The submission form and instructions can be found here. For more information about TurnAround and their mission, please click here.
COVID-19 Health & Safety
UMBC is hosting an additional on-campus vaccine clinic on Tuesday, June 22 from 1-4pm. We will be administering the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine. Participants will be able to schedule their second shot at Safeway locations or other providers. You can sign up for an appointment here.
Reminder: Please report your vaccination to the University ASAP. More information here. You should report your vaccination by July 6.
More information on our medical and religious exemption process and all necessary forms can be found here. Requests should be submitted by July 6.
Return to Campus Updates
New guidance on planning fall events is available here.
Beginning July 6, Starbucks in the University Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will provide breakfast and lunch options.
UMBC Together
Visit the UMBC Together website for recent social media posts and the UMBC Together myUMBC group for information on upcoming events.
Key Points
Event safety guidance continues to evolve given the changing public health situation.
Due to limited space availability, we do not recommend planning large events f Fall 2021.
Scheduling for fall events opens on July 1 in 25Live.
Consider offering virtual components to events so all community members can participate.
For the fall, Free Hour has been moved to Fridays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Dear Colleagues,
We know that our community is eager to resume in-person events and traditions as we return to more in-person campus operations. This is a dynamic time, with rapidly evolving public health protocols, changing state and local requirements, and limited space availability on-campus. In this context, the Events and Activities Workgroup is assessing what safety measures will be required for fall events. We can share the following updates that we hope will assist you as you plan your fall events, particularly those that happen in the first half of the semester.
The Events and Activities Workgroup has been reviewing and approving a limited number of summer on-campus events and activities. These decisions are giving us vital information and feedback to inform how to effectively evaluate, advise, execute, and assess our efforts around safety and risk mitigation for events and activities for the fall within the context of broad UMBC guidance.
Large Events
Due to potential physical distancing protocols, most of our large event spaces are currently scheduled to be used for classroom instruction. Because of the limited space inventory and evolving safety concerns, we do not recommend planning large events in the early fall. The COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee (CPCC), in conjunction with Event & Conference Services, is working with campus leadership to plan a limited number of indoor and outdoor large events for our community. If you wish to plan an event with more than 50 attendees, please reach out to your Vice President or Dean to discuss.
Virtual Events
Our pivot to virtual events has helped us learn a lot about access and ways to connect with those not on our physical campus. When we return to in-person events, we hope that hosts will continue to offer options for community members to participate in events remotely. Several new spaces across campus are being outfitted with technology to make this possible. We will share additional resources over the summer. At this time, we continue to recommend that day-to-day business meetings remain in a virtual format using Webex in order to ensure safety and access for all community members.
Event Scheduling Considerations:
As of July 1, the exception process for in-person events will be transitioned. The risk assessment review will be integrated into the 25Live event form, allowing us to more nimbly manage requests while simplifying the process for campus partners. The first step in scheduling an event with an in-person component will be to request a space in 25Live.
Free Hour has been moved to Fridays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in order to help prevent overcrowding in dining spaces. Keep this in mind when scheduling events, as there may be classes during the noon hour.
Other Considerations
Guidance related to UMBC events at off-campus locations as well as policies for events that include off-campus are under consideration.
Thank you for your partnership as we continue to monitor the situation and develop the most appropriate guidance for our community.
Greg Simmons, Vice President, Institutional Advancement
UMBC will be closed on Friday, June 18, to observe Juneteenth, an annual celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.The official holiday occurs on June 19, recognizing the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended, and enslaved people in Confederate states had been freed more than two and a half years earlier.
While Juneteenth has long been celebrated in the Black community, many other Americans are still learning about the importance and significance of this day. Although the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freed enslaved people in Confederate controlled states, the reality is that freedom was delayed for many.
For example, Maryland, a Union border state, was not included in the Emancipation Proclamation, and enslaved people in the state were not officially freed until the following year. Even in Confederate states that were included, many slaveholders withheld the information from enslaved people until forced to comply. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution formally abolished slavery in America in December, 1865.
In recognition of the delayed emancipation of enslaved people, Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas, and is now celebrated throughout the United States on June 19 each year; it is believed to be the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed a measure that will make Juneteenth a federal holiday, and the House is expected to approve the measure as well.
We encourage all in our community to use the day to put our UMBC values of equity and inclusion into action by participating in events honoring the holiday or through education and self-reflection on racial justice issues.
You can learn more about the legacy and importance of Juneteenth through the National Museum of African American History and Culture and at PBS. For ways to celebrate and recognize this important day, we encourage you to join a webinar about Harriet Tubman sponsored by the Erickson School of Aging Studies. Our partners at the University of Maryland, Baltimore are also presenting a Juneteenth Jubilee. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is performing a special celebration that you can watch for free on MPT.
For faculty and staff, Friday June 18 will be added to your timesheet as an administrative leave day. Exempt employees who must work on June 18 can take administrative leave on an alternate day by August 31, 2021. Nonexempt employees who must work will be credited with the administrative leave on that day.
Thank you for all that you do to live our community values.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
This post was created by Carlos Turcios ‘15, ‘17 M.A., Coordinator with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3b)
June has always held a special significance for me and my lived experiences for several reasons. For one, June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month (you can read my fellow colleague Lucy’s post here). Two, June my birthday month (#teamgemini, #mostlyshamelessselfplug), but most saliently because I am reminded of why I am able to even write this post today. June is Immigrant Heritage Month.
In my current role, I have the privilege of serving as one of the main co-facilitators of Retriever Immigrants United (RIU), a former student organization turned into a discussion group centering immigrant community members and their experiences (You can read more about RIU here). I am grateful that my professional and academic experiences have been at such a diverse university as UMBC. Over the years, I have heard such unique, yet similar experiences from friends, professors, peers, colleagues and students in their stories on how they themselves or their ancestors got here.
Despite the romanticization of immigrant history (e.g. Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty) in the United States during most election seasons, our existence as immigrant community members has been an act of resistance since the founding of this nation. The reality is that anti-immigrant sentiment pre-exists the first United States policy that was explicitly exclusionary to immigrants (i.e. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882) a sentiment heavily rooted in classism, xenophobia, and racism. From then on, dozens of exclusionary policies have been passed to create barriers, progressively making it harder (and more expensive) as time has passed for immigrants to gain their path to citizenship, disproportionately impacting immigrants living in poverty, immigrants of color, non-anglophone immigrants, and immigrants who belong to a religious minority. This included quotas, restrictive and exploitative labor policies for non-Americans, and changes on refugee policies. That being said, it’s funny reflecting on the fact that the term “undocumented” and its more offensive derogatory synonyms did not exist up until the 1960’s.
However, this post is not to solely share exclusionary policies that have shaped American history, but rather as a recognition and celebration of how our ancestors got here. Whether your ancestors were brought here involuntarily, your ancestors came here for their children to have a better life, or you yourself are an immigrant, we all have stories that we carry with us. A story of resistance, love, culture, language and much more! This past May, I had the honor to restart the Black and Latine/x Graduation this year through my roles in i3b and the Chapter and Black and Latine/x Alumni (CBLA). With help from my i3b colleagues and fellow Black and Latine/x Alumni we were able to put this virtual event together. At the ceremony, there were moments where we remarked on how we felt in community with each other. That despite the language we spoke at home or what country our ancestors come from, the upcoming graduation for our seniors and graduate students was not only a celebration of their own personal academic achievements but the achievement of “the village,” both blood related and chosen that supported them through their journey.
I do not want to conflate the experiences of all non-Indigenous people, but I hope we all take a moment to honor Immigrant Heritage Month by asking our ancestors (if possible) about our history. Who knows, we may learn something new?! Simultaneously, I think it is equally important to recognize the land on which we reside/resided on and the Indigenous people connected to those places.
Check below on some actionable items you can engage with this Immigrant Heritage Month and beyond!
1) Listen before formulating an informed decision
Although countless immigrants come here voluntarily, the term voluntarily is subjective. The experiences of those who come to the United States vary according to various factors including, but not limited to 1) when and where they come from, 2) their socioeconomic status and highest level of education, 3) age, 4) their sense of safety and security in their country of origin. There are countless resources available related to immigration policy, refugee policy, as well as international history/foreign policies. Historically speaking some groups have been forced into coming here or come here as a result of significant events such a natural disaster or an indirect consequence of decades of policies shaped by neocolonialism.
2) Support Immigrant Owned Businesses
Despite immigrants making up 13% of all U.S. businesses, immigrants make up 30% of all business owners. Google local restaurants, businesses and other services. You’d be surprised at what you can find in your community!
3) Promote Sanctuary Policies
A sanctuary policy is one that limits the extent to which police will help federal immigration authorities deport people. Many cities across the country have created these policies in order to keep immigrant families together, as well as provide a sense of safety if an immigrant community member needs to report something to the police while not risking the possibility of deportation. You can check out a national network of progressive local elected officials that is uniting elected officials working on sanctuary policies here.
4) Serve as an accompanying person by going with immigrants to ICE check-ins
The most important part is being physically present to show ICE that the person checking in has community support. It does not include engaging with immigration officers or staff, unless the person that you are accompanying asks you to do so. You should feel free to take notes about the encounter with immigration officers. Another way to help a person going to an ICE check-in is to work with them to develop a “rapid response plan” to use in case the person is detained by immigration that should include some personal contacts in case of an emergency.
5) Get “know Your Rights” Training
Regardless of national origin or citizenship status, everyone living in the U.S. has certain basic rights under the U.S. Constitution. Undocumented immigrants have these rights, too. Understanding what a person’s rights are, regardless of their immigration status, can help protect them from being deported or detained. As an informed ally, you can help by watching for abuse or by helping to train others. To learn more about these rights, see the following resources:
6) Approach Immigration through an Intersectional lens!
One size does not fit all when it comes to immigration policy. Inform yourself on how different identities can impact the immigrant experience. In lieu of writing every identity, in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, check out this article on issues impacting LGBTQ+ immigrants. It’s Pride Month after all!
And remember....
