Dear UMBC Community,

We continue to witness a dramatic increase in discrimination, xenophobia, hate speech, and hate crimes affecting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. This is happening across the nation but also in Maryland and our local communities. 

We stand with our AAPI community members, including students, faculty, and staff. The climate in the United States has grown far more hostile, frightening, and alienating for the AAPI community, and we must all speak out against violence, discrimination, and injustice. We know that these events can cause undue mental hardship to our community members who are already struggling during the pandemic, and our thoughts are with them and their families. 

We believe it is important to both affirm our commitment to our shared values of equity and diversity and to build a safe and inclusive community. It is our practice to offer resources to those affected or any community member who is struggling. If you feel you have been affected by racism or discrimination, please know that the Office of Equity and Inclusion is available to support all of our students, faculty, and staff. Students in need of emotional support can contact the Counseling Center at their after hours support line at 410-455-3230.  Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program. We are grateful to the Asian and Asian American Faculty and Staff Council for developing this list of resources and for supporting community members. We are also sharing this statement of support from Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b). 

We know that we must continue to address social injustice, and in particular racial equity work. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color means this work is more critical than ever. We remain committed to supporting our AAPI community members through these difficult times.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous

Dear UMBC Community,

For many reasons, spring is a time of hope. On our campus, this is especially true as we plan for commencement and prepare to celebrate our graduating class. We know that the experience of the Class of 2021 has been unlike that of any other class in the history of our institution. We are excited to celebrate the perseverance and commitment of our graduating students.

As we prepare for UMBC’s May commencement, we are aware that the current health situation continues to make a large community gathering impossible. We will host our commencement ceremonies online on May 20 and 21 for graduate and undergraduate students, respectively. Both ceremonies will stream at 10 a.m. EST. We hope that all of our graduating students, their families, and the larger UMBC community will join us online for the ceremonies. Recordings will also be available after the ceremony.

We hope to introduce a limited in-person photography opportunity for local students who wish to have photos taken on campus, as well as other participation opportunities for all students. We will share more information directly with graduates in the coming weeks. As has been the case all year, the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community members will guide all of our decisions. 

We share in the disappointment of many of our graduates and their families that we cannot celebrate in person and look forward to the day when it is safe to do so. We are inspired by the words of Amanda Gorman, the National Youth Poet Laureate: 

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

If only we're brave enough to see it

If only we're brave enough to be it

Thank you for helping us celebrate the Class of 2021. Questions can be sent to commencement@umbc.edu

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous

UMBC Athletics and the broader campus community are deeply saddened by the passing of retired UMBC Swimming and Diving Coach Chad Cradock ‘97. We know this is an especially difficult time for his family and our swimming and diving community, and we extend our heartfelt condolences.

Chad came to UMBC as a student athlete in 1993 and earned his undergraduate degree in psychology while swimming for the Retrievers. After graduating in 1997, he became an assistant swimming and diving coach and was appointed head coach in 2001. 

The Retriever swimming and diving teams have dominated America East Conference competition during their time in the league. The women's squad has captured four of the past six titles, including a resounding victory in 2019. The men’s team has earned 12 of the 13 America East Championships overall and three in a row since the conference reinstituted men’s swimming and diving as a championship sport in the winter of 2018. 

We have met with our student athletes and provided them with crisis support and counseling resources. They are also spending time together in the pool and staying connected as a team. We can all be proud of their resilience and commitment to each other through this challenging time.

Students in need of grief counseling or emotional support can contact the Counseling Center at 410-455-2472 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., or the after-hours support line at 410-455-3230.  Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program.

As we learn more about the family’s plans for remembering Chad, we will communicate them to you. In the meantime, personal expressions of sympathy may be sent to Christie Cradock at 1412 Macfree Court, Odenton, MD 21113.

Brian Barrio, Director of Athletics

Key Points

• Spring break is March 14-21.

• Residence halls will remain open during break.

• Travel by any community member is strongly discouraged.

• All community members approved to be on campus must continue to symptom track.

Dear UMBC Community,

As we approach Spring Break, March 14 ﹘ 21, we want to remind our community of the essential health and safety precautions we will need to incorporate into our spring break plans.  While UMBC has continued to maintain a positivity rate that is substantially lower than surrounding communities, minimizing your exposure and risk over the break will be an essential part of our ability to continue our plans for the remainder of the semester.

Faculty, staff, and students who are approved to be on campus have already received detailed instructions for the break. Current residential students are strongly encouraged to remain on campus during the break and those that stay on campus must continue to test. All other community members approved to be on campus should pause their regular testing schedule, unless they come to campus for work or research during that week. Please do not visit campus during the break unless it is required. All community members approved to be on campus must continue daily online symptom tracking 7 days a week throughout the entire break in order to remain in compliance.

In addition to on-campus safety measures, please keep in mind that travel restrictions remain in place in Maryland and we strongly discourage any travel, particularly traveling outside of the state. We also ask that you continue to follow state restrictions and not participate in large gatherings and limit your exposure in public places and other high risk situations. Please continue to practice physical distancing, mask wearing, and frequent hand washing. 

This has been a challenging year and many people are experiencing fatigue and frustration at the continued isolation and physical distancing required of us during this pandemic. We know that this has been a sacrifice and we appreciate all that you have done and continue to do to keep yourselves, your families, and our community safe. We hope that you find a way to relax and recharge over break and we look forward to connecting with you after the break. 

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs

Dear UMBC Community,

In recognition of the hard work of all members of our campus community, we want to make sure that spring break will be restful and rejuvenating. To that end, we are pleased to announce that we will provide three additional university holidays to our faculty and staff, March 17﹘19.

As usual, there will be no classes March 14 ﹘ 21. Residence halls will remain open during spring break. We strongly encourage all in our community, especially residential students, to avoid traveling and social gatherings over the break. We believe that our community’s commitment to health and safety has allowed us to maintain a low positivity rate. This, in turn, has allowed us to continue with plans for this break at a time when many universities have canceled theirs for health reasons.

We recognize that some staff members will need to continue to work throughout the week so that campus operations and needed support services continue to be available. We encourage supervisors to be as flexible as possible with staff scheduling in the hope that they will be able to work reduced hours. Staff members who work over the break will receive holiday leave that they can use at another time. We sincerely appreciate the contributions of those who work during breaks, particularly as we continue confronting the challenges of this pandemic.

As we approach the one-year mark of our decision to close the physical campus, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible work and commitment exhibited in our community. You have been dedicated to our mission, supportive of one another, resilient, and resourceful. 

Thank you for what you are doing. We are grateful.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous