Dear UMBC Community,

Last week, a Federal District Court in Texas issued a ruling on litigation challenging the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court ruled that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security violated the Administrative Procedure Act in establishing and continuing DACA and held that the Biden Administration must freeze the acceptance of new DACA requests. While the Administration does still have the ability to process renewal requests, we are understandably concerned about this ruling and its impact on our students.

To advocate for the safety and financial security of our students, I am joining University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman and more than 200 presidents and chancellors from across the nation in signing a letter to U.S. Senate leadership urging them to pass the bipartisan Dream Act of 2021. This legislation would provide “dreamers, their families, and the employers who depend on them much-needed certainty following years of legal limbo.” This legislation is aligned with our UMBC community value of inclusion, and we will continue to do whatever we can to support our determined students who study under DACA. We are hopeful that we will be able to welcome more of these impressive students into our community with the support of this new Dream Act. 

Students who are affected by this news, or who are looking for community and support, can contact Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3b) and their Retriever Immigrants United discussion group. Students who need support and assistance with their DACA application and related processes can contact the Center for Global Engagement. The Counseling Center is also available to serve students in need of emotional support. Please call (410) 455-2472 on weekdays or the after-hour support line at (410) 455-3230. 

President Freeman Hrabowski

Dear Retrievers, 

We are so excited to begin welcoming you back to campus next month. In fact, we cannot wait to begin introducing and reintroducing some of our favorite campus traditions such as Playfair, Convocation, Involvement Fest, and many others! In an effort to ensure your full participation in those traditions, it is important that you meet all UMBC health and safety guidelines including receiving and documenting your COVID-19 vaccine. 

All students who will be commuting to campus for the Fall 2021 semester must report their complete vaccine or receive an exemption by Friday, August 20th. Failure to meet this deadline will result in progressive discipline up to and including campus restriction and cancellation of classes. 

In order to be fully vaccinated, you must be two weeks past your second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or your first shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This means that you need to plan ahead as you will need to receive your first dose this week if you are receiving a two dose series. 

Residential students received separate instructions regarding the requirements they must complete in order to move in. We understand that not all of our international students will have access to a vaccine, more information is available for international students here. 

Thank you for all you are doing to maintain the health and safety of our community and we look forward to seeing you next month! 

Nancy Young

Vice President, Student Affairs

Key Points

• As you plan to return to campus after July 6, please check your vaccination status in your COVID Compliance Card.

• If you have not already done so, report your vaccination. 

• Individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated must complete additional health and safety requirements.

• The campus has a number of measures in place to ensure safety as we continue to document and verify vaccination rates.

Dear Colleagues,

Beginning July 6, 2021, all faculty and staff will be approved to access campus. We expect this to be a gradual return, with all offices open and fully operational by August 9, 2021. We are eager to begin welcoming you back to the physical campus, and want to share some important safety information.

Vaccinations

As you know, the University System of Maryland and UMBC are requiring students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the fall semester. Based on anonymous information from the state health information exchange, we know that more than 80 percent of our faculty and staff are at least partially vaccinated. It will take more time to document compliance with the vaccination mandate by the beginning of the fall semester. If you have not already done so, please report your vaccination today. We are grateful to those who have already submitted their information. We know that the process to review and approve your verification may take some time as we deal with a large volume of inquiries, and we appreciate your patience.

During this transitional period, there will be individuals on campus who are not vaccinated, either because they have an approved medical or religious exemption, or because they have not yet completed and documented their vaccine. We ask that you respect the privacy of your colleagues and not ask about their vaccination status. All such individuals are expected to comply with specific health and safety requirements, which are described below.

Please know that we have consulted with our public health experts and established safety measures to keep us safe during this period. In addition, research indicates that the high vaccination rate we currently have and the low COVID-19 positivity rate locally make the risk of transmission on our campus minimal at this time. 

Testing and Tracking

For fully vaccinated and verified faculty/staff: All who are fully vaccinated and whose vaccine has been reported and verified will no longer be required to test or symptom track. You will receive an email with additional information on your status and other requirements. You can also check your COVID Compliance Card in your myUMBC profile. If for any reason your vaccination is not complete or verified, you must follow the instructions below.  

For faculty/staff not yet fully vaccinated or verified or who have an approved exemption:If for any reason, your vaccination is not complete or verified, or if you have an approved exemption, you must complete daily symptom monitoring beginning July 6. When you start coming to campus, you must also complete weekly testing. You will receive a personal email with additional information on your status and requirements. You can also check your COVID Compliance Card in your myUMBC profile for your status and requirements. 

Mask Wearing and Physical Distancing

Everyone returning to campus must comply with safe on-campus behavior. At this time, our safety protocols include indoor masking and maintaining physical distancing of three feet or more. Indoor meetings or gatherings in rooms where distancing is not possible are discouraged. Masks should be worn in shared offices but do not need to be worn in private offices with closed doors. Masks are not required outdoors unless you are participating in an activity or event that requires them. 

Please keep in mind that respecting the personal choice to wear a mask will remain a part of our safety strategy for the foreseeable future. Community members may choose to wear a mask for a variety of reasons, including to keep themselves and their family members as safe as possible, because they are unable to be vaccinated, or if they have compromised immunity. When working with others, please ask if they would be more comfortable if you wear a mask and avoid making assumptions about why a community member may choose to be masked. 

Case Response

Any community member who is visiting campus and tests positive for COVID-19 should continue to report their case. Our contact response team responds to individual reports and positive cases identified in campus testing. They provide resources to affected individuals, assist with notifying close contacts, and monitor prevalence in our community. Due to all of our safety efforts and the hard work of community members, we have not had a new case in several weeks, and we are seeing no evidence of community spread.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe. Please continue to share questions and feedback with us at covid19@umbc.edu.

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs