Dear UMBC community, 

As I reflect back on this past academic year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Your dedication, creativity, and tireless commitment to our students and to one another have made this year a success in so many meaningful ways. On a daily basis, I am reminded about the critical role you play in making UMBC a great university and a wonderful place to work and educate.

This past year has seen considerable changes on the leadership team. I want to thank you for your patience as we continue to build a team capable of supporting UMBC 3.0 and serving the university community. This coming year we also will have over 60 new faculty members joining UMBC. We will highlight each of our new faculty members throughout the fall semester. 

Whether you were teaching in the classroom, supporting students behind the scenes, conducting research, or helping keep our campus running smoothly, your efforts have made a lasting impact. I’m especially proud of the way our community continues to lead with inclusive excellence, creating a learning environment where every student, faculty, and staff member feels supported and valued.

Your work does not go unnoticed, and I hope you can take real pride in what we’ve accomplished together. As we head into summer, I encourage you to take time to rest and recharge. You’ve earned it.

Looking ahead, I also want to share a few updates regarding our fall academic schedule: beginning academic year 2025-2026, Thanksgiving Eve (the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, this year, November 26) will be an administrative holiday for both faculty and staff. We hope this gives you a little extra time to rest and spend with loved ones during the holiday season. For faculty members with classes on Wednesdays, please be aware that you will have one less class session than in previous years this fall as the semester will start on Wednesday, August 27. While we initially planned to start on a Monday, we will not start on a Monday until AY 2026-2027 to allow for review and modifications (as necessary) of the faculty start/end dates of contracts as well as scheduling of activities prior to the start of the semester. Click here to see the fall academic calendar. Starting AY 2026-2027, the academic year will also include a Fall Recess (Monday/Tuesday in October, specific dates TBD) as recently approved by the faculty senate.

Thank you again for everything you do. Wishing you a restful summer and looking forward to all we’ll achieve together in the year ahead.

Warmly, 

Manfred H. M. van Dulmen

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs