Submit your favorite recipes, pizza fan art, pizza coloring pages, pizza poetry -- the options are endless! We can also accept video, animation, and audio pieces which will be featured in our Pizza Zine digital gallery. 

Want to submit? Click "Visit Website" button below.

Submit by Monday, April 28 at 11:59pm. Entries submitted after this time will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. 

In March, Ultra's update includes two new course reports, an exciting rubric enhancement requested by faculty, and improvements to the AI Course Design Assistant.

Located on the Analytics page, the two new course reports focus on goals. The Course Goal Coverage Report provides a comprehensive view of goal coverage in the course, including a detailed breakdown of course items aligned with goals. The Course Goal Performance Report evaluates how a course meets selected goals, including a detailed breakdown for individual students and goals. These reports do not include third-party tools and uses snapshot data that is up to 24 hours old.

Instructors will be able to pop out the grading rubric into a separate window when grading an assignment. Formatted in a grid view, the pop-out rubric is a separate, movable window. Popping out a rubric allows an instructor to view a student's submission and the rubric side-by-side for a more efficient grading experience. However, the expand icon for popping out a rubric will only appear if the primary browser window is sufficiently large enough to display enough of the course page. Instructors will be able to print a blank or completed rubric using their browser's print function.

Image 1: Example of new pop-out rubric

Content Creation & Management

• When setting or updating release conditions, due dates for content items are now included with the release condition settings, reducing the need to navigate back to the item to check deadlines.
• Instructors can now copy banners between courses.

AI Course Design Assistant

• When using the AI Course Design Assistant, if no image is generated, a placeholder will maintain a consistent layout. A refresh button allows instructors to generate a new image easily.
• The AI Course Design Assistant now generates one image at a time instead of four, reducing energy and processing power. If an instructor regenerates an image, previous images are saved for comparison.

Assessments & Grading

• If an instructor hides an assessment while students are actively taking it, those with the test open can continue without disruption.
• Instructors can configure the visibility of calculated columns from Items Management, streamlining the gradebook view. (Note: The Overall Grade column remains visible at all times.)
• The layout for the Test Submission Page for students now mirrors the assignment submission page update from September 2024, ensuring feedback is clearly presented.

Faculty should see the latest updates in their Ultra courses around March 6-7, 2025. The next update to our Ultra test environment will take place on March 11, 2025; release notes are posted to the What's New in Ultra that same week. Faculty who are interested in test driving new features before they are released to production should open an RT ticket to request early access. Please watch the FAQs, including the What's New with Ultra page, and myUMBC for additional information about Ultra.

Celebrate 25 years of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation by supporting its future impact during UMBC’s Black & Gold Day fundraising event! Your generous contributions will help continue to provide students with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities needed to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in shaping the next generation of innovators and leaders. Join us in supporting this important cause and investing in the future of entrepreneurship at UMBC. Here's to 25 years of shaping the next generation of innovators!

On March 5-6, 2025, we call upon Retrievers everywhere to join us for Black & Gold Rush, 36 Hours of Giving, by making a gift of any size to support the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Support the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation by making a gift today during our #UMBC #BlackAndGoldRush! Your contribution helps to support our mission to support student entrepreneurs.

Click here to make a donation!

Dear UMBC Community,

We are pleased to announce that a finalist for the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School position is on campus to participate in a candidate forum and engage with the UMBC Community. We invite you to join us for a candidate open forum on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Time: 1:15 p.m. – 2 p.m.  (Doors open at 1 p.m.)

Location: UC 312

During this forum, the candidate will share their academic journey, present a vision for the Graduate School, and participate in an open Q&A session with attendees. Forums will be moderated by the search committee chair. For additional information on the position, please visit Provost Leadership Search.

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

John M. Young

Chief of Staff to the Provost

The State Wellness Program's aim is to motivate, inspire, and educate employees through monthly wellness webinars (live and on-demand), healthy challenges, guided meditations, wellness coaching, and much more. 

March invites us to embrace Spring - and to also celebrate National Nutrition Month! This month is a fantastic opportunity to focus on eating habits and learn more about nutrition to help you make smart food choices for yourself and your family. Let the Wellness Program support you as you "march" toward healthier eating habits as part of your 2025 Thrive Journey!

Challenge! Spring Into Motion

It's time to Spring into Wellness with this challenge! Spring Into Motion will inspire you to move more and discover Spring things such as adorable baby animals, vibrant blossoms, gardening tips, healthy recipes, and more. Whether you're a beginner or a fitness enthusiast, Spring Into Motion will help boost your energy and overall well-being during this season of renewal and beyond.

 

  Watch this 1-minute Spring Into Motion video to learn more 

 

Registration opens 3/3 - Register here

Mindful Mondays: Mindful Eating

Monday, 3/10, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Healthy Eating Made Easy
Do you want to make smart food choices but find it challenging to decipher health claims and nutritional information on food packaging? In this session, you'll learn just what to look for on labels and other tips to make food shopping easier. You'll also get ideas for meals and snacks and tips on meal prepping.
Register for 3/10 Healthy Eating Made Easy
 
Monday, 3/17, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Mindful Eating Habits Made Easy
Think of the last meal you ate - how did you know you were done eating? Studies at Cornell University show that you may eat until there is a visual cue that influences how much you eat. For instance, if you ate chicken wings in that meal and the bones were left on your plate, they served as the visual cue to stop eating. However, if the bones were immediately discarded so that you could no longer see them, you may have continued to eat. Mindful eating incorporates strategies like the visual cue so that more attention is given to your eating habits! 
Register for 3/17 Mindful Eating Habits Made Easy
 
Monday, 3/24, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Curbing Your Cravings Made Easy
Do you reach for a snack when you feel down or upset? If so, you're not alone! It's common to turn to food to help cope with big, difficult feelings. Eating activates the brain's reward system and makes you feel better - in the short term. Learn your personal common triggers and strategies to reduce emotional eating for the long term in this webinar.! 
Register for 3/24 Curbing Your Cravings Made Easy

Tuesday: It's Mardi Gras For All!

 Healthy U Wednesdays: A Dietitian Explains Series 

 Thursday Wellness Focus: Nutrition

Fridays: Guided Meditations for Spring Renewal