Commuter Week 2026 is almost here! 

This year's theme is Welcome to Commuterville, a celebration designed to recognize and support our commuter students at UMBC! 

Throughout the week, we will host a variety of programs focused on connection, resources, and community-building, including:

Commuter Day at the Arena | Saturday, Feb 28 
Students will start with a pre-game mixer at 1:00 PM to connect with fellow commuters and enjoy a meal before cheering on the women's basketball team at the 2:00 PM game. The first 100 commuters at the mixer will receive a giveaway. UMBC students attend the game for free with their student ID and can bring additional guests at a discounted rate. 

Commuter Week Kick-Off | Monday, Mar 2 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Commons Mainstreet
We'll kick off Monday with music, giveaways, and an interactive smoothie bike where students can pedal to power their own drink before heading to class. 

Good Afternoon Commuters and Off-Campus Housing Fair | Tuesday, Mar 3 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | UC Ballroom
In collaboration with Retriever Support Services.  Students can enjoy lunch while exploring on- and off-campus housing options and learning about community resources available to commuters. Some of the off-campus resources available will be: MDTA Key Bridge Rebuild Team, MD EZ Pass, SphereHub)

Crafternoon | Wednesday, Mar 4 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Lower Flat Tuesdays

A relaxed, drop-in style event where students can take a midday break with crafts, snacks, and social time to unwind and recharge between classes.

Black & Gold Mixer | Thursday, Mar 5 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Commons Mainstreet
In collaboration with Student Affairs Success Initiatives and the Office of Institutional Advancement, this networking-style event connects commuter students with peers, alumni, and staff during Black & Gold Rush with food and community.

Students who attend events throughout the week will also have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a Commuter Connections-branded speaker. The more events they attend, the more entries they earn.

All events are listed on our Commuter Connections myUMBC. 

• Option B: Scan the QR code on the printer and then click 'print' at the bottom of the page. Pro-tip: if there is no print button, close the mobileprint tab and scan again.

This semester's Culture Conversations are designed to bring staff and faculty together to reflect, share experiences, and explore how relationships shape campus culture. Through facilitated conversations, this series will create spaces for collective sensemaking around connection, care, and belonging in our everyday work.

Session Descriptions

1. Engaging Digital Spaces: Join us for an interactive, conversation-driven exploration of how digital environments can strengthen community, expand access, and support more affordable and inclusive engagement on campus.

Facilitated by Dr. Olivia M. Copeland

Olivia M. Copeland (she/they) is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Kansas. She has worked across higher education contexts, from residential curriculum to LGBTQ+-centered work. Their scholarship centers on the role of identity, power, privilege, and digital spaces in the lives of undergraduate students, using critical interdisciplinary frameworks. View event details here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doie/events/149150

2. Sustaining Transformative Relationships: Join us for a facilitated conversation on cultivating relational practices that strengthen connection, reduce harm, and support more sustainable ways of working together.

Facilitated by Janine Silvas

Janine Silvas (they/them/theirs) is imagining what abolitionist praxis looks like in higher education and in daily life. A fat, queer, nonbinary Pilipino American doctoral candidate in Higher Education at the University of Arizona, they write from over a decade in residence life and student affairs, alongside commitments to care, relationality, and justice. Their current work illuminates how student affairs professionals navigate carceral logics and seek more just ways of being with one another. View event details here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doie/events/149151

Register for sessions here: https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YzNS55VsUBvkuG

To request accommodation(s) or to inquire about event accessibility, please get in touch with each program office directly. All sessions are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal or state law and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Keeping with our Mars theme and celebrating the anniversary of NASA's Perseverance Rover landing, we'll be watching one or two short documentaries about the incredible Mars Rover missions! 🚀🔴

Come learn about the science, challenges, and discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the Red Planet.

Snacks and drinks will be provided!

📍 Physics 401
🗓 Wednesday
⏰ 7:00 PM

Bring a friend and join us for a fun and space-filled evening!

Dear colleagues, 

The reporting period for the CY 2025 Faculty Annual Report (FAR) is now open. This communication contains essential deadlines, instructions for submission, and a preview of upcoming system changes.

The FAR informs multiple processes, including merit review processes (where applicable), an annual and comprehensive review of tenured faculty. Some of the data you enter are also aggregated to satisfy reporting to the University System of Maryland (USM).

Remember, you can update your information in Faculty Success throughout the year in anticipation of the spring FAR reporting. 

Who completes the FAR?

All tenured, tenured-track, and full-time instructional and non-instructional faculty are required to complete the FAR. This includes those on sabbatical, fellowship, or unpaid leave, as well as research associates, post-docs, visiting, and those in administrative roles.

Deadlines & Key Dates

• March 31, 2026: Faculty Annual Reports due. Submit a signed copy to your department chair.
• April 10, 2026: IRADS provides feedback to chairs. Any necessary corrections must be made in Faculty Success.
• April 24, 2026: Final deadline for faculty to resubmit revised, signed copies to chairs.
• May 1, 2026: Chairs sign and submit all department reports to their respective deans.

How to Complete Your FAR

Access: Log in to myUMBC, click Guide, and select Faculty Success by Watermark under "Personal Links."

Update: Enter your 2025 data. We encourage regular updates throughout the year to simplify this process.

Certify: Navigate to the "Certify Your Annual Submission – Mandatory" section at the bottom of the main page. Read the statement, check the box, add the calendar year, and click "Save."

Sign: Save your report as a PDF and use the "Fill & Sign" function (or print and sign manually) before sending it to your chair.

For more UMBC-specific questions and information regarding how to complete the FAR, go here.

Interface Update Coming in July

Faculty Success is launching a new interface on July 1, 2026, to improve how you view tabs and tasks. You can explore a preview of the new view now within the system before the permanent transition this summer.

Sincerely, 

Ana Oskoz
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs