Watch
Experience the Hispanic and Latine/x culture on screen with these films and shows that highlight the vibrancy, humour, and traditions that continue to shape our world.

• Street Food: Latin America
• In the Heights
• Vivo 
• Latino Americans
• Jane the Virgin 
• Rio (2011 & 2014) 

Listen
Tune in to these podcasts and playlist selections to engage with sounds and stories of the Hispanic and Latine culture.

• Hispanic Heritage Month playlist
• Latino Mix 90s - Spotify playlist
• Latino USA - podcast 
• The Everyday Jefa - podcast
• Radio Ambulante - podcast (light stories from across Latin America)

From OISS, Center for Global Engagement

 New dates for AY 25-26 announced!

 Dear campus partners:

 Our training series on navigating immigration processes will resume soon!

 Overview: 

The training series will cover topics related to the J-1 and H-1B visa categories, ensuring that you are well-equipped to support our international faculty, staff, and scholars. The sessions will provide practical insights, address common challenges, and foster a deeper understanding of immigration in higher education.

 Audience: 

·         The intended audience is both seasoned and new staff in academic departments or research centers, who are involved in hiring, onboarding, and terminating international employees in paid or unpaid positions. 

·         Anyone who would like to learn about and understand our field are also welcome, just be ready for an in-depth look at immigration items.

·         Shared Services staff are invited to attend sessions as well.

 Key Focus Areas:

·         Visa Categories and Processes: An in-depth exploration of the H-1B and J-1 visa categories and the associated processes.

·         Immigration Compliance: Understanding the legal aspects of immigration to ensure UMBC's compliance with government regulations.

·         Navigating Changes: Learning when to communicate changes to our office.

 Location: 

In-person in Admin 218 and simultaneously via Webex, the link is here.

 Registration: 

Step 1: Pick a date that works for you and email dianezg@umbc.edu so you can be added to the calendar invite. 

Step 2: Once you receive the Google Calendar invite, RSVP “Yes” directly in the event.

Schedule: 

All sessions run from 3 to 4 pm, simultaneously in Admin 218 and virtually, unless noted. You do not have to attend all the sessions.

 The dates for AY 25-26 are:

Tuesday, October 21

Tuesday, November 18

Tuesday, February 17

Tuesday, March 24

Tuesday, April 21

June 5 - full day of training - sign up here

Location: Admin 218 or Webex link here.

Imagine encountering a PDF flagged in Ally for having no embedded title, missing language metadata, or being a scanned-only image. Ally’s latest update brings a trio of PDF "quick fixes" that turn what used to require Adobe Acrobat into a streamlined, in‑context workflow, making remediation smoother and more efficient than ever before.

Now, without leaving Blackboard -- or opening a separate PDF editor -- faculty can:

• Add or revise the document title via a built-in input field and click “Apply fix”
• Specify the document’s language (English, Spanish, etc.) through a dropdown menu and apply the fix right away
• Convert a scanned PDF to readable text with OCR: preview the result, optionally download the original scan, then apply the fix and let Ally overwrite the file seamlessly

These tools appear automatically in the Instructor Feedback panel.

Why It Matters to Faculty and Students

For too long, accessibility fixes meant downloading content, editing it in specialized tools, and reuploading. However, Ally’s quick fixes will help keep the workflow as tight as possible since files are overwritten in place to avoid duplication and storage bloat.

These changes don’t just boost Ally scores -- they enhance access, comprehension, and usability for all students, particularly those using assistive technologies.

Learn more about Ally

For more information about Ally, please join our upcoming session, Ally Reporting to Improve Course Accessibility, on September 30. 

Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC’s Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

The APPQMR is the prerequisite for the Peer Reviewer Course, which is required to become a QM-Certified Peer Reviewer. Since 2019, 41 UMBC faculty and staff have completed the APPQMR workshop. Several have gone on to become QM-Certified Peer Reviewers or Master Reviewers.

Details and Workshop Schedule

• Format & Schedule: Asynchronous online delivery via Canvas. NOTE: The APPQMR workshop is not a self-paced learning experience. Certified facilitators review and grade activities following QM’s Course Schedule & Checklist. It is recommended that potential participants review the schedule in advance of being enrolled. The schedule outlines expectations for reviewing content and includes deadlines for submitting required activities. 
• Time commitment: A minimum of 7-9 hours per week is recommended for achieving the learning objectives. The schedule includes daily time estimates to help participants manage their time and stay on track.
• Course Length: Three weeks, excluding holidays (October 7-28)

To be enrolled into this workshop or for additional questions, please contact Dr. Susan Biro, one of UMBC's QM coordinators, no later than 12 PM, Friday, October 3. 

(Image: Decorative, Quality Matters logo)