Samantha Smith, assistant director of health promotion in University Health Services, was a panelist for The Chronicle of Higher Education's "Promoting Health on Campus During COVID-19" webinar on July 15. The webinar was an opportunity for higher education professionals across the country to discuss the measures that colleges and universities were taking to bring students back to campuses safely. While many schools are strongly communicating the need for public health prevention practices, UMBC strongly communicated the need to keep student health and the student experience at heart. Watch the discussion.
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Dear Students,
Whether you are new to UMBC or a returning student, Student Affairs and the Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) staff are incredibly excited to welcome you to the fall semester! We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
While no community can be completely free of COVID-19, our actions as a campus during the COVID-19 pandemic can protect one another’s health and limit the spread of the disease. UMBC will dramatically reduce the density of people on campus, from a population of 16,000 students, faculty, and staff during a normal semester to an anticipated daily population of 2,500 this fall.
As announced in a message to the UMBC community on August 5, there are important health and safety requirements for all community members if they will be learning, living, and working on campus this fall. OCSS wants to be sure that students who are commuting to campus for in-person classes understand clearly the steps they must take to protect themselves, support the health and safety of our campus community, and reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 at UMBC and beyond. Information on student requirements is available and will continue to be updated on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site. OCSS will continue to update you with information as it becomes available.
COVID-19 Testing
Students commuting to campus this fall for in-person classes must provide confirmation of a negative COVID-19 test prior to the start of the semester on August 27. Due to demand for tests, we strongly encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible to allow time for the return of your result and any necessary medical follow-up in the event of a positive test. Additional information on how to submit your results to UMBC will be shared as soon as possible.
Free tests are available at the Baltimore Convention Center as well as other sites across Maryland.
Out-of-state community members are encouraged to check the following link fortesting locations near them.
On-campus testing will be available August 21-26 for students who are unable to access testing beforehand. Sign-up information will be announced at a later date.
Please note that, at this time, University of Maryland Medical System testing sites listed in the August 5 announcement are only serving individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.
Daily Symptom Tracking
Beginning August 13, students taking in-person classes during the fall semester will be required to complete UMBC’s online symptom trackerevery day, seven days a week, including both days that they do and do not anticipate being on campus. The form takes about 30 seconds to complete and includes a field to note your temperature and simple check boxes to indicate any symptoms or exposure. Students are encouraged to complete the daily symptom tracker first thing in the morning as a way to incorporate it into your daily “getting ready” routine.
Respondents who indicate possible COVID-19 symptoms or exposure may receive a follow-up call or other instructions based on their specific responses. Please do not travel to campusif you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, have come in contact with a person experiencing symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have come in contact with someone who has tested positive.
To help fulfill the tracking requirement, students will receive daily email reminders to complete the symptom tracker. We also encourage bookmarking the symptom tracking site.
Educational Module and Retriever Community Agreement
Students who will be taking classes on campus this fall will receive a required online COVID-19 educational module to complete. At the end of the module, students will be required to sign a Retriever Community Agreement making a personal commitment to precautions and actions required in order to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19 on campus and beyond. Additional information is available on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site.
Code of Student Conduct Addendum
An addendum to the UMBC Code of Student Conduct with COVID-19 Emergency Community Rules will be applicable to all UMBC students and will be in effect until further notice.
Campus Services
In addition to the above requirements, we want to share some initial information about campus services and ways to stay connected, and will continue to share updates with you in the weeks ahead. While most services at UMBC will not be open physically, the Division of Student Affairs and other campus departments are open and supporting students virtually. Please check this myUMBC post for each department’s respective operating hours and contact information.
Any relevant information related to COVID-19 and its impact on UMBC’s services will be emailed to you directly and updates will also be posted on the Retrievers Return Roadmap site. Please bookmark this website; it will be a helpful resource for you and your families as you prepare to start the semester.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 requirements for students, please email covid19@umbc.edu. If you have questions about OCSS and student services, please contact one of our OCSS staff, call OCSS at 410-455-2770, or email us at ocss@umbc.edu.
Thank you very much for your commitment to helping us keep our UMBC community as healthy as possible. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Staff of UMBC Off-Campus Student Services
Dear Students,
Though UMBC will largely be operating remotely this fall, the Division of Student Affairs and other campus departments are open and supporting students. Below are some on-campus and off-campus resources that you can make use of this semester and beyond:
UMBC Resources
Off-Campus Resources