Dear Community Members, 

We wanted to share that the Pride Center will unfortunately be closed for the rest of today and we are disappointed to share this news on the first day of spring classes. There has been a ceiling issue in the space that caused the ceiling to cave in. In the interest of the safety of our community, we are working to resolve the issue and get back up and running to be in community again. We hope to be open again tomorrow and for the rest of the week, we will be open from 9am-5pm. In the meantime, it might be unsightly in the space so we pardon our appearance and welcome any further thoughts or questions you have as we work to get it fully repaired. Thank you to our wonderful ABN staff member, Sonia who helped to make sure the space is looking clean and neat again!  

In the meantime, we have other awesome spaces across campus to check out today and beyond: 

• Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being, The Center for Well-Being

• Monday, 8am-10pm 

• Women’s Center, The Commons

• Monday, 10am-5pm 

Thank you for your understanding and patience with us! 

-Lucy Delgado, Assistant Director with i3b (she/her/hers/ella)

Dear Commuter Students,

Welcome to Spring 2022 at UMBC! Whether you are a new or returning Retriever, we are excited to have you and look forward to connecting. If there is ever any way Off-Campus Student Services can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us or stop by our office in Commons 1A02, right next to the Bookstore.

As we gear up for another semester, OCSS wants to make sure we continue to keep our UMBC community as safe as possible from the Omicron variant of COVID-19. We have been extremely successful in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 because of all of you and that is not lost on us. You make the difference and we appreciate you for that. To ensure that we remain on the right path, this letter is intended to review UMBC’s COVID-19 response and the safety measures that will continue to keep our community safe.  

• KN95 masks are required. All community members are currently required to wear a KN95 or equivalent mask indoors in public spaces at UMBC. This includes in classrooms, on transportation, and inside dining facilities when not actively eating. KN95 equivalent masks include: an N95, KN95, or KF94 mask, FFP2-3, or a double surgical mask. Free KN95 masks are available during business hours at the UMBC Police Station, Campus Card and Dining Services, the Retriever Activities Center, The Commons Information Center, and the Albin O. Kuhn Library Circulation Desk.

• Entry testing is required for Spring 2022. All community members are required to take an on-campus PCR test on the first day they return to campus. If possible, we also recommend that you take an at home rapid test the day before you return to campus in addition to the required PCR. Here is some additional information on how to test.

• Vaccinations are required. The University System of Maryland and UMBC are requiring all students, faculty and staff to remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—a “booster shot”—when you are eligible. Make sure to report your vaccines or request an exemption as soon as possible. 

• Maintain physical distance and limit gatherings. Evaluate all of your group activities. Other than going to class, we strongly encourage moving group meetings and study groups online. Many of OCSS’ activities will be online. When conditions permit, we will also offer some safe in-person options for events.

With your assistance, we look forward to a productive, safe, and exciting Spring 2022 semester. If you have questions about OCSS programming or services, please contact us at ocss@umbc.edu. We appreciate your help and commitment to ensuring that UMBC remains healthy. Best wishes on a successful term!

Sincerely,

M. Antonio Silas, Ph.D.

Director, Off-Campus Student Services

Joshua Gray 

President, Student Government Association