UMBC Gap Guidance regarding NSF Facility and Administration Policy

Dear Colleagues,

On Friday, May 2, The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new 15 percent Facility & Administrative (F&A) Cost Recovery policy for implementation today,  Monday May 5, 2025. This new policy does not impact existing or continuations of existing awards.  However, it does impact new awards for already submitted, and to-be-submitted, proposals.

As you may know, UMBC’s current F&A Cost Recovery rates are approved by the federal government (HHS is our Cognizant Federal Agency for our federally-negotiated F&A Rate Agreement across all agencies) after a comprehensive process that includes an audit and review of actual expenditures, as well as an extensive negotiation.  The application of the federally approved F&A rates allows UMBC to recover the actual costs required to complete the proposed work in support of our research and creative achievement community.  

This new NSF policy has no basis on UMBC’s actual costs.  Acceptance of any rate that does not cover UMBC’s costs represents an unsustainable cost burden on UMBC. UMBC has been advised that any proposal submitted to or any approved award accepted  from NSF at the 15% F&A rate may represent legal acceptance of this capped rate for all of our federal contracts and grants. 

UMBC anticipates that, as with other agencies who have attempted similar policies, a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) will be placed on this NSF F&A policy.  However, there may be a gap between such a TRO and an award issuance or proposal submission.  

Therefore, at this time, UMBC will only submit proposals to and accept awards from NSF utilizing our federally negotiated and approved F&A Cost Recovery rates.  Please understand that there is a valid concern that proposals submitted with an F&A Rate above the 15% cap may be returned to the institution without review.  We will not be able to accept any NSF awards with a 15% F&A cap at this time.

While we appreciate the potential negative impact this decision may have on members in our research and creative achievement community, we hope this gap guidance will become moot once a TRO has been issued.     

To learn more about F&A at UMBC, please see the UMBC F&A Rate Information page.      

Sincerely,

Dean A. Drake

Associate Vice President for Research and Creative Achievement


 ]]> Dear Colleagues, On Friday, May 2, The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new 15 percent Facility & Administrative (F&A) Cost Recovery policy for implementation today,  Monday... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149827/guest@my.umbc.edu/ab1aa704019ebaabdebe9a6edd245c48/api/pixel research Announcements - Faculty https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xsmall.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/original.png?1691516856 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xxlarge.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xlarge.png?1691516856 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/large.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/medium.png?1691516856 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/small.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xsmall.png?1691516856 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xxsmall.png?1691516856 Announcements - Faculty 1 0 false Mon, 05 May 2025 17:59:17 -0400 Updates on Impact of Executive Orders and Federal Actions and Promotion and Tenure Reviews
Dear Colleagues,

We write today to share some updates related to the impact of executive orders and federal actions, as well as some modifications of protocols surrounding promotion and tenure reviews.

Since the start of the spring 2025 semester, faculty members across the university may have experienced disruption to their research, teaching, and service activities due to some of the recent White House Executive Orders and federal actions. Faculty research could be impacted in various ways: stop-work orders to federal grants; inability to access datasets or databases housed in or sponsored by federal agencies; or challenges in travel to present their work at national or international conferences supported by federal funds. 

Also, there may have been potential impacts on the faculty’s ability to hire students and staff to support their research using federal support. In other instances, faculty members’ community-engaged scholarship, teaching, and service may have been severely impacted due to programs being curtailed in both the public and private sectors and due to lack of resources to conduct the work. Faculty whose scholarship and teaching could be categorized as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) may have to spend considerable time navigating the current political climate in the process of conducting and publishing their work.
 
Provost's modifications of tenure track faculty and librarian faculty promotion protocols: AY 2025 – 2026 Cycle
To address the potential impact of recent executive orders and federal actions related to research funding, curtailment or termination of DEIA initiatives, and related topics on faculty’s research, teaching, and service, the following protocol will be put in place beginning in academic year 2025 – 2026 faculty promotion and tenure (P&T) reviews. These modifications will be communicated to each level of P&T review through the provost’s annual P&T instructions, through the deans’ instructions for the development of letters to external reviewers, through the provost’s charge to the University Faculty Review Committee, and in deliberations made by department promotion and tenure committees.
 
1. If there have been any impacts on their research, teaching and/or service as a result of the executive orders and federal actions, candidates for P&T review are encouraged to reflect on such impacts in their self-assessment.
 
If the candidate mentions impacts in their self-evaluation: 
 
2. Every level of review, including outside reviewers, must consider the described impact of such executive orders and federal actions on the usual progression of our faculty towards promotion and tenure when evaluating both the work performed during this period of disruption and their potential as a scholar after promotion and/or tenure when performing on- and off-campus activities.
 
3. Each level of review must include a Statement of Affirmation that their review, and all previous levels of review, has taken into full consideration the impact of executive orders and federal actions beginning in 2025 on the candidate’s progression. 
 
[I] affirm that [my] review took into full consideration any impacts of current executive orders and federal actions on [X’s] candidacy.
 
If it is determined that any prior level of review has failed to do so in a way that may have resulted in negative consequences for the candidate, the current level of review shall inform the provost in their own report.
 
4. All letters providing guidance to external reviewers must include the following statement regarding the impact of executive orders and federal actions on P&T recommendations. 
 
When considering your recommendation regarding this P&T decision, please make sure to consider any potential effects described by the candidate associated with recent federal executive orders and federal actions impacting research, teaching, and service. This impact might include, but it is not limited to, the termination of federal support or faculty’s inability to present at conferences outside the United States. 

This statement recognizes the impact that current executive orders and federal actions might have on the research, teaching, and service of faculty going up for promotion and tenure.
 
This policy applies to the academic year 2025 – 2026 review cycle. The Office of the Provost will provide additional guidance for any promotion and tenure modifications in subsequent cycles as the impact of the executive orders and federal actions evolve. 

Sincerely,

Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ana Oskoz
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
]]> Dear Colleagues, We write today to share some updates related to the impact of executive orders and federal actions, as well as some modifications of protocols surrounding promotion and tenure... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149807/guest@my.umbc.edu/07a6b969c4a24f4890d7900d98f4c203/api/pixel federal-orders Announcements - Faculty https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xsmall.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/original.png?1691516856 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xxlarge.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xlarge.png?1691516856 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/large.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/medium.png?1691516856 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/small.png?1691516856 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xsmall.png?1691516856 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/086/1a51210905c317353e00e00316d70bb3/xxsmall.png?1691516856 Announcements - Faculty 1 0 false Mon, 05 May 2025 14:22:01 -0400 Mon, 05 May 2025 14:24:38 -0400 Finalist Interviews and On-Campus Visit for Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean for the Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Dear UMBC Community,

We are pleased to announce that finalists for the vice provost for student success and dean for the division of undergraduate academic affairs position will be visiting campus to participate in candidate forums and engage with the UMBC community.

Reporting to the provost, the vice provost and dean will lead the Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, which supports the academic pursuits of undergraduate students from all colleges and programs from enrollment to graduation.

We invite you to join us for the three candidate forums:

Candidate 1
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery 

Candidate 2
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

Candidate 3
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: 102 Information Technology/Engineering Building

During the forums, candidates will share their academic journey, present a vision for academic affairs, and participate in an open Q&A session with attendees. The session will be moderated by Kimberly R. Moffitt, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and chair of the search committee.

Your participation is vital to the selection process, and we encourage you to join us for these important events.
 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

]]> Dear UMBC Community, We are pleased to announce that finalists for the vice provost for student success and dean for the division of undergraduate academic affairs position will be visiting... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149776/guest@my.umbc.edu/b918dab09e346ff522340d542634bc15/api/pixel Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 3 0 false Mon, 05 May 2025 13:56:26 -0400 Mon, 05 May 2025 14:01:28 -0400 Finalist Interview and On-Campus Visit for Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Candidate forum Monday, May 5, 1 p.m., Kuhn Library Gallery

Dear UMBC Community,


We are pleased to announce that finalists for the senior vice provost for academic affairs position will be visiting campus to participate in candidate forums and engage with the UMBC community.


A newly envisioned position at UMBC, elevating the former role of vice provost for academic affairs, the senior vice provost will serve as an academic leader in the Office of the Provost and as the deputy provost. The most senior of the six vice provosts, the position will lead in the areas of academic resource planning and management, curricular affairs, accreditation and assessment, and large-scale initiatives. The senior vice provost will also serve as a spokesperson for academic affairs and will represent the provost and UMBC at public-facing events. 


We invite you to join us for the second of three candidate forums:


Candidate 2

Date: Monday, May 5, 2025

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery


Times and locations for the additional forums will be announced in the coming days. 


The candidate will share their academic journey, present a vision for academic affairs, and participate in an open Q&A session with attendees. The session will be moderated by Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement and chair of the search committee.


Your participation is vital to the selection process, and we encourage you to join us for this important event.


Manfred H. M. van Dulmen

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs


 ]]> Dear UMBC Community, We are pleased to announce that finalists for the senior vice provost for academic affairs position will be visiting campus to participate in candidate forums and engage... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149737/guest@my.umbc.edu/8c623e1ec09fc21ec53970a6ccc8fe58/api/pixel Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 0 0 false Fri, 02 May 2025 13:16:27 -0400 Finalist Interview and On-Campus Visit for Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Dear UMBC Community,

We are pleased to announce that finalists for the senior vice provost for academic affairs position will be visiting campus to participate in candidate forums and engage with the UMBC community.

A newly envisioned position at UMBC, elevating the former role of vice provost for academic affairs, the senior vice provost will serve as an academic leader in the Office of the Provost and as the deputy provost. The most senior of the six vice provosts, the position will lead in the areas of academic resource planning and management, curricular affairs, accreditation and assessment, and large-scale initiatives. The senior vice provost will also serve as a spokesperson for academic affairs and will represent the provost and UMBC at public-facing events. 

We invite you to join us for the first of four candidate forums:

Candidate 1

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

Times and locations for the additional forums will be announced in the coming days.

The candidate will share their academic journey, present a vision for academic affairs, and participate in an open Q&A session with attendees. The session will be moderated by Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement and chair of the search committee.

Your participation is vital to the selection process, and we encourage you to join us for this important event.


Manfred H. M. van Dulmen

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

 ]]> Dear UMBC Community, We are pleased to announce that finalists for the senior vice provost for academic affairs position will be visiting campus to participate in candidate forums and engage with... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149600/guest@my.umbc.edu/67257decbfec6674e53b52f1efbfe7e1/api/pixel Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 1 0 false Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:42:38 -0400 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:18:10 -0400 Reminder: Celebrating the Class of 2025 RSVP Today!

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Please join us at our spring Commencement ceremonies!

Wednesday, May 21, at 10 a.m.- Graduate School Ceremony

Thursday, May 22, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - Undergraduate Ceremonies

Community members who wish to march in the procession should register here. Please place your regalia order before April 26 to avoid expedited shipping fees. Those who wish to participate as event staff can register here. 

For more information and updates, please visit the commencement website or email commencement@umbc.edu. 

Sincerely,
The Commencement Planning Team ]]> Dear Faculty and Staff, Please join us at our spring Commencement ceremonies! Wednesday, May 21, at 10 a.m.- Graduate School Ceremony Thursday, May 22, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. - Undergraduate... https://commencement.umbc.edu/ https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149320/guest@my.umbc.edu/770d714b1328cc6db7eeafac4f7a4079/api/pixel Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 2 0 false Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:02:00 -0400 Administration and Finance Update Interim leadership for the division
Dear Faculty and Staff,

I write to you today with an update about the leadership of the Division of Administration and Finance. As you know, we are currently searching for our next vice president to lead the division. That search continues, and I am grateful to the search committee, led by Jake Weissmann ’06, vice president for government relations and community affairs, for its important work.

I am grateful, as well, for the temporary co-leadership of the division over the last several months by Lenn Caron, senior associate vice president for administrative services, and Kristy Michel, associate vice president for administration and finance. As many of you know, Lenn resigned from his role earlier this year, and Kristy was recently named as the next vice president for finance and administration at Loyola University Maryland. This is an exciting and well-deserved appointment for Kristy, and I wish both her and Lenn all the best in their future endeavors.

Kristy’s last day at UMBC was Friday, March 28; she was very helpful in seeing to a smooth transition of leadership, particularly at such a busy time for the finance team and its work with partners across campus.

I am pleased to announce that we will be bringing on Daniel Petree as the interim vice president for administration and finance, who will serve in the role starting April 15 until a permanent vice president is named. Daniel was selected from a highly qualified pool of interim candidates from The Registry, a firm specializing in placing interim higher education leaders.

Daniel has had a successful career over 25 years in higher education, serving as a faculty member, dean, vice president of finance and planning, and chief financial officer at both public and private institutions. He was the founding dean of the School of Business Administration and Economics at Brockport State University in New York, and he has held interim roles at Illinois State University, Bellarmine University, Indiana University South Bend, and others. Beyond higher education, Daniel was the first CEO of the Labor Management Council of Greater Kansas City.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst University, and a doctorate in labor and human resources from the University of Kansas.

In addition to his expertise across diverse administrative and financial functions and his experience through The Registry serving in interim roles, Daniel’s record of partnering with and advising presidents and senior teams, leading through change, and achieving significant financial and administrative improvements as well as a strategic focus make him exceptionally well-suited to meet UMBC’s needs in this transitional period.

I am delighted that Daniel has agreed to join us, and I look forward to partnering with him. Welcome, Daniel!

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

]]> Dear Faculty and Staff, I write to you today with an update about the leadership of the Division of Administration and Finance. As you know, we are currently searching for our next vice... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149065/guest@my.umbc.edu/6489b59ed127ece605f86594779e7a05/api/pixel president Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 0 0 false Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:20:04 -0400 Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony: April 30 RSVP today to celebrate this year’s honorees

President Valerie Sheares Ashby Invites You to Join Us for the

Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

University Center Ballroom

11:30 a.m. Community Lunch 

12 p.m. Awards Ceremony

Please join me in sharing gratitude for the UMBC community, and celebrating this year’s Presidential Faculty and Staff awardees, University System of Maryland awardees, and additional distinguished university honorees. 

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 ]]> President Valerie Sheares Ashby Invites You to Join Us for the Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony Wednesday, April 30, 2025 University Center Ballroom 11:30 a.m. Community Lunch ... https://umbctickets.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=3489 https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/149057/guest@my.umbc.edu/b788a0100080d9b340dc8b0132844ca1/api/pixel president Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 3 0 false Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:27:42 -0400 Reminder: Great Colleges Survey Due March 28 Share your thoughts on why UMBC is a great workplace
Dear Colleagues,

This is just a reminder that UMBC is participating in the annual 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 is helpful as we continue the process of creating the best workplace possible.

The survey was distributed to a random selection of our faculty and staff in early March and will be distributed again at random today. 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 an email from Great Colleges.

If you receive the invitation, please take a moment to complete the survey. We hope to reach a 34 percent response rate from our community members, but we have a way to go. 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 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.

If you are invited, we hope you will take this opportunity to share your honest feedback! Thank you, in advance, for your participation. Please visit Great Colleges for more resources or if you have any questions.

Lynne Adams, Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

]]> Dear Colleagues, This is just a reminder that UMBC is participating in the annual Great Colleges to Work For program, a national survey designed to recognize institutions that have built great... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/148350/guest@my.umbc.edu/81f313c409d013b09b0fd6c750b2c2bd/api/pixel Announcements - Faculty and Staff https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/announcements-faculty-staff https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/original.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xlarge.png?1691516770 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/large.png?1691516770 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/medium.png?1691516770 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/small.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xsmall.png?1691516770 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/085/0f7e4cc2ada40c840ed40083f42374c3/xxsmall.png?1691516770 Announcements - Faculty and Staff 0 0 false Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:46:23 -0400 An Update on Our Response to Federal Actions and Orders
Dear Faculty and Staff,

This week, the world marked the five-year anniversary of the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic. As we reflect on that global crisis—remembering all the lives lost, honoring the heroes who were on the front lines of care, and considering lessons learned and implications for our future—it is worth recalling the uncertainty and anxiety of the early days of that crisis. 

Today, in higher education, the uncertainty brought on by recent and ongoing changes at the federal level is creating anxiety that feels in some ways similar to what we felt five years ago, with questions about what the specific impacts will be—and how widespread and long-lasting—and how we will continue to care for our communities and advance our public-serving educational and research missions. It is worth remembering what we did in those early days of the pandemic, as well: We came together; we adapted; and we made decisions that were grounded in our values and based on the best information we had. 

To be clear, higher education is not confronting a pandemic today. But we are, as a sector, facing tremendous challenges, including recent and potential changes in federal funding policies and practices that could devastate our country’s research capacity and cuts in education spending and other areas that could significantly affect educational institutions and the states and communities in which they are located.

I want to acknowledge the concerns. I know they may be heightened as you read of austerity measures being announced at other institutions, including some in Maryland, whose research funding has already been cut significantly and/or whose institutional budgets rely heavily on federal funding. No institution, not even the wealthiest, could replace federal research dollars out of their own budgets or with state funds or philanthropy. A loss of federal research funding on the scale that has been proposed would fundamentally change our nation’s academic research enterprise, and it would, inevitably, change the role of research in higher education and the teaching and learning that occurs on our campuses. 

We simply do not know yet what the scale of impact will be, whether on research or any other aspect of our work. Nor do we know how federal changes will affect our state and its budget—though we know that more than one-third of the state’s budget comes from federal sources and that we were already anticipating (and prepared for) a reduction in state funding this year. What we know is that there will be impacts, and they are likely to be significant. 

As the state funding picture becomes clearer, and as court rulings, congressional actions, and other efforts hopefully provide more clarity on federal funding, we will keep you informed and communicate with you about any steps the university may need to take to adapt to changing circumstances. Our core team continues to meet frequently to assess real and potential impacts of federal orders and actions. Please visit our related website for up-to-date information and communications concerning these issues. 

I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had over the last few weeks to meet with you and hear your concerns and questions on a variety of issues related to federal orders and actions, including in recent meetings with academic chairs, directors from across the university, and shared governance, whose leadership I greatly appreciate. In all of these conversations, the concerns I hear speak to our shared values and our shared vision for UMBC. 

As we head toward spring break, I hope you all will find some time to rest and renew. I hope, as well, that we reflect on the importance of UMBC and its mission and that you know how much we value your dedication to this community and its work. 

Sincerely, 

President Valerie Sheares Ashby 

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