Dear UMBC Community,

As you may know, COVID-19, influenza, and RSV cases are rising in Maryland and across the nation. UMBC is also seeing an increase in these illnesses and we encourage you to take steps to keep yourself healthy. As we prepare to finish the semester and return to families and friends over winter break, please make a plan for how you can reduce your risk of contracting and transmitting some of these illnesses.  

The first step to consider is once again wearing a high quality mask when in public and/or crowded spaces (i.e., classrooms, labs, the library, and other group activities). UMBC still offers free masks at locations across campus.  

Second, make sure to get the latest seasonal flu vaccine and the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. We have already administered more than 2,500 vaccines this semester. The final vaccine clinic of the semester is taking place tomorrow, December 15, 2022.  A limited number of appointments are still available.

Finally, continue best practices to minimize disease spread, such as handwashing or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, staying at home and isolating from others when sick, and covering your cough.

We have just over one week to go. Let's finish strong and healthy.  

Vic Madrid, Medical Director, Retriever Integrated Health
Samantha Smith, Director, Office of Health Promotion

Happy Veterans Week Everyone!

Please join Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) as we host events each day dedicated to celebrating, educating, and most importantly, getting our veterans, dependents, and current service members plugged in to all the great things offered here at UMBC. 

This is a week dedicated to honoring veterans, dependents, and current service members for their contributions to the culture of service here at UMBC. If you belong to this community, we are providing you with opportunities for massage, acupuncture, an escape room trip, lunch with UMBC veterans who are faculty and staff, a Chick-fil-A breakfast, and giveaways.

Throughout the week, our community will have the opportunity to share written messages of support to our veterans (email agetach1@umbc.edu or veterans@umbc.edu). These messages will be shared on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. Please share our post with your campus networks.

Thank you. 

On behalf of OCSS,

Alex Getachew, Graduate Assistant for Veteran Student Services

Dear UMBC Community,

UMBC has a strong tradition of active participation in elections, and has been named one of America's Best Colleges for Student Voting. As Maryland and the nation prepare for Election Day, I am thrilled to see how members of our community are continuing and strengthening this tradition. 

If you are a Maryland resident and plan to vote using a mail-in ballot, you must request one by Tuesday, November 1, and place it in a dropoff box by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. This year, Maryland residents can vote on campus by depositing completed mail-in ballots in the official Board of Elections dropoff box located in The Commons beside the Campus Information Center desk.

If you are not already registered to vote in Maryland, you can still register in person at early voting locations and on Election Day. You also can check your registration status. Once you register or confirm your registration, you can make a pledge to vote and help UMBC rise on ALL IN's national leaderboard. Please also consider staffing a polling station as an election judge, a paid position that involves providing a much-needed service to our state. 

I also encourage you to attend upcoming election-related programs. Election Night Extravaganza is a UMBC tradition that brings our community together to watch, discuss, and celebrate election returns in real time. Together Beyond November is a guided conversation program in which participants will reflect on the election outcomes and envision the road ahead.

The Center for Democracy and Civic Life always encourages members of our campus community to "cast your whole vote" by committing fully to building strong, inclusive, just communities in which everyone can thrive. I am grateful for the contributions of Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging, The Shriver Center, and many other students, faculty, and staff who are creating opportunities to do this important work through meaningful dialogue and action every day. 

David Hoffman, Ph.D. '13, Director, Center for Democracy and Civic Life

• Register to vote in Maryland: Maryland's voter registration deadline for the 2022 general election is October 18. UMBC's voter registration portal will help you take the first steps to registering to vote regardless of where you live. If you are a Maryland resident, you also can go straight to the state's online portal.

• Request a mail ballot, then vote in The Commons: Registered Maryland voters can complete an online request for a mail-in ballot here. Once you have received and completed your ballot, you can submit it by placing it in the official Board of Elections dropoff box in the lobby of The Commons (near the Campus Information Center desk) starting later this month. No postage is necessary. The Board of Elections will pick up ballots placed in the box daily.

• Make a pledge to vote: Every election year, ALL IN to Vote hosts a Pledge to Vote leaderboard for university students across the country. UMBC placed #9 in the nation on the leaderboard in 2020. This year, let's reach #1! Take the pledge, and spread the word.

• Access Maryland and out-of-state voter resources: Find the latest information, including dates for early voting and deadlines to request mailed and electronic ballots, on the UMBC Center for Democracy and Civic Life website.

• Serve as election judge: The Baltimore County Board of Elections is recruiting election judges to work at polling stations during the 2022 general election. These are paid positions and an important public service.

• Participate in Election 2022 programs: Follow the Center for Democracy and Civic Life's myUMBC page for information about upcoming programs.