Hello, I'm looking for a few more square tags for my key box/safe.  I would rather not buy 150 from Amazon!

Please contact me at cfu2@umbc.edu if you have some to give away.  Thanks

Graduate Student Association (GSA) is excited to introduce a new Marketing Request Form designed to make it easier for graduate students, committees, departments, and campus partners to promote events, programs, and announcements across the UMBC community.

Whether you're hosting an event, sharing an opportunity, or looking to increase visibility for your initiative, GSA can help amplify your message through multiple communication channels.

What You Can Request

Through the Marketing Request Form, you can:

• Request a new myUMBC post
• Submit a myUMBC calendar event
• Request reposts of existing content
• Promote content through GSA social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, and X)
• Request flyer design assistance

Turnaround Times

To help ensure timely promotion, please keep the following timelines in mind:

• Reposts: Within 24 hours
• New myUMBC posts and calendar events: Within 48–72 hours
• Flyer design requests: May require an additional business day

Submitting complete information as early as possible helps us process your request efficiently and maximize visibility for your event or announcement.

Before You Submit

Please make sure key details—especially event locations, room reservations, and scheduling information—are finalized before submitting your request. Changes after promotional materials have been created may require rework and could delay publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to email GSA after submitting the form?
No. Once you submit the form, no follow-up email is required. A member of the GSA Communications team will reach out if additional information is needed.

Are turnaround times guaranteed?
We strive to meet the timelines listed above whenever possible. Please note that university holidays, campus closures, and official UMBC closures are not included in these estimates.

When should I submit a repost request?
For same-day event promotion, please submit repost requests at least one day before your event.

Can GSA attend and cover my event?
Yes. If you would like event coverage, photos, stories, or social media support, please include this request in the "Anything else you would like us to know? / Custom Requests" section of the form.

Submit Your Request

Use the GSA Marketing Request Form to get started and help us share your news with the UMBC graduate community.

Questions? Contact gsacommunications@umbc.edu.

Dear UMBC Community,

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a final rule that changes how long certain international students, exchange visitors, and their dependents may remain in the United States.

Please note that there is a strong possibility that litigation or congressional review could pause, delay, or limit the implementation of the policy described in this message. DHS has also acknowledged that implementation of certain components of the new rule could be delayed for up to two years if implementation “is infeasible for any reason.” We will continue to keep the campus community informed as new information emerges.

Please remember that each individual’s circumstances are different, and this communication is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. If you have specific questions and hold F, H, or J immigration status, please contact the Center for Global Engagement (CGE). If you have specific questions and hold another immigration status, please consult with a private immigration attorney.

New DHS Rule Limits Stay for International Students and Exchange Visitors

On July 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a final rule titled “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media.”

This rule, which goes into effect on September 15, 2026, officially ends a decades-old framework known as “duration of status” (D/S) under which international students and exchange visitors were allowed to remain lawfully in the United States for an open-ended period, provided they maintained full-time enrollment and made normal progress toward their academic goals. Under the new rule, international students and scholars will be provided with a firm, fixed date by which they must complete their educational objectives or request approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension of stay (EOS).

This change will require certain international students and scholars who need additional time to complete their academic objectives to file extension-of-stay applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Prior to this shift, such extensions could be processed by university officials.

Important Transitional Rules for Current F-1 Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors

The rule includes special transitional provisions for F-1 international students and J-1 exchange visitors who are physically present in the United States when the new rule takes effect on September 15. The admission period of such individuals will remain valid through the program end date listed on their current Form I-20 or DS-2019, or for a maximum of four years from the effective date of the rule (September 15, 2030), whichever comes first. However, individuals who travel outside of the United States after September 15, 2026, will receive a strict, fixed "Admit Until Date" capped at a maximum of four years upon reentering through a U.S. port of entry.

Additional Considerations and Implications for Our UMBC Community

While this new rule represents a major overhaul of the immigration regulations governing the authorized stay of international students and scholars in the U.S., the advising team in CGE remains committed to supporting all impacted members of our campus community.

Over the next few weeks, our advising team will participate in in-depth training related to the new regulations. We will also organize information sessions for campus community members and work with campus partners to update online resources and workflows to align with the new requirements. We ask all impacted international students, exchange visitors, and academic advisors to note the following:

• How We Are Responding: CGE is actively tracking developments related to this new rule, including potential litigation and DHS implementation delays. We are also working to update our administrative systems, train our compliance staff, and develop informational resources for campus partners. Impacted international students and exchange visitors will be invited to information sessions, and we are planning outreach to academic advisors, program directors, and other campus stakeholders.

• Familiarize Yourself with the New Rule: A much more detailed version of this communication describing technical components of the new rule was sent directly to F-1 international students and J-1 exchange visitors. That message is also posted on CGE’s Immigration Policy Updates page. We strongly recommend that all F-1 international students, J-1 exchange visitors, academic advisors, and program directors review this message.

• Assess Program Trajectory Now: Because normal academic setbacks, such as needing to retake a failed course, may no longer justify an immigration extension, proactive academic advising is more critical than ever. Faculty and academic departments must work closely with international students to ensure they stay on track toward graduation. Similarly, students and exchange visitors who already know that they will require an extension request to complete their academic objectives are strongly advised to consult with an advisor in the Center for Global Engagement before the new rule takes effect.

We appreciate your patience as we work through the changes imposed by the new rule.

Contact

If you have any questions related to the updates shared in this message, please contact CGE's Office of International Students & Scholars. Additional information and resources related to immigration and other federal policy updates will be made available on our dedicated institutional updates page.

Sincerely, 

David L. Di Maria
Vice Provost for Global Engagement

The UMBC Career Center is excited to offer virtual training sessions specifically for UMBC faculty and staff responsible for posting on-campus student jobs in Handshake.

These trainings are designed to walk hiring managers and departmental staff through:

• How to create an employer account in Handshake

• How to post and manage on-campus student jobs in Handshake

• Tips for reaching and engaging UMBC student talent

• Common troubleshooting questions

Whether you're new to Handshake or looking for a refresher, these sessions will help streamline your student hiring process and ensure your opportunities are visible to students.

Training Dates: 

• Tuesday, July 28 at 2pm

• Wednesday, August 19 at 10am

Sign up for training today!  Calendar invites will be sent out after you register.

Before the training, check out our resources for posting on-campus jobs.

For questions or special requests, please contact Annie Byrd, Assistant Director in the Career Center at anniebyrd@umbc.edu.

iHARP is collecting project proposals for the next cohort of Data Science & AI Scholars. If you're interested in mentoring a student in the upcoming Fall 2026 semester, please fill out the project proposal form by this Friday, July 24, 2026. The information you provide will help us identify suitable projects and match students with mentors for the upcoming program. Thank you for your time and support!

In order to facilitate a PeopleSoft Campus Solutions upgrade, Campus Solutions will be unavailable beginning 5:00 PM on Friday, July 24, 2026. While the upgrade is expected to wrap up by Saturday afternoon, the system may remain unavailable until Sunday, July 26, at 5:00 PM if unforeseen issues arise.

During this period, you will not be able to access information or perform transactions in Campus Solutions. Please note that other functions and applications in myUMBC will remain unaffected.

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the Veterinatry Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) are hosting a virtual Q&A session about the application process today, Wednesday, July 22nd at 12pm EST. The event will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to the recording after the event. Register here.

As summer continues, here's a reminder of our dining hours through August 19. 

Monday – Friday

• Commons Market: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Starbucks: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Admin Coffee Shop: 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Yella's: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Open on select dates only (11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.):

• Wild Greens
• Piccola

Select Dates: July 28th

True Grit's Dining Hall (Monday – Sunday)

• Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
• Lunch: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Dinner: 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Visit dineoncampus.com/umbc for the latest dining hours, menus, and updates.

This is the second post in our series on the new LER briefs. Catch the intro post here if you missed it.

In January, six faculty members spent two days in UMBC's first Microcredential Mapping Bootcamp, a hands-on workshop for turning existing course learning outcomes into proposal-ready microcredentials. All six left either having submitted a proposal or actively planning one. Here's some of what they said afterward:

"I am very excited about some of the possibilities for what we can do with [microcredentials across my] program going forward."

"There was a lot covered that I did not anticipate but really appreciated... I plan to put provided language into the syllabus for this semester."

The overall sentiment: the experience felt energizing and practical, not bureaucratic. The most common request wasn't for less content; it was for more hands-on drafting time.

That reaction gets at something worth sitting with: faculty aren't being asked to do something new. If you write learning outcomes and design assessments, you're already doing the work a microcredential recognizes. The proposal process is really just about presenting that work in a format that travels with a student beyond a gradebook. For example, a student who demonstrates proficiency in data visualization, community engagement, or laboratory techniques can carry evidence of that learning beyond the course itself. 

Why this is picking up momentum

UMBC's microcredential ecosystem has been building since 2015, but the landscape around it has shifted fast in the past year. Employers are increasingly hiring on demonstrated skills rather than degree alone, a practice now used by a large majority of employers globally. Congress held a hearing this past December specifically on Learning and Employment Records, and new federal legislation introduced this spring aims to build state-level infrastructure around verified credentials. UMBC's decade of groundwork here is now shaping how other University System of Maryland institutions, and institutions across the country, approach the same problem.

None of that means faculty need to become workforce development experts. It just means the moment is good for making visible what your students can already do by the end of your course, not just what grade they earned.

A few ways to get involved, at whatever level makes sense for you:

• Learn — Get familiar with how the program works. DCI offers consultations and an asynchronous, online microcredential design course launching soon.

• Create — If your course has clear, measurable learning outcomes, you likely already have the foundation for a proposal. DCI supports the whole process, start to finish. Keep an eye out on this myUMBC group for more information about opportunities.

• Advocate — Faculty who've been through the process are the most effective messengers to colleagues.

• Review — The Microcredential Review Board is seeking faculty reviewers across disciplines, a role similar in spirit to serving as an editor or reviewer for a journal, conference, or grant panel.

Want the fuller picture? Read the full faculty brief here.

Questions in the meantime? Submit a support ticket or reach out to the DCI team directly.

Pam Offutt ’82, computer science, and Jay Offutt ’82, computer science, recently established the Pam and Jay Offutt Graduate Student Endowment with a transformational $1,040,000 gift to expand the Center for Women in Technology model at the graduate level. 

The program-changing gift was developed through a close, year-long collaboration with Jeanne van Briesen, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology; Carolyn Seaman, director of CWIT, and Kim Robinson director of major gifts in the Office of Institutional Advancement. 

“We are tremendously grateful for Pam and Jay’s vision, which supports our commitment to inclusive excellence,” says van Briesen. “The endowment will help strengthen the pipeline of talent prepared for leadership in computing and technology careers.” 

Beyond providing Offutt Scholars with crucial financial aid, this investment funds the dedicated staffing, leadership programming, and mentorship needed to build a vibrant, connected community spanning undergraduates, graduate students, and professional mentors. 

Click here to read more about Pam and Jay and their motivations for establishing this endowment.

Making an Immediate Impact

With an endowment gift of $1,000,000, and a bridge gift of $40,000, the Pam and Jay Offutt Graduate Student Endowment is positioned to make an immediate impact with the first group of Offutt Scholars in the fall 2026 semester.

“We are excited that we were able to structure the gift this way,” said Robinson. “The $40,000 bridge gift allows us to start right away, while the $1,000,000 endowment ensures support for the program in perpetuity. Hopefully, this becomes a model for future philanthropic giving.”

Looking Ahead

True to UMBC’s mission, this endowment reminds us that access is only the first step. Real success requires dedicated community support, personal connections, and a culture where our graduates look back and lift up others.

Please join us in extending our deepest gratitude to Pam and Jay Offutt for their visionary generosity and unwavering dedication to the next generation of tech leaders.