The Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery is pleased to announce that we will fully reopen to all UMBC and community users effective August 16, 2021. Between August 16 and 29, we will operate on our summer schedule:
Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday 12:00pm to 5:00 pm
(Note: We will be closed for our annual Staff Development Day on Tuesday, August 24.)
All seven floors of the Library will be open and appointments are not required. Card swipe will no longer be required to enter the library building. The Retriever Learning Center (RLC) will be open the same hours as the library. 24-hour study in the RLC will resume for the fall semester on August 30. Entrance to the RLC requires a valid UMBC ID card.
Per UMBC policy, all users and staff are required to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in the library building. We have removed furniture throughout the building and reduced capacity in our former group study spaces to encourage social distancing. Please help us maintain a safe space for all users and staff.
Contactless pickup of books, media, laptops, and audiovisual equipment will continue by appointment until August 29. Visit https://library.umbc.edu/curbside-pickup.php for more information. You may also browse the stacks for books, periodicals, or media items, but we encourage you to take advantage of our pickup and document delivery services.
The Special Collections Reading Room will open by appointment. Visit https://library.umbc.edu/speccoll/index.php for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Users are asked to consume all food and drink outside of the library during this time. Food services at Einstein’s Bagels are currently not available, and café tables and chairs have been removed from the Atrium.
The Academic Success Center (tutoring center) and Technology Service Center (Division of Information Technology help desk) are not returning to in-person services in the Library at this time. Announcements of their fall semester services and hours will be available soon.
Future updates will cover library hours and services from August 30, 2021 on. ]]>The anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities reminds us, as a campus, to celebrate all persons with visible and invisible disabilities, and remain committed to their equitable inclusion.
Since its enactment on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, and its state-based equivalent statutory protections have provided protections for disability access and inclusion, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, in public accommodation, in public services, in transportation, and in telecommunications. Former President George H. W. Bush called the Act “a new birth of freedom” for Americans who identify as having a disability. This landmark civil rights law has changed society from benevolence towards disability to acceptance. While our campus, both by accessible design and accommodation, endeavors to provide equal access and inclusion for faculty, staff, students and visitors with disabilities, copious work remains, especially within external communities.
Maryland protects people with disabilities both in Title 20, State Government Article, and in Sections 7-701 to 7-710, Human Services Title. While these laws provide protections, they must be enforced and awareness must continue to be raised to promote equitable access and acceptance of persons with disabilities - on campus, on the job, and in the classroom.
Recently litigation in Baltimore City brought an assertion about a lack of curb ramps - raising awareness about federal accessibility requirements and the ongoing need for diligence. On campus, curb cuts are and accessible grading are described on UMBC's Accessible Route Map. All construction and renovation on campus is designed to meet current accessibility requirements. That being said, repair conditions and maintenance needs arise and should be reported to Facilities Maintenance via Work Control (410-455-2550, workorder@umbc.edu) or via a department's AIM request. Accessibility concerns may be reported at any time via this linked online form. The replacement of elevators in the Sondheim and Fine Arts buildings in 2021 will be a boost to campus navigation, especially for people with disabilities. UMBC's Web Accessibility page (link), including information for reporting difficulty about digital content accessibility is also shared via the footer of UMBC's websites.
Additionally, all students with disabilities - graduate, undergraduate, part-time, full-time - may seek academic accommodation via Student Disability Services. Similarly, employees - faculty, staff, graduate assistants, student workers, work-study - may seek work-related accommodations via Accessibility and Disability Services.
Accessibility and Disability Services looks forward to working in partnership with UMBC's diverse and inclusive community to support equitable access to education, and employment as we reflect on the growth of campus accessibility over the past 31 years.
P.S. UMBC's support of accessibility pre-dates the ADA-read more about the designer Guy Chisholm who was honored for his 1965 accessible design elements at UMBC by Governor Mandel in 1982 via this link.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has partnered with 3rd Millennium, whose mission is to help students address critical life skills such as alcohol abuse prevention, drug abuse prevention, relationship violence prevention and sexual assault prevention, in high schools and higher education institutions across the country.
As part of our comprehensive prevention program for new incoming first year and/or transfer undergraduate and graduate students, UMBC requires that new, undergraduate students complete Alcohol-Wise and Other Drugs and new, graduate students complete Other Drugs. These online courses will empower you to make healthy, well-informed decisions about issues that affect your college years and beyond.
Important: For each of the courses:
All courses open July 2, 2021.
Alcohol-Wise For College
Passing Exam Score: 75%
Other Drugs
Other Important Information:
Thank you, and welcome to UMBC!
]]>Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.
For Challenge Day 7 we are going to focus on what happens when we combine the values, skills, and efforts that we all hold. This challenge made it a point to highlight an inclusive approach to leadership, rather than solely a positional one. The reason being to bust common misconceptions as it relates to leadership, while enriching the development of leadership qualities in all aspects that it appears— especially within your collegiate journey.
As we previously touched on earlier in the challenge, leadership work is done within groups of people with a common goal and a shared vision. And the process of leadership is typically in response to the needs of our community. Social responsibility and positive change for the betterment of others, the community, and society is at the core of the social change concept and essential when becoming a change agent in your community.
According to the Social Change Model of Leadership Development:
Leadership is concerned with effecting change on behalf of others and society
Leadership is collaborative
Leadership is a process rather than a position
Leadership is values-based
All students (not just those in formal positions) are potential leaders
Community service is a powerful vehicle for developing leadership skills
Day 7 Challenge Questions:
What is your reaction to these ideas? How does this differ from the ways leaders and those learning how to become better leaders (the process of leadership learning) are portrayed on the news?
BONUS Question:
In what other ways does (or can) this model show up in the current state our society is facing? What are your roles and responsibilities in the UMBC community as it relates to the Social Change Model?
Dear UMBC Community,
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance on masking that calls for indoor masking under certain conditions. At this time, the CDC has classified Maryland as an area with only moderate transmission given its high vaccination rates and low positivity rate (just over 2%). While at this time the CDC guidelines would not suggest a new mask mandate for Maryland, we know that state and local officials are closely monitoring and assessing the situation.
We wish to remind our community that masking continues to be required indoors at UMBC. While we are cautiously optimistic that high vaccination rates and low positivity rates may make it possible to lift this requirement for vaccinated and verified community members before the start of the semester, we are not ready to make this decision at this time.
We are currently reviewing the new guidance and available research. We are also reaching out to state and local government partners and the University System of Maryland to understand how their guidance is evolving. We will share our recommended next steps with the community in the near future.
It is essential that all in our community report their vaccinations as soon as possible. We recently informed students that the deadline for commuting students to report is August 20. Residential students received an earlier deadline to ensure they could move in. You can view our vaccination rate on our public health dashboard. Remember that once your vaccine is verified, you are entered into weekly incentive drawings.
Thank you for your patience and commitment to keeping UMBC safe and healthy.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
Given the improving health situation in the U.S. and many other countries, we are providing this update to prior communications regarding international travel. A new International Travel Process is now available to faculty, staff, and students. Requests can be submitted beginning August 1, 2021. Requests are subject to general out-of-state travel approval policies and UMBC’s existing International Travel Policy.
Failure to obtain formal approval prior to making international travel arrangements will result in denial of reimbursement regardless of the funding source and unauthorized travelers will not be covered by UMBC’s international travel insurance plan.Student organizations should await guidance from the Division of Student Affairs for international travel during the fall 2021 semester.
As outlined in the policy, all requests for international travel must be submitted via UMBC’s International Travel Registry. In addition to enabling the University to assess the risks associated with the proposed international travel, the system provides the traveler with access to risk intelligence information and enables them to request assistance while abroad.
The University will evaluate the known risks of international travel based on levels established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of State. These include:
CDC COVID-19 Notices
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
Requests to travel through or to international destinations subject to an elevated risk level will require additional screening by UMBC’s International Travel Review Committee. If the request is approved, then the traveler will receive location-specific guidance for mitigating risks.
If you choose to travel abroad, understand that you may experience difficulty departing from the U.S., and you may be subjected to mandatory testing, quarantine, and other requirements upon arrival at your international destination. When seeking to return to the U.S., you may experience travel disruptions or travel bans impeding your ability to return. Additionally, the ability of U.S. Embassies and Consulates to provide services to travelers remains severely limited in many countries.
All travelers on University-related international business travel are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start date of their travel unless approved vaccine exemption documentation is on file with the University. Travelers with approved exemptions should understand that some foreign governments will deny visa applications and/or prohibit entry into their country if the traveler is not able to provide proof of vaccination. All travelers are responsible for determining if they are able to meet the visa and/or entry requirements of destination and transit countries prior to initiating the process for obtaining approval for international travel.
In addition to university travel, The Center for Global Engagement is also working closely with international and campus partners to offer a limited and carefully reviewed portfolio of education abroad programs starting with Winter 2022 and Spring 2022. More information is available here.
If you have questions about international travel, please contact David Di Maria, Associate Vice Provost for International Education, at dimaria@umbc.edu.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
To provide your answers using mobile, follow and share your comments on the Challenge Day 6 posted on the Campus Life Instagram (@umbccampuslife). Visit the Online Leadership Challenge page to access all the Challenge Day posts and for more information.
For Challenge Guidelines, click "Download Image" below.