Dear UMBC Community,
The Office of Equity and Civil Rights (ECR) has been working hard to update university policies to ensure compliance and to create the most inclusive and accessible environment for the entire UMBC community. I write to share that a number of new interim university policies have been created, and I invite you to read more about each policy by following the links.
This policy applies to discrimination on the basis of sex, sex-based harassment (including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), sexual misconduct, and retaliation that occurs on or after August 1, 2024, and outlines the university's process for responding to and resolving reports of such conduct.
Key Provisions:
- The scope of who is a mandated reporter now includes all employees (including student employees) who are not otherwise designated as a confidential resource.
- All employees who become aware of information that may fall under this policy must 1) provide the disclosing individual with the Title IX coordinator’s contact information and information about how to make a complaint and 2) report the information to ECR at ecr@umbc.edu; 410-455-1717; or via the online reporting form.
- Employees may obtain resource materials from ECR to provide to a person who discloses.
- Includes mandatory training obligations for all employees, starting in the fall semester.
- The applicable policies for conduct that occurred prior to August 1, 2024, can be found on ECR’s website.
This policy outlines the university’s responsibility to provide reasonable modifications or accommodations for students and employees who are pregnant or experiencing related conditions, and the procedures for requesting the support.
Key Provisions:
- Discrimination against any applicant for admission, student, applicant for employment, or employee on the basis of current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions, parental, family, or marital status is prohibited.
- Students or employees who need a reasonable modification or accommodation due to pregnancy should contact ECR.
- Requires employees to provide a student who discloses their pregnancy or related condition with information about how to contact the Title IX coordinator to request an accommodation.
- Employees may obtain resource materials from ECR to provide to a student who discloses.
- Employees do not need to report information about the pregnancy or related conditions to ECR.
This policy outlines the university's obligation to provide, and the procedures for, students and employees to request academic, non-academic, and/or employment accommodations to observe faith-based or religious holidays or to participate in organized religious activities.
Key Provisions:
- This policy replaces the former Religious Observance Academic Policy.
- The requirement to provide a reasonable accommodation extends beyond religious holidays and also applies to a student’s participation in religious activities and an employee’s conflict between their sincerely held religious beliefs and their work.
- Establishes timeframes for requesting and responding to requests for academic accommodations and the factors that should be considered when determining whether an academic accommodation can be provided.
- Provides information about faith-based and religious campus resources.
All of these policies are designated as interim to allow opportunities for shared governance review during the fall semester. If you have questions about any of these updates, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Division of Institutional Equity for more information.
Sincerely,
Tanyka M. Barber
Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer