3-Minute Thesis Competition

Why Participate?

Session will be held both in-person and Google Meet. Register here. 

We all use the Google Suite in the form of our emails, docs, spreadsheets, and presentations on the daily. While these tools are awesome on their own, there are a ton of advanced features and hidden gems in the suite that you might not be taking full advantage of (or maybe haven't even heard about). Here's a quick look at some of these under-the-radar tools, features, and applications that could seriously boost your productivity, whether you're working or studying.

Applications

Google Tasks 

'Find a Time'  in Google Calendar

Struggling with busy schedules not lining up? Calendar can automatically find a time where all participants are available for an event with guests. 

Under 'more options', the Find a Time menu shows all guest schedules side-by-side. 

For additional help with Calendar, please consult the Calendar Help Center 

Gmail Tasks Integration

Gmail has a useful integration with the previously mentioned Tasks application, allowing you to turn an email into a task. 

After opening an important email, simply click on the checkmark in the top bar. The email will automatically be marked on your tasks To-Do lists. 

For more help with Gmail, please consult the Gmail Help Center

Google Drive's PDF to Doc Conversion

With only a few clicks, you can instantly open a PDF file in Google Docs for editing. 

Within Google Drive, left click on a PDF file, select 'open with', and choose Google Docs. The 'open with' feature is also available at the top of your screen when directly viewing a PDF through drive. 

Google Calendar Daily Email Brief

Google Calendar offers the useful feature of delivering your tasks for the day as a daily email brief, and enabling it is quite simple. 

Through the settings menu on Google Calendar, under 'settings for my calendars', the option can be found in the 'other notifications' category.

For additional help with Calendar, please consult the Calendar Help Center 

Dear Sites@UMBC Community,

We're pleased to announce that Silktide, our new accessibility scanning and web governance platform, is now available for Sites@UMBC users. This marks an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to digital accessibility at UMBC.

What is Silktide?

Silktide is a comprehensive web governance platform that automatically scans your Sites@UMBC websites for accessibility compliance, content quality, and user experience improvements. It provides clear, actionable guidance to help you create more inclusive digital spaces.

The platform tests your website against WCAG 2.2 standards (up to AAA level), offers plain-English explanations for every issue, and includes video tutorials to help you understand and address accessibility barriers.

Phased Rollout Approach

We're launching Silktide in phases to ensure a smooth transition and adequate support for all users:

Phase 1 (Now Available): Initial 200+ Sites users who were previously using Monsido have been automatically migrated to Silktide with their website assignments intact.

Phase 2 (...also Now Available): Additional Sites@UMBC users who did not previously have access to Monsido can request access to Silktide.

Phase 3: (Coming Soon) All Sites@UMBC users will be imported into Silktide as a part of the larger upcoming UMBC Sites Digital Accessibility project. Stay tuned for more information!

How to Get Started

If You're a Phase 1 User (Former Monsido User)

1. Log in to Silktide at login.silktide.com using your UMBC credentials

2. Complete the required training "Getting started with Silktide" training, and "The Accessibility Module" in Silktide Academy (~30 minutes total).  These trainings will be assigned to your account when it is created and you can find them under "Courses" in the Academy.

3. Submit a training completion request at umbc.edu/request/ to unlock your full reports

If You're Not Yet in Phase 1

You can request access now!

• Request access for your website(s) at umbc.edu/request/

• Complete the required training "Getting started with Silktide" training, and "The Accessibility Module" in Silktide Academy (~30 minutes total).  These trainings will be assigned to your account when it is created and you can find them under "Courses" in the Academy.

• After you've finished training, submit a training completion request at umbc.edu/request/ to unlock access to your website and reports.

Have a new website, or have questions?

Visit umbc.edu/request/ and select "Silktide Accessibility Scanning" to:

• Add a new Sites@UMBC website to be scanned

• Ask questions about the platform that cannot be answered by Silktide Support

What to Expect from Your Silktide Reports

Your reports have been customized for Sites@UMBC:

• Focus on your content: We've mostly excluded template-related elements (headers, footers, etc.) that are managed centrally, so you'll see only issues related to your specific page content. 
  Head to this wiki page to see a few checks we recommend you ignore.

• Prioritized recommendations: Issues are ranked by severity and impact

• Actionable guidance: Every accessibility check includes clear instructions and often a video tutorial

• Progress tracking: Monitor your improvements over time with easy-to-share dashboards

Important Context

While Silktide is a powerful tool, it's important to understand its scope:

• A perfect Silktide score doesn't guarantee full accessibility compliance

• Manual testing and ongoing attention to accessibility best practices remain essential

• Accessibility isn't a checklist; it's an ongoing process of creating content the right way

As we work toward the broad accessibility deadline in April 2026, Silktide will be your primary tool for identifying and addressing accessibility issues for Sites websites.

Training and Support Resources

Silktide Academy: Available within your Silktide account, featuring courses on accessibility, WCAG standards, and platform usage.

University Wiki: Getting started documentation and guides are now available here.

Request System: Submit requests, questions, or support tickets at umbc.edu/request/.

Our Commitment to Accessibility

This transition isn't just about changing tools. It represents our ongoing dedication to ensuring that UMBC's digital spaces are accessible to everyone. As Stephanie Lazarus reminded us, accessibility is everyone's responsibility, and we're taking that mission seriously.

Digital accessibility benefits all users by creating clearer, more usable websites. Whether someone uses assistive technology or not, accessible design improves the experience for everyone.

Looking Ahead

Over the coming months, we'll continue to:

• Roll out access to all Sites@UMBC users

• Develop additional training resources and documentation

• Provide support and guidance as you work toward accessibility compliance

• Share best practices and success stories from across campus

Questions or Feedback?

We want to hear from you! If you have questions, concerns, or feedback about Silktide:

• Submit a support request at umbc.edu/request/

• Reply to this announcement

Thank you for your patience during this transition. Your collaboration and commitment to accessibility are invaluable as we work together to create a more inclusive digital environment at UMBC.

Ready to get started? Log in to Silktide today and take the first step toward more accessible websites.

Sincerely,
Sites Team

Resources:

• Silktide Academy: Available through your Silktide login

• UMBC Accessibility Resources: Visit our Digital Accessibility homepage

• Silktide Documentation: https://help.silktide.com/en/