Is it Magical Wizardry or is it DoIT?

It can be both! The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) and the Undergraduate Admissions & Orientation (UGAO) team collaborated to understand a problem and a solution. A solution that improved the experience for both staff and future UMBC Retrievers.

Working in university admissions means answering a constant flow of questions from prospective students. For years, UMBC's Undergraduate Admissions & Orientation team managed this tidal wave of calls and emails using a combination of two different systems: Google Sheets for call logs and a separate Request Tracker (RT) queue for emails. This approach created a fragmented picture of each student's journey, leading to frustration for both staff and students.

Imagine a prospective student calls with a question, and a few days later, emails with a follow-up. In the past, the staff member answering the email wouldn't have had any record of the previous phone call. This forced them to piece together the student's story from multiple sources, slowing down the process and creating a disjointed experience. It was clear there had to be a better way.

This is where a collaborative spirit and a little "magical wizardry" came in. A few members of the DoIT and the UGAO team realized that if they could connect these two systems, they could create a single, comprehensive view of every student interaction. They spent an afternoon figuring out how to connect the systems using an API, proving that the idea was possible. This initial proof of concept was followed by a year of hard work, development, and user testing by a dedicated team.

The result is a new, integrated system that automatically creates a Salesforce Case whenever an email or call comes in. This brings all student interactions—calls, emails, campus visits, application status—into one central location. For the student "Grit Guides" who answer calls, this means they can instantly see a student's full history, providing better, more efficient support.

The new system also gives UGAO a powerful new tool for managing their operations. They can now easily see call and email volumes, allowing them to staff their team more effectively and balance workloads. This shift from two separate systems to a single, unified one is more than just a tech upgrade; it's a commitment to a better user experience for both staff and students. It's a testament to the power of partnership, proving that when DoIT and campus partners work together, they can solve seemingly complex problems and make a real difference.

At the October 2025 Imagining America (IA) National Gathering, Dr. David Hoffman, Ph.D. '13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life was honored with IA's Randy Martin Spirit Award. The annual award recognizes an individual who embodies the unique combination of qualities that made the late Dr. Randy Martin, professor of art and policy in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, a beloved and valued member of the IA community. It is presented to a professional "working in and/or in-partnership with higher education who consistently achieve excellence and demonstrate original thinking and approaches in at least 3 of the areas in which Randy Martin excelled: scholarship, artistry, pedagogy, mentorship, and institutional leadership/administration. Recipients will be people who, within all their professional roles, exude the many of the human qualities for which Randy will always be remembered: generosity, sincerity, humor, joy, curiosity, clowning, and an irrepressible joie de vivre."

"There are few staff members that I have worked with in my 20+ years in higher education who truly enact the values of their position and unit more effectively than David Hoffman," said Dr. James DeVita, assistant vice president for academic partnerships and high-impact experiences. "Not only does David demonstrate an unwavering commitment to supporting students, staff, faculty, and all who engage with UMBC in experiencing the true meaning of community, he does so by enacting the values of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in every aspect of his work."

Dr. DeVita added, "David regularly goes above and beyond as a member of the UMBC community by embodying the Retriever spirit in both his on and off-campus engagement, producing scholarship in the field of higher education, and contributing to numerous local and national efforts to enhance civic engagement that have made him--and UMBC's campus--a recognized leader in the field. This award appropriately honors David for both who he is as a person and as a professional."

In their nomination, Dr. Romy Hübler '09, M.A. '11, Ph.D. '15; Markya Reed,'18, M.A.'23, and Tess McRae '22, assistant director for connective learning, Center for Democracy and Civic Life, stated, "David Hoffman exemplifies Randy Martin's generous, sincere, curious, and joyful spirit through his mentorship, original thinking, and institutional leadership. As a celebrated civic engagement leader with 22 years of transformative contributions at UMBC and in national organizations, he has had a positive influence in the lives of thousands of students and colleagues, including the three of us. We each worked with David as students and continue to do so now as community engagement professionals. (Dr. Hübler is director of the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility at Towson University, and previously served as associate director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. Reed is assistant director of operations at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Social Concern. She was a graduate assistant with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. McRae was a student intern with the Center for four years.) 

ONE FEMALE ONLY! PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION BEFORE CONTACTING! Looking for ONE FEMALE roommate for a furnished bedroom including linens in a Maiden Choice/Arbutus area private single-family home. The house will be shared with two female UMBC students/professional and the landlord couple. We're looking for a kind person that respects diversity that are either a UMBC/UMB Ph.D., Graduate, or Junior/Senior Undergraduate student that are a non-smoker within the home, non-drug user, pet-free, and a tidy person to share a large open concept newly renovated 4 bedroom and 3.5 bathrooms on a dead-end quiet street. If you have a medical support animal; no cats or shedding animals are allowed due to allergies, and you will need your updated documents from your physician and veterinarian. All medical and support animals must remain in the tenant’s bedroom and crated when not home or in their room, and you are responsible for cleaning up after your pet. You will have to submit proof of renter’s insurance. Other than medical support animals, absolutely no other animals are allowed. We currently have a non-shedding older friendly labradoodle that will not be crated, will not run away if the door is left open, and the sole responsibility of the landlord. 

The house is less than 2 miles from the UMBC campus and close to two shopping centers with shuttle stops to both sites and walking distance to our house. The UMBC Shuttle and public transportation bus stop is located a very short walk over to the next block. The UMBC Transit runs buses almost every 15 minutes from the Paradise-Purple Line during the week from 7am-12am. The first pickup at Leeds Avenue and Colchester Road bus stop is roughly around 7:25am during the week, again around 7:45am, and so on. The UMBC transit adds a third bus during the week around 10am. You can monitor the buses on the Transit Predictions (goswift.ly). The Purple-Paradise line is the most reliable of all the UMBC transit schedules. 

The room for rent is a second-floor large bedroom with a large closet including hangers and a hamper. There's a queen bed, matching long dresser with mirror, armoire, two nightstands, desk with chair, smart TV, two sets of new bedroom linens and new bath towel sets. You will have your own large kitchen cupboard and a locker cubby in the laundry room. You have access to a spacious open concept kitchen with everything you need to prepare meals including meal prep gadgets, icemaker, dishwasher and garbage disposal, laundry room, large front covered porch, living and dining rooms. All the bedrooms and living/sitting/dining/kitchen areas have Wi-Fi with streaming cable services. All utilities are included, water, gas, electric, and again the Wi-Fi with streaming cable services. The landlord is responsible for cutting the grass and landscaping. We are still doing renovations to the outside landscaping, sidewalks, and foundation border. There is street parking where we ask our tenants and their guests to be respectful to our neighbors and park directly in front of our house only. We have lease restrictions for overnight guests and shared cleaning responsibilities. The bedroom suite is available starting around January 1st or before and ending around May 25th, that includes holidays, weekends, Spring and Winter Breaks and/or vacations. Perfect for winter session!  The monthly rent is $1,000 FIRM, and we prefer a 4/5 month or a month-to-month lease with a $500 deposit. We’re a private home and NOT an Airbnb, hotel, campus apartment or dorm. All you need to do is bring your personal belongings, toiletries, food, laptop, and books! If interested, call 410-999-4668, Monday-Friday, 6pm to 8pm, to discuss further and a time to show you the house.