Participate in our Fall Clean-Up of UMBC Sites!

Help us keep WordPress easy to use by decluttering anything no longer needed on your Site! 

Related to this clean-up, there's an upcoming federal mandate that requires UMBC to ensure all digital materials are accessible.  (Don't panic - more will be coming out about this soon, including information on what support UMBC will be offering to assist folks.  Check out the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services' website for preliminary information.)

"Why should I?  I'm BUSY!"

• Free yourself of extra files and save time in the future looking for ones you need!  It's okay to let go of that picture from 2012. (Example: A photo of the back of a server DoIT has been keeping since 2012.)

• It's important that edit access to Sites is only available to those who really need it.  Sites doesn't know when students have moved on or when colleagues have taken roles in a different department, but you do!

• You can get ahead of the digital accessibility remediation process by removing old, inaccessible files – we don't want to have to remediate PDFs from 2014 anymore than you do, so trash 'em!

What and where to spot-check for clutter:

• Users: Remove any Site administrators who are no longer working in or with your unit.

• Media: Remove any PDFs, videos, images, and any other files no longer actively in use on your Site (Pro Tip: If you want to save the file elsewhere just in case, you can click its preview to open the attachment details and download it)

• Slideshow: Trash any out-of-date slides.  Don't forget to empty the trash!

• Pages: Trash any out-of-date pages. Don't forget to empty the trash! (Pro Tip: Removing a page from your navigation does not remove that page from the internet - myUMBC Answers, Google, and anything that can crawl the internet can still find them and will use the information on them in their search results or AI-generated answers.)

Halloween is a time of excitement, costumes, and community fun — but for children with food allergies, it can also be stressful and even dangerous. The Teal Pumpkin Project, an initiative by FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), helps make Halloween safer and more inclusive for all trick-or-treaters.

By placing a teal pumpkin on your porch or displaying one of FARE's printable signs, you signal that you are offering non-food treats — such as stickers, small toys, bubbles, or glow sticks — in addition to traditional candy. This simple act ensures that children with food allergies or dietary restrictions can enjoy the fun of Halloween without fear of an allergic reaction.

Candy Facts: Staying Safe This Spooky Season

Help all trick-or-treaters have fun without worrying about accidental exposure to allergens!
Always check labels carefully, and when in doubt, contact the manufacturer before consuming.

• Candy Corn: Often contains egg whites and sometimes sesame oil. If labeled egg-free, double-check for other potential allergens.

• Mini or "Fun Size" Candy: May have different ingredients than full-size versions. Always read the label.

• Last Year's Favorites: Ingredients can change — a candy that was safe last year might not be this year.

• Candy Without Labels: If the product isn't clearly identified, it's safest to discard it or trade it for another treat.

• Licorice: Often contains wheat as a binding ingredient — check labels if you have a wheat allergy.

• "Allergy-Free" Candy: There is no such thing as completely "allergy-free" candy. While the top nine allergens cause most reactions, over 200 allergens have been reported.

• Dark Chocolate: Can contain traces of milk, which are unsafe for those with milk allergies, even if tolerated by those with lactose intolerance.

How You Can Participate:

• Add your home or event to the official Teal Pumpkin Project Map so families can plan allergy-safe routes.

• Display a teal pumpkin or sign to show your participation.

• Provide non-food treats in a separate bowl from candy to ensure safety and inclusion.

• Encourage friends and neighbors to join the movement and help spread awareness.

Together, we can make Halloween a time of joy and inclusion for every child.
Learn more here and add your home to the map!

Let's bring the magic of Halloween to everyone — one teal pumpkin at a time!

Behind every student is an educator wielding technology tools that can help make success happen! The Academic Success Center (ASC) and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) have collaborated on a comprehensive initiative to streamline academic support services, making it easier for undergraduate students, faculty, and staff to connect, refer, and track student success. This effort, which involves new software integrations and custom-built systems, aims to enhance academic advocacy, academic support appointment scheduling, and early academic alert notifications.

How do we streamline student academic support at UMBC? We listen to the students and understand what they need to thrive in an academic environment like UMBC. From tutoring to tailored advice from a trusted Academic Advocate, the Academic Success Center has become the center of academic support for undergraduate students, staff, and faculty. With the ASC's centralized and highly visible hub on the 1st floor of the AOK Library, students know where to look for support, and staff and faculty staff are easily able to refer a student for assistance. Since its opening in 2019, the Academic Success Center staff and peer educators have played a role in over 16,000 individual students' experiences at UMBC. 

The Division of Information Technology worked with the ASC team behind the scenes to establish three support systems:  

1. TracCloud Integration for Easy Scheduling of Academic Support
2. Early Academic Alerts
3. Custom System Powers Academic Advocacy

1. TracCloud Integration for Easy Scheduling of Academic Support

Together, the ASC and DoIT have integrated an outside vendor's web application, TracCloud, to simplify appointment scheduling for academic support. All of the ASC's academic peer support options are scheduled through TracCloud, including course tutoring, SI PASS, Writing Center, and Academic Skills Meetings. Students can easily search for support and manage their appointments online. 

The new system is integrated directly with the university's PeopleSoft SA (Student Administration), a Student Information System, ensuring that students are easily connected to relevant academic support resources for the specific courses they are currently enrolled in. Furthermore, the use of single sign-on (SSO) through myUMBC provides a convenient and secure user experience. 

2. Early Academic Alerts

Early Academic Alerts are proactive notifications that instructors send directly to students through myUMBC. Academic Alerts are intended as an early intervention to notify students who are at risk of earning a D or F grade in a currently enrolled course, to provide them with the necessary support and resources to succeed.

By alerting students early in the semester, students have the ability to utilize the various supports available, make the necessary changes to improve their grade before the end of the term, and achieve their highest potential.

This alert system is integrated with PeopleSoft SA, the software suite managing student records and course information. This integration provides a platform for instructors to efficiently access class rosters and provide timely notifications to students and their advisors when concerns arise regarding student academic progress. Formerly the First-Year Intervention Program, UMBC rebranded the alerts system in 2020, from focusing solely on students in their first year to include all undergraduate students, with approximately 65% of faculty sections reporting over 4,000 alerts each semester.

3. Custom System Powers Academic Advocacy 

A third key component is the launch of a unique and custom-built system dedicated to Academic Advocacy. This platform provides Academic Advocates with critical information about student success metrics. Academic Advocates are dedicated to serving undergraduate degree-seeking students to assist them in resolving academic and institutional challenges that may adversely affect persistence, progression, and timely completion of degree.

Undergraduate students identified, or those referred, who may be experiencing barriers to graduation will receive direct outreach from an Academic Advocate to address issues in a timely manner. No matter how complex the concerns (i.e., personal, academic, or financial), Academic Advocates will work together with students to review their progress, present options toward graduation, map out a plan for success, and facilitate communication and connections with the appropriate resources.

Crucially, the system allows any member of the campus community—faculty, staff, or students—to easily refer a student to an Academic Advocate. Once a referral is made, the Academic Advocate will connect with the student to provide timely and necessary support, seamlessly coordinating resources across various campus departments to address the student's needs. Students can easily identify who their assigned Academic Advocate is starting on the first day of class, as the information is front and center on each student's myUMBC profile, another DoIT provided platform. 

"By streamlining these three student support systems, students, faculty, and staff can easily access resources. Additionally, UMBC can track and assess the usage and impact of these initiatives, allowing for data-informed decision-making." 
~ Delana Gregg, Assistant Vice Provost, UG Academic Affairs

Successes by the Numbers

In 2024-2025, the ASC recorded significant engagement from students. The total number of visits to the center was 26,303, with 12,002 of those being tutoring visits. There were also 12,441 Supplemental Instruction/Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (SI PASS) visits. In total, the center supported 4,150 individual students. The ASC also noted a positive trend, with 915 more visits to its services in Fall 2024 compared to Fall 2023. The center connected with 1,689 students through Academic Advocates and worked on 872 student petitions.

For more detailed information, please check out the Academic Success Center's Annual Report.

The success of these initiatives is due in part to the collaborations between the Academic Success Center and the Division of Information Technology, but most importantly, the work of these two groups has facilitated all UMBC community members' contributions to student success! The Academic Success Center and DoIT's clear alignment with UMBC's strategic plan and campus collaborations helps each student achieve their academic goals!