KEY POINTS

• Spring semester classes will begin as scheduled on January 31.

• Spring telework agreements will be in effect beginning January 24.

• All in our on-campus community must be up to date with our vaccination requirement, including a “booster shot” when eligible.

• PCR tests are required for all returning to campus.

• KN95 or equivalent masks must be worn in all spaces where masking is required.

Dear UMBC Community,

As promised, we are writing to update you on the University’s plans for the spring semester. Classes will begin as scheduled on January 31, and spring telework agreements will be in effect beginning January 24. 

It is clear that the COVID-19 Omicron variant will affect many in our campus community as we begin this semester. Knowing that many of us and our families have and will continue to be impacted by this virus, we will continue our multi-layered approach to health and safety precautions and our commitment to compassion and flexibility for students, faculty, and staff. If you need additional support or flexibility as the semester starts, please ask for help. Students can reach out to their instructors and advisors, faculty should work with their department chairs and keep their students informed, and staff can work directly with supervisors. We will get through this together.  

Three safety requirements will allow us to continue teaching and learning, research and creative achievement, and other community activities as safely as possible. We expect all students, faculty, and staff on campus to comply with these measures:

1. Be up to date with our vaccination requirement, which will include an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—a “booster shot”—when you are eligible. More information is located on this page.

2. Take an on-campus PCR test on the first day that you return to campus. We will share particular information on how to test for the spring semester directly with commuting and residential students. Instructions on how to test are available here. 

3. Wear KN95 or equivalent masks in all spaces where masking is required. The campus continues to require indoor masking for all community members and visitors. More information, including locations to obtain free masks, is available here.

Finally, please remember that community members who have been on campus and have tested positive, or been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, should file a Case Report Form. We also have added guidance for community members who have recently tested positive.

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our community healthy and strong. Additional guidance for faculty members, residential students, and our Universities at Shady Grove students and faculty will be forthcoming soon. If you have any questions, 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,

After 12 years of dedicated service to our campus community, UMBC Police Chief Paul Dillon has announced that he will retire from UMBC effective February 25, 2022. Chief Dillon came to UMBC from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2010 as Deputy Chief, and became Chief of Police in 2018.

I have asked UMBC’s Deputy Chief of Police, Major Bruce Perry ‘97, psychology, to serve as Acting Chief of Police upon Chief Dillion’s departure. Major Perry has been a member of UMBC’s Police Department since 1998; I look forward to working with him in his new role.

Throughout his time at UMBC, Chief Dillon has applied his wealth of knowledge and expertise to ensure a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, and staff to live, work, and learn.  He has developed, implemented, and led many key public safety initiatives for the campus, including the campus text alert system and an updated emergency preparedness plan.

A strong advocate for equality, tolerance, and inclusiveness, Chief Dillon is a representative and advisor for several campus groups, including the Behavioral Risk Assessment and Consultation Team (BRACT), LGBTQ Climate Group, and Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention Advocates group.

Most recently, Chief Dillon had provided remarkable leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his work with the COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee, as well as his leadership of the Contact Response Team, Chief Dillion’s vast knowledge and expertise in crisis and emergency management has proven invaluable.

Last, but certainly not least, UMBC Police added its first community outreach officer during Chief Dillon’s tenure, and welcomed “Officer Chip,” our certified comfort dog, to support UMBC community members in distress.

Our campus is safer and more prepared for emergencies due to Chief Dillon’s professionalism and hard work. His good nature, collegiality, and sense of humor will be missed. He and his wife, Cynthia, are the proud parents of three children, including two Retriever alumni: Jake Dillon ‘16, a Sondheim Scholar, who is an economist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Katie Dillon ‘18, a Center for Women in Technology Scholar, who is a software engineer for Google. Their daughter Grace earned a degree in musical theater from Otterbein University in 2021 and is pursuing an acting career in New York City.

Please join me in congratulating Paul and wishing him all the best in his next adventures!

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Key Points

• The campus will continue to reduce density on campus by encouraging flexible telework when possible through January 24.

• All community members are required to take an on-campus COVID-19 test the day that they return to campus.

• Our next on-campus booster clinic is January 20.

Dear Community,

The COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee is actively working to understand the health and operations risks associated with the COVID-19 Omicron variant surge. We will keep the campus informed of developing plans to carry on with teaching and learning, research and creative achievement, and campus operations as safely and smoothly as possible in the spring semester. We anticipate being able to share updates on these plans no later than January 14, 2022. 

In the meantime, we want to share guidance regarding health precautions and campus operations during the next few weeks. 

Reduced Campus Density and Telework

Between now and January 24, we are encouraging departments and supervisors to be flexible and, when possible, accommodate additional telework days for staff. Staff may continue to work off site beyond the scope of existing telework agreements with their supervisor’s permission.  Some employees will be needed on-campus to provide critical, on-campus services necessary to support research, administration, and students. Supervisors should work directly with employees to determine a schedule that decreases density but also provides the core services needed by the campus.

On-Campus Testing & Return to Campus

All community members are required to take an on-campus PCR test on the day that they return to campus. Please test as soon as you arrive on campus. Details on where and how to test are available here or through this wiki. Testing on campus requires the use of a mobile application that you will need to download before you arrive on campus, so please plan ahead. After you test, you may remain on campus but please be extra diligent about mask wearing and distancing as you wait for your results. 

In addition, we are strongly recommending that, if possible, all community members take a home rapid test 3-5 days before they return to campus. 

Case Response and Campus Safety Measures

Our contact response team has resumed tracking of on-campus cases. If you test positive, please review important response measures and report your result here. Masking continues to be required in all indoor spaces, except when you are actively eating or in an office alone. We recommend high-quality KN95 masks. Free KN95 masks are available at The Commons information desk and the Library mail counter. 

Booster Clinics

With new information released by the Centers for Disease Control, we continue to strongly encourage all in our community to get a booster shot as soon as they are eligible. Due to community demand, we are hosting new COVID-19 Booster and Flu Clinics, with our next clinic on January 20. Boosters are available by appointment only. Make your appointment here. 

Thank you for your patience as we weather this surge and plan for the spring semester. If you have any questions, 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