Each October, the nation observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month to honor survivors, remember those who have passed, and raise awareness about the ongoing fight against breast cancer. Since 1989, breast cancer death rates in the United States have declined by 44 percent. This progress reflects decades of education, research, and early detection efforts that have saved more than half a million lives.

For over forty years, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has inspired communities to take action. Through increased awareness, screenings, and access to care, we continue to make strides in prevention and treatment.

UMBC Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
The UMBC Sisterhood, in collaboration with the Black Student Union (BSU) and Curl Pwr, invites the campus community to participate in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.

Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Erickson Field, UMBC Campus

This event is dedicated to supporting those currently battling breast cancer, celebrating survivors, and honoring the lives of those who have passed. Members of the UMBC community are encouraged to walk together in solidarity, fostering hope and awareness across campus.

Join the Walk Here!

Learn More and Take Action
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) offers free educational resources to help individuals learn about early detection, survivorship, and healthy living. Access these materials to support continued education and awareness efforts:

• Early Detection: Step-by-step guides to help recognize early signs and symptoms.

• Survivorship: Resources for those navigating life after treatment.

• Healthy Living: Tools and cookbooks promoting wellness and risk reduction.

Together, we can continue to advance education, awareness, and support for all those affected by breast cancer.

For UMBC students and employees who may be going through breast cancer treatments or surgical recovery while in classes or on the job, please know that support may be available to you via the temporary disability accommodation process, if needed.

In addition, our partners in Human Resources are also a resource to employees to discuss leave benefits, such as FMLA, that may be needed for support during diagnosis, treatment, or recovery. Do not hesitate to contact the Accessibility & Disability Services department with inquiries.

In honor of all those affected by breast cancer, all ADS/SDS staff will wear pink on Fridays throughout October to show support and raise awareness within the UMBC community.

Dear UMBC Community,

We write today to share updates to UMBC's academic and holiday calendars that will affect employee schedules in the short- and long-term, starting this fall.

Thanksgiving 2025

This semester, UMBC will be closed for an Administrative Leave day on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 26. (Campus will still be closed on Thanksgiving and Friday, as in previous years.) This is consistent with what has occurred over the past few years (as approved by the president) to ensure faculty and staff have time to celebrate and be with loved ones during this extended period.

Additional Holiday Leave Days in 2026 and Fall Recess

Beginning in calendar year 2026, in accordance with University System of Maryland bylaws, a total of four additional University Holiday Leave days are to be earned each calendar year and observed at the discretion of the institution's president or designee. Each calendar year you will learn how these days are planned for the year.

Regarding personal leave for staff, all regular full-time nonexempt and exempt staff employees shall receive three (3) days (not to exceed 24 hours) of personal leave on January 1 each calendar year, except that employees shall receive four (4) days (not to exceed 32 hours) of personal leave on January 1 in a leap year. Part-time employees working 50 percent or more shall receive personal leave on a pro-rated basis.   

Starting Academic Year 2026 – 2027 there also will be two new changes to the academic calendar that were approved by the Faculty Senate last academic year. The start date of the semester will move from a Wednesday to a Monday. Beginning next year, UMBC will also have a Fall Class Recess on October 12 and 13, 2026. By shifting the start of the semester to a Monday, the total number of instruction days remains unchanged. During the recess, no academic courses will be offered but the university will be open. During this time, managers will work with employees to best determine how to operationally manage this time within their units. A separate communication to all supervisors will go out in the spring from Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM). 

For questions related to the holiday calendar for this year and next, please feel free to reach out to the HRSTM team at hrstm@umbc.edu. For questions related to the academic calendar for this year and next, please feel free to reach out to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@umbc.edu. 

Sincerely,

Lynne Adams
Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

What we'll do

• Quick intro to protein biologics + design

• Live ProteinMPNN sequence design (run on our station)

• ColabFold structure prediction (in your browser)

• PyMOL visualization + comparing mutations

Bring a laptop (optional but recommended):

• Chrome installed (for ColabFold)

• If you want to follow PyMOL locally, join our discord for the install information!