Key Points
Dear UMBC Community,
As we near the end of the semester, the COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee (C-19 PCC) wants to provide important updates on our upcoming semesters. Due to the continued rise in COVID-19 positivity rates in Maryland and across the nation, as well as predictions from public health experts that this surge will continue through the winter, we continue to work to de-densify campus through remote work and education.
Spring Semester Schedule
The first day of classes is January 26. The first week of instruction will be conducted remotely.Face-to-face and hybrid classes that were scheduled to meet in person will now meet online on Tuesday, January 26 through Monday, February 1.
This will allow time for students who are traveling to campus from out-of-state or internationally to quarantine and for professors to communicate with students about when and how face-to-face classes will meet. During the spring semester, approximately 10 percent of courses will be hybrid or face-to-face. Residential student move-in will continue on schedule, January 22 - 26.
Campus Access
Research and Creative Achievement will continue in its current mode. Other faculty and staff who are not currently working on campus will need to apply or reapply to return to campus. We plan to streamline this application process and will share additional details before the start of the semester.
On-Campus Safety Measures
All faculty, staff, and students who are approved to be on campus after the holiday break will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test result prior to arriving on campus. We are currently exploring options for conducting free testing on campus. You will also be able to submit a negative test result from an off-campus provider. We hope to provide more details on testing by the end of December.
On-campus safety measures will continue, including daily online symptom tracking. The C-19 PCC is working on processes for closely monitoring compliance. Individuals who are not in compliance are placing the health of others at risk and may lose their access to campus. You can check your compliance status in your myUMBC profile.
Winter and Summer Session Updates
The winter 2021 session is entirely online. Summer 2021 sessions will be conducted primarily online, with the same approval process as for the fall and spring semesters for instructors who are requesting courses with face-to-face components.
We understand that the present situation is dynamic, and we will continue to monitor health conditions on campus and across the state so that we can be prepared to make changes to our spring semester plan as needed.
We appreciate your continued commitment to the health and safety of our community and thank you for your efforts that allowed this semester to be a successful one. We wish our students success in their finals and end-of-semester projects. We also want to encourage any community member in need of help to reach out. Academic and personal support resources are available on the Retriever Ready website. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us at covid19@umbc.edu.
Provost Philip Rous
Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer
COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs
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Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
As we enter the winter season, we want to review and update UMBC’s policies and procedures regarding weather-related closures and delays. Please keep in mind that even if it becomes necessary to close the physical campus for inclement weather, online classes will still be held and employees should continue to work remotely. When campus is closed, face-to-face classes will not meet in person. Students may receive additional guidance from their instructors on alternative arrangements.
For the most reliable information, we encourage all members of the campus community to sign up for our E2Campus emergency alert text-messaging system. When winter weather occurs, please visit the UMBC homepage and myUMBC for the latest information on the status of the physical campus.
Campus Closure Procedure
The decision to close or delay opening the campus is determined by many factors, including the type and severity of the forecast conditions; current conditions of campus roads, parking areas, and walkways; and weather and related road conditions in the surrounding area.
Please note that the decision to close campus or open late applies to the main UMBC campus only. Students, faculty, and staff at other sites are recommended to contact their location directly to receive inclement weather updates:
Shady Grove Campus – Visit the Universities at Shady Grove campus alerts website.
bwtech@UMBC – Email crice@umbc.edu to sign up for the bwtech@UMBC text alert system.
Columbus Center – The Columbus Center follows University of Baltimore policies and procedures during inclement weather, due to its proximity.
If Inclement Weather Occurs
Be sure to use official sources of information, such as E2Campus text alerts, campus email, and the UMBC homepage, for the most complete, accurate, and up-to-date information about any delays or closures. We also strongly recommend you review our inclement weather and emergency closing policy to understand how a delay or closure impacts campus schedules, activities, and events. You can also see UMBC's snow removal plan to learn our process and prioritization for clearing roads, parking areas, and walkways.
We ask that you use personal judgment when traveling to and from campus. Weather and related road conditions are not the same in every area where students, faculty, and staff live. Consequently, the decision as to whether it is safe to travel must ultimately rest with each individual.
Faculty should arrange a system for communicating with their students should it be necessary to cancel class when the university is open. Employees that are scheduled to work on campus but cannot report due to local road conditions should communicate directly with their supervisor.
We hope that you and your families stay safe, healthy, and warm this winter.
Lynne Schaefer, Vice President, Finance and Administration
Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.
UMBC Special Collections has recently revamped the guide to Researching African American Photographers and invites you to check it out. We have added information on two Baltimore photographers within the collection, Cary Beth Cryor and Irving Henry Webster Phillips Sr. Other changes included the addition of more articles, books on specific photographers, and books on compilations of photographers. There are plenty of examples of research sources and a lot more to find in the included databases, outside resources, and the article searches.
Learn more about the Photography Collections at UMBC on our website and please feel free to contact us if you need assistance. You can reach the Special Collections archivists and librarians at speccoll@umbc.edu.
Image: Roland L. Freeman, "Mrs. Brown. East Baltimore," 1970. Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in. Photography collections, P82-03-002. Signed on verso.
Thank you to Jacqueline Ellis, M.A. '22, history, and Special Collections Librarian Susan Graham for their work on this guide update!
Hello Women of Color Community!
We wanted to adjust our virtual biweekly meeting times so that we can continue connecting and build community with one another. Below is a poll of different meeting times for our Women of Color Community so that we can have discussion group at a time that works best for you!
Un. of Chicago Summer Research Opportunity in Economics
Stipend, Housing, Travel Expenses & Meal Plan- Deadline to Apply Friday, 1/8/21
In special partnership with The Leadership Alliance, the University
of Chicago will select up to three current UMBC undergraduates for an
amazing research internship in economics. The program is designed for
undergraduate students with strong quantitative and analytical
backgrounds of ALL majors. This nine-week residential program exposes students to three program components: research, mentorship, and graduate
school preparation.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, 1/8/21
PROGRAM COMPONENTS include:
Research Mentors: Students will be matched with a
faculty/research mentor. Students can learn more about research
opportunity offerings by looking at faculty research profiles. All
students participating in the summer session will also be guided by
advisers outside of the laboratory environment.
Activities: Students are expected to spend a minimum of 40
hours/week conducting research and working with faculty/research
mentors. In addition, students will participate in several program
activities that will allow them to interact with other members of the
academic community and summer research programs at the University of
Chicago:
Weekly Workshops/Panel Discussions: Workshops on how to
navigate the academy, including topics like getting the mentoring you
need, self-care and community, communicating your research, the graduate
admissions process, preparing grad applications, fellowships and
funding opportunities, and study abroad.
Library or Facility tours: Participants will be acquainted with the
shared library, research, and laboratory facilities as it pertains to
their research placement.
University of Chicago Research Symposium: Near the end of the
nine-week summer session, participants will give oral presentations of
their work to fellow participants, faculty mentors, and research
associates in a symposium on campus.
The Leadership Alliance National Research Symposium:
Participants will travel to attend the national meeting of the
Leadership Alliance to present their work and to network with other
SR-EIP participants from different institutions, faculty/research
mentors, and Leadership Alliance members and directors.
Recreational Activities: Social activities organized to
acquaint participants with life on the University of Chicago campus and
in the city of Chicago at large.
Program Dates:
Monday, June 14, 2021 through Saturday, August 14, 2021 (9 weeks)
STIPEND AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:
- Housing: Participants will be offered room and board in an
air-conditioned student dormitory residence located in the center of
campus near several amenities, including a new state-of-the-art athletic
facility.
- Participating students are eligible for reimbursement of approved
expenses associated with round-trip travel to the University of Chicago
from the student’s home city.
- Stipend & Meals: Participants will be offered a $5,000
stipend plus a $550 meal plan. Participating students will be given a dining card for the
purchase of meals at the University dining facilities.