Dear UMBC Community,

As announced earlier, the University System of Maryland and UMBC will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff who will be on the UMBC campus and at UMBC-operated off-campus locations in Fall 2021. However, we know that some members of our community have medical and religious reasons that will prohibit them from receiving the vaccine.

Our medical and religious exemption process is now available for community members. More information and all necessary forms can be found here. If you have questions, please email covid19@umbc.edu and we will direct your email to the proper office. 

We expect that exemptions to this mandate will be few. First and foremost, we agree with Chancellor Perman that “mandating a COVID vaccine is the most effective strategy we have, especially as we try to reach herd immunity.” We ask that members of our community remember that vaccination, while a personal action, is a commitment to the health of our entire community. In addition, as it relates to medical exemptions, the Centers for Disease Control are clear that the list of medical conditions that would preclude an individual from safely being vaccinated is very limited. In most cases, the risks of becoming ill with COVID-19 is a more urgent health issue for those with certain pre-existing medical conditions. 

Finally, we know that some community members have questions about the vaccine’s designation of Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. This FAQ from the University System of Maryland clearly explains the actual meaning of that designation and the scientific understanding that “both the safety and efficacy have now been demonstrated well beyond the initial clinical trial data.”  

We are requesting that all community members either report their vaccine or have an exemption request on file by July 6, 2021. 

Thank you for your patience as we developed this process. 

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs

Key Points

• UMBC is preparing for a gradual shift over the summer from primarily remote work to a return to on-campus work.

• Faculty and staff currently working remotely can return to campus starting July 6, with the expectation that all departments will be staffed by August 9.

• Supervisors will work with staff to determine both in office and individual schedules. 

• Acknowledging that one size does not fit all, flexible work arrangements may be considered, based on circumstances in individual offices.

Dear Colleagues,

We look forward to a fall 2021 return to the vibrant campus community we have all missed, and we want to share the guiding principles and organizational steps in place to support the transition of most faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and student workers from primarily remote work to a return to our physical campuses. We also want to express our deep gratitude to those who have continued their work on campus to support mission-critical operations, specific student-facing services, and research and creative achievement. 

This plan was developed in partnership with the Return-to-Campus Staff Workgroup that was convened in April and included representatives nominated by the Professional Staff Senate (PSS), Non-Exempt Staff Senate (NESS), each division, and the colleges. It has been led by our guiding principles that include an appreciation of our community, a commitment to health and safety, and an understanding that fairness, compassion, and flexibility will guide decisions.

Timeline

Currently, all faculty, staff, and students who wish to access campus will continue to use existing processes. As we shift to a new approach, the pace of our process will depend on the State of Maryland and Baltimore County allowing full reopening of facilities and the ability of day care participants and K-12 students to attend in-person five days per week. We will revisit our timeline if these conditions are not met. Access to research labs and spaces will continue to be managed by the Office of the Vice President for Research throughout the summer, guidelines are available here.

• July 6, 2021: Employees will begin a gradual return to work on campus. All faculty and staff will be approved for campus access; supervisors will no longer need to use the approval process for employees to be on campus. Supervisors and department heads will work with staff to determine appropriate schedules. We are asking that faculty and staff make every effort to be fully vaccinated by this date. 

• August 9, 2021:Staff should have established schedules with their supervisors. Offices and departments should be prepared to deliver services between the core hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended hours for some offices when appropriate. 

Health and Safety

Our community is well on its way to our vaccination goals. Data indicates that almost 60 percent of students and 75 percent of faculty and staff have received at least one vaccine dose. Faculty and staff should make plans to be fully vaccinated before they return to the campus. If you have been vaccinated, please report your vaccination. We are still developing our process for medical and religious exemptions and will share with the community in the coming weeks. 

Until new guidelines are announced, all community members returning to campus must follow the appropriate testing and symptom tracking requirements. Currently all employees approved to be on campus can access these requirements through their COVID Compliance Card in their myUMBC profile. More information for those returning after July 6 will be shared soon. Masking and symptom tracking will be required for all community members.

Scheduling

Department heads/supervisors are responsible for determining the scheduling for staff and student workers during summer and fall 2021. This process should be a collaborative one, taking into account both the needs of the department and the situations and needs of employees.

We know that a single approach will not work for all employees or departments. As supervisors/department heads think through the best methods to offer services for the fall, face-to-face or alternative work arrangements may be considered. Available alternative work arrangements are explained here and include telework and flexible schedule options. More information on the process for filing telework requests will be provided soon.

Supervisors are responsible for informing staff of the unit’s plans for phasing in on-campus work and should notify employees of their return-to-campus date no less than two weeks prior to the return date. If you need help creating your schedule or plan, you can reach out to the Human Resources Department at covid19hrresponseteam@umbc.edu.

Additional Resources

We understand there may be some employees who have concerns about returning to on-campus work. We encourage employees to discuss these concerns with their supervisor. If concerns persist or employees wish to share concerns confidentially, they may contact Human Resources at covid19hrresponseteam@umbc.edu. The Retriever Ready website has been updated with additional resources for staff including information on ADA accommodations, leave resources, childcare and eldercare concerns, and a connection to support through our Employee Assistance Program. We look forward to adding to these resources in the coming months.

In the fall, eligible employees will also have access to a Premium Membership with Care@Work, a platform that provides families tools to help them make more informed hiring decisions whenever care needs arise. Care@Work connects families and caregivers and is available as a mobile or desktop application. We are pleased to offer this resource to our community during this time of transition. In addition to the monthly membership, the University is also subsidizing up to ten days of backup care. More information will be available soon.

Thank you for all that you do to support our community. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs

Key Points

• The FY 2021 year-end operating results are better than previously projected. 

• The FY 2022 budget will continue to be challenging as we manage ongoing impacts of the pandemic, including base budget cuts spanning both FY 2021 and FY 2022.

• Recognizing the financial strain some of our students and their families are facing, the Board of Regents has approved minimal increases in tuition rates for FY 2022.

• The campus is on track to enroll the largest class of new freshmen in UMBC history. Students and families continue to believe in UMBC.

Dear UMBC Community,

A year ago, the campus faced a budget reduction of $65 million primarily as a result of a major State budget cut, loss of auxiliary revenues, and the extraordinary costs of safety measures required by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very pleased to let you know that the year-end outlook for fiscal year (FY) 2021 is better than previously projected. This is thanks to the resilience of our faculty, staff, and students, who have worked to be as financially conservative as possible while continuing to focus on academic progress and support for people. Our fiscal position has also been helped tremendously by $10.6 million in federal stimulus funds. We now expect to close the financial year with a $19 million shortfall, primarily the result of reduced fee revenue in auxiliary operations such as residence halls and dining services. 

The FY 2022 State budget recently approved by the Maryland General Assembly maintains the $12 million reduction to UMBC’s state appropriation that was adopted in FY 2021. The State budget also includes an additional $1.6 million reduction to UMBC’s base state appropriation, bringing the total base reduction in the past two fiscal years to $13.6 million.  

While it will take several years to recover from these reductions and the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to the State for providing some helpful additional resources in the FY 2022 budget. The FY 2022 State budget includes additional and targeted funding for the following:

• Base funding to cover the cost of the two percent cost of living increase that was effective January 1, 2021. 

• An additional $400,000 to enhance our economic development and research activity. 

• Funding to support multiple healthcare, public health, and health services programs on campus. 

The FY 2022 State capital budget also includes funding for a number of essential infrastructure projects on campus:

• $6.9 million for utility upgrades;

• $7.0 million for the planning and design of Sherman Hall renovation; and

• $2.0 million for critical roof replacement projects.

Recognizing the financial strain that some of our students and their families are facing, the Board of Regents has approved a minimal increase in the FY 2022 tuition rates of two percent for in-state undergraduate students. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition and graduate student tuition will increase by three percent. These modest increases follow a year in which tuition was held flat.

Most exciting for the future of UMBC, the campus is on track to enroll the largest class of new freshmen in UMBC history. We are also seeing strong interest from prospective transfer and graduate students and are working closely to support and retain current students. It is wonderful to know that even in this time of unprecedented disruption, students and families continue to believe in the value of higher education and have confidence in UMBC. 

We thank you for all you have done this year to assure that UMBC remains a welcoming community for inquiring minds, and we look forward to continuing to partner with our students, faculty, and staff as we prepare to return to robust learning and life on campus this fall. We wish our students success on their final projects and exams and urge all to take time for rest and reflection this summer.

Dear Community,

After focusing on our current students, we now have a limited number of appointments available for UMBC’s first on-campus COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic. We will be offering the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, May 11 from 9 AM - 1 PM, pleasesign-up here for the first dose. We will offer second shots on campus on Tuesday, June 1, 9AM - 1 PM. You can sign-up to receive your second dose on campus here. 

We are also offering the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Wednesday, May 12 from 9 AM - 12 noon. Sign-up here for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinic. 

Both clinics will be in the UC Ballroom, when you arrive on campus, please park in Lot 8. You must wear a mask and practice physical distancing. 

If slots fill or you cannot make these dates, we plan to offer additional clinics throughout the summer. If you have already been vaccinated, please report your vaccination. 

Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

On Tuesday, India became the second country to surpass 20 million COVID-19 infections, following the United States. Globally, India now accounts for almost half of new cases and a quarter of deaths. This second wave of COVID-19 infections has placed a tremendous strain on the country’s health system and has triggered a growing humanitarian crisis. 

We are deeply concerned about this escalating public health crisis and its effects. Many UMBC students, faculty, staff, and alumni have personal connections to India. We also have students  who are learning remotely in India. We are concerned for them, their families, and also members of our local UMBC community who are frightened for the safety of loved ones abroad or who have experienced loss.

If you are able, we encourage you to consider supporting the relief effort through a donation to a reputable organization, such as those listed here. 

We also want to take this opportunity to note the care and support resources available to community members. The Center for Global Engagement has staff available for support at ies@umbc.edu or +1(410) 455-2624. Students may also contact the Counseling Center to obtain remote crisis counseling services and referrals at +1(410) 455-2472 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. eastern daylight time. The after-hours support line is +1(410) 455-3230. 

We are aware that many of our international community members also have questions about UMBC’s fall 2021 plans and vaccination requirement. We continue to work on these issues and will provide additional guidance soon. 

UMBC greatly values our international community and connections, and we are committed to supporting our Indian and Indian American community members during this very difficult time.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous