan 25 

If you are interested in participating, please complete this interest form. We will begin reaching out to interested students on Thursday, January 20. 

Interest form link:  https://forms.gle/GwRNoqS71THsKXHq7 

Sessions will include no more than 20 participants. As a result, not everyone who completes the interest form will be included in the sessions.

The Women's Center's Returning Women Students/Adult Learners Scholarships Application for 2022-23 is available now via Scholarship Retriever to undergraduate students who meet the eligibility requirements. 

The deadline for submission via Scholarship Retriever is Friday, April 8, 2022. 

This common application which is called Women's Center: Returning Women Students/Adult Learners 2022-2023 in Scholarship Retriever enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students/Adult Learner Scholarships with just one submission. Please note that this opportunity to apply will only appear in Scholarship Retriever to students who meet the scholarship qualifications. The six available scholarships via the Returning Women Student Scholarship Application are:

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students 
• Jodi Mister/Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship
• Charlotte W. Newcombe STEM Scholarship
• AEGON Scholarship
• The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship
• The Rosalie Tydings Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship

Undergraduate students of any gender over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits and 2.5 GPA may be eligible. Students must be completing their first undergraduate degree. 

Students who are selected to be scholars are required to participate in the Returning Women Students/Adult Learners Scholars + Affiliates program. For more information about the program, visit our website and be sure to attend an information session.

Virtual Information sessions related to the application process and scholars program requirements on: 

• Tuesday, February 8th from 6-7pm OR 
• Thursday, March 17th from 5-6pm (the focus of this session will be on crafting your personal essays)

Applicants are highly encouraged to attend an info session before submitting their application. For students who cannot attend a session live, a recording of the 2/8 session will be made available to those who request it.