Graduate Assistantship Forms Transitioning to DocuSign! Digital Workflow Offers Expanded Functionality
The Graduate School has been using DocuSign as their e-signature and digital workflow platform, replacing many of their paper forms with electronic forms that can be submitted, signed, processed and stored with no printing required. The ease with which both students and staff can submit and sign the forms and the efficiency they generate in the workplace has encouraged the Graduate School to partner with the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to transition graduate assistantship forms to the DocuSign platform.

However, creating a form that all departments could use while simultaneously fulfilling the individual needs and preferences of each was not an easy task. The form had to be smart enough to adapt to many different scenarios and reliable enough to remain consistent and efficient for signers.

With the help of DoIT’s assistant vice president Joe Kirby, software developer Frank Elmore, their team of student developers, and input from graduate assistants and campus stakeholders, the Graduate School created a dynamic data gathering form for assistantships. This webform allows departmental staff to quickly enter information, automatically retrieve key information from the school database, and easily identify the name and email of each required signer in the workflow. As the DocuSign form travels to each individual via secure email, administrators can track the document through recorded timestamps and easily see each time someone opens, edits, or signs it.

According to the Assistant Dean for Administration, Policy and Compliance Isabel Garrido, the ability to track the form as it progresses in the DocuSign workflow is efficient and eliminates guesswork. As an example, when graduate assistants contact the Graduate School about the status of their tuition remission, instead of referring them to their department, searching for paper forms or wondering if they have been signed, DocuSign allows Isabel and her staff to view the most recent timestamp on a form and know exactly where it is in the process in seconds.

DocuSign’s technical accessibility is also beneficial. Within moments of the form being sent graduate assistants can access, sign and submit them on their mobile device from any location. Upon receipt of the form, graduate assistants will be glad to see that not only has much of the required information been pre-populated, but the few fields they are required to complete are intuitive and come with helpful tips to guide them smoothly and quickly through the process.

Although mistakes are less likely when entering DocuSign forms, if errors occur, the process to generate a corrected form in DocuSign is quick and easy. The helpful notifications feature in DocuSign automatically sends email reminders to signers ensuring speedy compliance and provides an electronic copy of each finalized form to the Graduate School. DoIT’s recent upgrade of the forms has gone even further to make the process more flexible to the needs of graduate assistants and departments alike.

Lina Chung, Program Management Specialist in the College of Engineering and Information Technology (CoEIT) transitioned to the DocuSign process for graduate assistant forms in 2017 and praises how efficiently her office processes GA Tuition Remission and GA Appointment Letters now. “Before, timelines could be very unpredictable. Forms could take anywhere from days to weeks to fully complete. Now, it rarely takes more than a few days,” Lina explains. With most graduate students living busy lives off campus, some in other countries, a faster process that limits the need for back-and-forth communication is essential.

Information Systems adopted the DocuSign process for graduate assistantships in 2017. Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering (CBEE) implemented the process in Dec. 2018. Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE), Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and are expected to implement shortly. A pilot group comprised of members from various departments who have not transitioned to the DocuSign process is currently testing the forms. Departments interested in joining the pilot group should contact Isabel Garrido (garrido@umbc.edu) in the Graduate School.

Campus-wide implementation of graduate assistantship forms via DocuSign is slated for summer ‘19.

]]> The Graduate School has been using DocuSign as their e-signature and digital workflow platform, replacing many of their paper forms with electronic forms that can be submitted, signed, processed... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80948/guest@my.umbc.edu/026da833c5d97f0e3b16a61459e032f4/api/pixel bsg docusign Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/xxlarge.jpg?1544455633 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/xlarge.jpg?1544455633 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/large.jpg?1544455633 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/medium.jpg?1544455633 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/small.jpg?1544455633 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/xsmall.jpg?1544455633 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/948/15d84e9a5eceb67bcb8fb0e8c839a903/xxsmall.jpg?1544455633 9 4 true Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:41:14 -0500 Thu, 14 Mar 2019 06:32:12 -0400 Proposed Title IX Regulations posted - You can comment now! Submission closes January 28, 2019 - 11:59 PM ET
Attention Students:

The Secretary of Education proposes to amend regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).  The proposed regulations would clarify and modify:

  1. Title IX regulatory requirements pertaining to the availability of remedies for violations
  2. The effect of Constitutional protections
  3. The designation of a coordinator to address sex discrimination issues
  4. The dissemination of a nondiscrimination policy
  5. The adoption of grievance procedures
  6. The process to claim a religious exemption

The proposed regulations would also specify how recipient institutions that are covered by Title IX must respond to incidents of sexual harassment consistent with Title IX's prohibition against sex discrimination.

The proposed Title IX regulations have been posted to the Federal Register. Because of this, the comment period for submission of comments on the proposed regulations is now open until January 28, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET.

These comments can be submitted here:
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=ED-2018-OCR-0064-0001

Information on how to submit an effective comment can be found here :
https://www.regulations.gov/docs/Tips_For_Submitting_Effective_Comments.pdf

Note that a unique comments carry more weight than form letter comments. Non-unique comments are counted as essentially a single comment.
]]> Attention Students: The Secretary of Education proposes to amend regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).  The proposed regulations would clarify and... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80945/guest@my.umbc.edu/599840e4410b0e41a2c20e87ca78445e/api/pixel UMBC Graduate Student Association https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/gsa https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xsmall.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/original.png?1688588974 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xxlarge.png?1688588974 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xlarge.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/large.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/medium.png?1688588974 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/small.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xsmall.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xxsmall.png?1688588974 UMBC Graduate Student Association 0 0 true Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:20:43 -0500 Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:17:46 -0400 Find a Quiet Place to Study At AOK Library! Studying is hard. Finding a quiet place shouldn't be!

The third and fourth floors of the AOK Library are Quiet areas.  These are good places to study if you don’t mind the occasional whisper or vibrating phone. The fifth and sixth floors of the AOK Library are designated Absolute Quiet areas at all times.  

If you need an environment free from talking, cell phones, or any other noise sources, these are the floors for you!  Library staff walk through the area periodically to enforce quiet rules, but you can also report violations to the Security Desk at 410-455-2331 or Circulation Department staff at 410-455-2354.

]]> The third and fourth floors of the AOK Library are Quiet areas.  These are good places to study if you don’t mind the occasional whisper or vibrating phone. The fifth and sixth floors of the AOK... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80943/guest@my.umbc.edu/2f1c7c3474f68e0c53ed8017e828f8d3/api/pixel Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/original.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/large.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/medium.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/small.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxsmall.png?1279120404 Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/xxlarge.jpg?1544450764 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/xlarge.jpg?1544450764 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/large.jpg?1544450764 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/medium.jpg?1544450764 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/small.jpg?1544450764 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/xsmall.jpg?1544450764 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/943/836bce4e664c2c7e0ebd5d47ba590ecc/xxsmall.jpg?1544450764 0 0 true Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:06:31 -0500 Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:09:54 -0500 UMBC Graduate School Makes Strides In Efficient Outreach E-signatures Continue To Produce New Business Solutions
The Graduate School at UMBC takes pride in providing opportunities for student success. Through collaboration with prestigious faculty and research with groundbreaking partner institutions, graduate students can achieve personal, professional, and academic excellence. In order to better serve students and the community, the graduate school provides numerous services and programs that support non-traditional students in reaching their goals.

The Golden ID Program waives the tuition costs of certain graduate programs for qualifying Maryland retirees who are at least 60 years of age. Whether degree seeking or not, Golden ID students can continue to enrich their lives with learning and development at little cost.

The Accelerated Graduate Program allows ambitious undergrads to double count a certain number of credits for both their bachelor’s and intended graduate degrees. By making their intentions known to both their undergraduate advisor and the appropriate graduate program director, accepted students can make an academic plan that jump-starts their collegiate career.

Both of these programs offer unique opportunities for qualifying individuals, but they generally require those individuals to discover and actively pursue those opportunities. Consequently, retirees who don’t know they could attend classes without paying tuition and undergrads who are too preoccupied with their current coursework can easily miss the chance to apply. That is why the Graduate School at UMBC is reexamining their business practices and adopting new tools and technology to widen their outreach to prospective students.

DocuSign, the e signature and digital workflow platform, has provided a unique solution. In addition to making traditionally paper forms much easier to fill out and process, DocuSign’s digital envelopes can be sent out automatically to potential applicants via secure email complete with personalized messages and direct access to the electronic form. Rather than depend on students or applicants eligible for the Golden ID program to research and initiate the process themselves, Grad School can instead approach them directly with everything they need.

Converting to a new business process has its difficulties. It is often an exercise in reexamining every aspect of the workflow and defining what is essential and where the inefficiencies occur. Operations manager Dan Neeley, M.S. ‘15 Human-Centered Computing, says that change management involves balancing the needs of both staff and students, managing the workflow and accountability of designated signers, and handling exceptions and possible points of failure.

Despite these challenges, Neeley acclaims the plentiful opportunities for improvements in sensible efficiency that come in return. Improving communications between UMBC and applicants to these valuable programs goes a long way in increasing student satisfaction and success.

More Info:
]]> The Graduate School at UMBC takes pride in providing opportunities for student success. Through collaboration with prestigious faculty and research with groundbreaking partner institutions,... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80886/guest@my.umbc.edu/79cc36f83aee5280c8b9a7c73f95ef71/api/pixel bsg docusign success Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/xxlarge.jpg?1544108118 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/xlarge.jpg?1544108118 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/large.jpg?1544108118 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/medium.jpg?1544108118 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/small.jpg?1544108118 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/xsmall.jpg?1544108118 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/886/40950e784f21e9e4584935af4f408117/xxsmall.jpg?1544108118 2 0 true Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:55:41 -0500 Thu, 14 Mar 2019 06:33:40 -0400 What kinds of activities do you want to see in the library? Take our poll, we want to know! Select your top three! ]]> Select your top three! https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80850/guest@my.umbc.edu/10bec786d122534e845038d608d856cf/api/pixel librarysurvey pickmany Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/original.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/large.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/medium.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/small.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxsmall.png?1279120404 Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/xxlarge.jpg?1544026972 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/xlarge.jpg?1544026972 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/large.jpg?1544026972 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/medium.jpg?1544026972 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/small.jpg?1544026972 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/xsmall.jpg?1544026972 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/850/ef33b1e41d57e34ab9231b10c7264887/xxsmall.jpg?1544026972 2 0 true Wed, 05 Dec 2018 11:22:10 -0500 Thu, 10 Jan 2019 15:59:14 -0500 Digital Workflows Integrate Procedure And Technology AOP Provides New Opportunities For Business Efficiency
UMBC’s Office of Academic Opportunities Programs (AOP) is dedicated to providing assistance, resources, and support to students who have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education in order to facilitate academic success. By coordinating with UMBC departments as well as off campus agencies such as the US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, AOP encourages and empowers pre-college and ambitious UMBC students to achieve their academic goals.

In order to enhance its correspondence with students and their families as well as improve its business processes, AOP has adopted DocuSign as their e-signature and digital workflow tool. With help from developers in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), AOP has converted much of their paper forms to electronic, automated forms that can be signed and submitted without ever having to print.

The McNair Scholars Program, for example, has transformed its entire application process to DocuSign, creating a digital envelope that allows applicants to upload any financial documents or recommendations directly to the form and submit it all through a secure email. DocuSign forms can also be filled out on any mobile device, which can significantly reduce the time it takes for students to submit their applications.

In addition to improving the experience for students, AOP has integrated DocuSign’s capabilities with their existing business practices to create a much more efficient system for processing and storing the submitted forms. One of the big disadvantages of paper applications is always the back and forth correspondence and approvals required when the form is filled out improperly. This takes up a lot of time that staff could be using to complete their numerous other tasks and tends to leave both staff and students dissatisfied.

With DocuSign, staff can create templates that guide signers step by step through the form, offering tooltips and validations to ensure that signers input the correct information. At any time, staff can also check on the status of each pending form as DocuSign timestamps each time the signer views and edits the form. Once the form has been submitted, AOP staff have designated Box folders into which DocuSign will automatically upload the completed application and all supporting documents. If they still need to follow up with the applicant, AOP can cancel or resend the form with just a few clicks.

McNair Scholars Assistant Director Michael Hunt, B.S. ‘06 Mathematics, says that the ability to adjust and automate the application’s workflow has gone a long way in reducing administrative work for McNair staff. Though the McNair Scholars Program has gone farthest in reducing paper, AOP’s other programs have also taken up DocuSign as well.

AOP Director Corris Davis, B.S. ‘98 Biological Sciences, praised the use of DocuSign for the many agreements and contracts used in the Upward Bound Program, which reaches out to high school students in Baltimore City and County. Many of these forms require both the student and a parent/guardian to read and agree to numerous program requirements and rules. DocuSign not only skips the hassle of having to submit all these forms by mail, but also does more to ensure that the signers fully read each section by preventing submission before each part is initialed and signed. 

In advancing their mission to enable academic success, AOP has simultaneously improved their business processes to benefit both students and staff. Moving forward, as DoIT continues to integrate DocuSign with campus systems, AOP expects to create even more efficient solutions.

More Info:

]]> UMBC’s Office of Academic Opportunities Programs (AOP) is dedicated to providing assistance, resources, and support to students who have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education in... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80842/guest@my.umbc.edu/cb1b1f83d1e7f494f03138ccc7b916a6/api/pixel bsg docusign success Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/xxlarge.jpg?1544021021 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/xlarge.jpg?1544021021 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/large.jpg?1544021021 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/medium.jpg?1544021021 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/small.jpg?1544021021 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/xsmall.jpg?1544021021 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/842/01d7af125cf4563358be0c3169847515/xxsmall.jpg?1544021021 2 0 true Wed, 05 Dec 2018 09:46:33 -0500 Thu, 14 Mar 2019 06:34:43 -0400 Learning and Leading in DoIT: Sherri Braxton Co-director, Educause Learning Technology Leadership Program
As technology continues to change the academic landscape, UMBC’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Instructional Technology staff are at the forefront, serving as leaders in their field and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Sherri Braxton, senior director of instructional technology, was recently named co-director of Educause’s Learning Technology Leadership (LTL) Program, an intensive, five-day residential program that offers time away from on-the-job demands for interacting with peers, recharging vision, and honing skills.


The LTL program provides IT staff whose role is to support and promote technology in teaching and learning with the decision making, relationship building, management, and other critical skills they will need as leaders in a variety of contexts and with different campus groups. Braxton, who joined the DoIT staff in 2014, had already been asked to serve on the LTL Program faculty for a three-year term in 2017 after participating in the program in 2016. As co-leader of the program, she’ll serve as co-director for one year, and then lead the program the following year. She is also co-leader of the Educause Instructional Technology Constituents Group.


John Fritz, associate vice president, information technology, says, “I'm pleased but not surprised that Educause has recognized what we've known about Sherri during her four years with us: She's not only a leader on campus but also in our profession. She leads by example, has nurtured a great team, and people want to work with and for her. She brings a lot of energy to anything she does and it's contagious.”


Braxton’s own perspectives as a leader and manager include an emphasis on communication and mentorship. “I want people to feel they have ownership over the projects they are working on. I don’t believe in micromanaging; allowing staff to be self-starters inspires their confidence,” she says. “We have great communication within the instructional technology team. It’s important for people to feel they can come to me if they’re not sure they’re doing something right - or if they aren’t sure I’m doing something right.” 


Prior to UMBC, Braxton worked as a software engineer and a defense contractor before moving into both teaching and instructional design at Bowie State University and the Johns Hopkins University. For over 15 years, she has served as an adjunct professor in the IT and computer science program at University of Maryland University College. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science from Wake Forest University, a master’s in computer science with a minor in math from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in computer science from the George Washington University with minors in educational leadership and management science.


In their own careers, Braxton says, staff should always be thinking about where they want to go next and what skills they will need. “I want to be able to support my staff in making that next step. It’s also important to network, and to take risks, to work on projects that make them uncomfortable and try as many different things as possible.”


“Being a lifelong learner is important for IT professionals,” Braxton adds. “Change in IT isn’t a matter of if but of when, which means quickly learning new tools and new ways to transform the academic landscape. It also means understanding and communicating the potential for added benefits to users.”

“It never gets dull,” she says with a smile.

]]> As technology continues to change the academic landscape, UMBC’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Instructional Technology staff are at the forefront, serving as leaders in their field... https://doit.umbc.edu/itnm/about/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80155/guest@my.umbc.edu/142c1e1adc87e621433d789c26bf90b1/api/pixel success Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/original.JPG?1727453227 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xlarge.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/large.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/medium.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/small.png?1727453227 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xsmall.png?1727453227 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/021/d27760c5de12c74b73faec8d0e631acf/xxsmall.png?1727453227 Division of Information Technology (DoIT) https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/xxlarge.jpg?1543517734 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/xlarge.jpg?1543517734 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/large.jpg?1543517734 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/medium.jpg?1543517734 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/small.jpg?1543517734 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/xsmall.jpg?1543517734 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/155/62251d9a0e05ca28bd860ae3d1c6ab78/xxsmall.jpg?1543517734 11 0 true Mon, 03 Dec 2018 10:09:37 -0500 Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:36:05 -0500 Library Poll: When you have a research assignment... ...which of these do you include in your research process?
Take our poll, we want to know!

Select all that apply. ]]> Take our poll, we want to know! Select all that apply. https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80680/guest@my.umbc.edu/a14e88ae065c02f9b2f088e907f36c7f/api/pixel librarysurvey pickmany Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/original.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/large.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/medium.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/small.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxsmall.png?1279120404 Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/xxlarge.jpg?1543424959 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/xlarge.jpg?1543424959 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/large.jpg?1543424959 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/medium.jpg?1543424959 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/small.jpg?1543424959 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/xsmall.jpg?1543424959 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/680/f38ae064fcf1b3b45407cf8c33dac87b/xxsmall.jpg?1543424959 3 0 true Wed, 28 Nov 2018 12:08:03 -0500 Wed, 28 Nov 2018 12:10:19 -0500 We need canned beans & canned fruit packed in its own juice AND reusable grocery store bags Please drop off in our bright yellow donation bins in:

Admin, first floor in front of elevators
Library, first floor to the right as you walk in
Commons, Main Street

We also have a coat closet with FREE coats, hats, gloves and scarves for students in need.  Contact Julie Rosenthal at julier@umbc.edu for access.

So far this semester we have distributed close to 60 bags of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food.

Thank you for your continued support.  Please pass the word to others who may want to assist.


]]> Please drop off in our bright yellow donation bins in: Admin, first floor in front of elevators Library, first floor to the right as you walk in Commons, Main Street We also have a coat closet... http://retrieveressentials.umbc.edu https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80652/guest@my.umbc.edu/f3138f93f887aed8a177b7a08ffcd220/api/pixel Retriever Essentials https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/retrieveressentials https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/xsmall.png?1762874117 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/original.png?1762874117 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/xxlarge.png?1762874117 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/xlarge.png?1762874117 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/large.png?1762874117 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/medium.png?1762874117 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/small.png?1762874117 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/xsmall.png?1762874117 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/389/07b12dca5bf1da16311c6d47125fe746/xxsmall.png?1762874117 Retriever Essentials 6 0 false Tue, 27 Nov 2018 11:39:30 -0500 Tue, 27 Nov 2018 11:39:44 -0500 University Committees Ranking Give feedback by Nov. 23rd
As many of you are aware, various groups have given graduate students a spot at the table when discussing a large variety of issues, ideas, and policies across the university.

On the form linked here is a list of these groups we are welcome to attend. Please rank them on the above form from least important to you (1) to most important to you (5). 

They're titled in a descriptive way, but if you'd like more information have a look through the GSA Webpage on Shared Governance Committees. 

This form will close on Friday, November 23rd. 

Help us to figure out what groups are most important to graduate students to have representation on. We will share the results via email and also discuss *briefly* at the next Senate Meeting on December 3 in UC 312. 

Please take a few moments to complete this and let us know if you have any questions (Email: gsa@umbc.edu). 

]]> As many of you are aware, various groups have given graduate students a spot at the table when discussing a large variety of issues, ideas, and policies across the university. On the form... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/80507/guest@my.umbc.edu/3e032061d45c6f48049ff5083f2c060d/api/pixel UMBC Graduate Student Association https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/gsa https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xsmall.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/original.png?1688588974 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xxlarge.png?1688588974 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xlarge.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/large.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/medium.png?1688588974 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/small.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xsmall.png?1688588974 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/141/6944ed1afb7c0b0557d52a5e61a6d9c9/xxsmall.png?1688588974 UMBC Graduate Student Association https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/xxlarge.jpg?1542655207 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/xlarge.jpg?1542655207 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/large.jpg?1542655207 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/medium.jpg?1542655207 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/small.jpg?1542655207 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/xsmall.jpg?1542655207 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/080/507/675186e757ff18294bc93b1cec68c75b/xxsmall.jpg?1542655207 0 0 true Mon, 19 Nov 2018 14:20:59 -0500