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Welcome to the fall 2020 semester at UMBC! We’re excited to welcome you back even though these extraordinary times create unique challenges for many of us. We want to provide you with information about how to protect yourself, support the health and safety of our campus community, and reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 at UMBC and beyond. We also write to share UMBC’s community expectations during the transition back to campus.
All students who will be attending face-to-face classes and/or living or working on campus this fall are required to complete the Return to Campus COVID Awareness training by August 27, 2020. To access the training, please use the following instructions:
If you are having any issues accessing the training, please follow the instructions located at this FAQ page to self-enroll in the Return to Campus COVID Awareness.
At the end of module 5, you will be asked to acknowledge and sign the Retriever Community Agreement making a personal commitment to precautions and actions required in order to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19 on our campus and beyond.
If you do not complete the training and sign the Retriever Community Agreement by August 27 you will be required to take classes online and/or live off campus until circumstances allow for a return to campus.
Additional information on all of the requirements for students approved to return to campus, including information on COVID-19 testing options and daily symptom tracking, is available on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site.
Thank you very much for your commitment to helping us keep our UMBC community as healthy as possible. We look forward to seeing you soon!
]]>Dear Students,
If you're in need of technology assistance or resources, please check out the links below:
The Division of Information Technology
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Dear Students,
Whether you are new to UMBC or a returning student, Student Affairs and the Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) staff are incredibly excited to welcome you to the fall semester! We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
While no community can be completely free of COVID-19, our actions as a campus during the COVID-19 pandemic can protect one another’s health and limit the spread of the disease. UMBC will dramatically reduce the density of people on campus, from a population of 16,000 students, faculty, and staff during a normal semester to an anticipated daily population of 2,500 this fall.
As announced in a message to the UMBC community on August 5, there are important health and safety requirements for all community members if they will be learning, living, and working on campus this fall. OCSS wants to be sure that students who are commuting to campus for in-person classes understand clearly the steps they must take to protect themselves, support the health and safety of our campus community, and reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 at UMBC and beyond. Information on student requirements is available and will continue to be updated on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site. OCSS will continue to update you with information as it becomes available.
COVID-19 Testing
Students commuting to campus this fall for in-person classes must provide confirmation of a negative COVID-19 test prior to the start of the semester on August 27. Due to demand for tests, we strongly encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible to allow time for the return of your result and any necessary medical follow-up in the event of a positive test. Additional information on how to submit your results to UMBC will be shared as soon as possible.
Free tests are available at the Baltimore Convention Center as well as other sites across Maryland.
Out-of-state community members are encouraged to check the following link fortesting locations near them.
On-campus testing will be available August 21-26 for students who are unable to access testing beforehand. Sign-up information will be announced at a later date.
Please note that, at this time, University of Maryland Medical System testing sites listed in the August 5 announcement are only serving individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.
Daily Symptom Tracking
Beginning August 13, students taking in-person classes during the fall semester will be required to complete UMBC’s online symptom trackerevery day, seven days a week, including both days that they do and do not anticipate being on campus. The form takes about 30 seconds to complete and includes a field to note your temperature and simple check boxes to indicate any symptoms or exposure. Students are encouraged to complete the daily symptom tracker first thing in the morning as a way to incorporate it into your daily “getting ready” routine.
Respondents who indicate possible COVID-19 symptoms or exposure may receive a follow-up call or other instructions based on their specific responses. Please do not travel to campusif you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, have come in contact with a person experiencing symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have come in contact with someone who has tested positive.
To help fulfill the tracking requirement, students will receive daily email reminders to complete the symptom tracker. We also encourage bookmarking the symptom tracking site.
Educational Module and Retriever Community Agreement
Students who will be taking classes on campus this fall will receive a required online COVID-19 educational module to complete. At the end of the module, students will be required to sign a Retriever Community Agreement making a personal commitment to precautions and actions required in order to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19 on campus and beyond. Additional information is available on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site.
Code of Student Conduct Addendum
An addendum to the UMBC Code of Student Conduct with COVID-19 Emergency Community Rules will be applicable to all UMBC students and will be in effect until further notice.
Campus Services
In addition to the above requirements, we want to share some initial information about campus services and ways to stay connected, and will continue to share updates with you in the weeks ahead. While most services at UMBC will not be open physically, the Division of Student Affairs and other campus departments are open and supporting students virtually. Please check this myUMBC post for each department’s respective operating hours and contact information.
Any relevant information related to COVID-19 and its impact on UMBC’s services will be emailed to you directly and updates will also be posted on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site. Please bookmark this website; it will be a helpful resource for you and your families as you prepare to start the semester.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 requirements for students, please email covid19@umbc.edu. If you have questions about OCSS and student services, please contact one of our OCSS staff, call OCSS at 410-455-2770, or email us at ocss@umbc.edu.
Thank you very much for your commitment to helping us keep our UMBC community as healthy as possible. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Staff of UMBC Off-Campus Student Services
Dear Students,
Though UMBC will largely be operating remotely this fall, the Division of Student Affairs and other campus departments are open and supporting students. Below are some on-campus and off-campus resources that you can make use of this semester and beyond:
UMBC Resources
Off-Campus Resources
5 Things All College Students Should Know About UMBC Financial Aid Resources
Scholarship Retriever - the university’s scholarship portal allows new and current students to apply for institutional, endowed, and departmental scholarships all with one application. umbc.academicworks.com
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid is filed every academic year in order to be considered for need-based federal, state and institutional grants, scholarships and student loans.
All UMBC students have an assigned Financial Aid Counselor designated by the first letter of their last name. Students may visit the contact webpage to identify their counselor.
There is a tool called theCost-Calculator that will assist students in calculating their educational expenses by evaluating expenses with all need-based and merit aid.
Maryland State Residents: The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) awards grants and scholarships to Maryland state residents attending an in-state scholarships. Specialty scholarships such as Delegate & Senatorial Awards are not primarily based on financial need, however a FAFSA on file is required. Students should reach out to their local representatives to obtain application instructions.