Cynical - believing that people are generally selfish and dishonest.

“It is time to provide a smashing answer for those cynical men who say that a Democracy cannot be honest and efficient. 

Sick Leave

If a GA becomes ill, sick leave should be supported collegially, up to 40 hours during the contract year (this includes summer term for GAs supported during the summer session). After four consecutive days of sick leave, the supervisor may require the GA to provide a letter from a physician or other licensed health care professional that states (1) the nature of the illness; (2) that the GA can or cannot return to work for health reasons; and, (3) the duration of the required sick leave. This letter can be submitted upon the GA’s return to work. Sick days should be recorded on time sheets using standard leave codes.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave is not regarded as sick leave. If maternity leave is required, it should be discussed with the GA’s Graduate Program Director or supervisor as soon as possible. Whereas maternity leave arrangements should be made to fit the individual circumstances, all arrangements must include a 6 week minimum post birth recovery period. Leave arrangements greater than 10 weeks require extenuating circumstances. All maternity leave agreements must be approved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. A central pool of funding will be available to reimburse, upon request from the department, the cost of stipends of GAs on maternity leave.

Name: Erin Griffiths ‘05, sociology
Employer: Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Alumni Leadership Role: Vice President of the Chapter of Black and Latino Alumni (CBLA)

Q: Where are you from originally?
Washington, DC

Q: What’s your favorite UMBC memory?
Spending time with my friend while she worked at the front desk of Hillside [apartments].

Q: Why are you involved in an alumni board or chapter?
I think it is important to “pay it forward,” since I am now more established. I met some great people while attending UMBC. I want to support attendance at UMBC, so other people are able to have a great college experience and great careers.

Q: Why do you think it’s important to support UMBC?
It is always important to reflect and remember where you came from. The education at UMBC is exceptional and the foundation that I received helped prepare me for graduate school.

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby or pastime?
Singing.

Q: What is the most recent book you’ve read?
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

Read more about the Chapter of Black and Latino Alumni!

Author: Lauren Tabbacchino, Coordinator for Commuter Engagement, Off-Campus Student Services

Getting to campus can be challenging at times, but did you know your student has alternative options to driving? Off-Campus Students Services (OCSS) can help students join carpools to save on the expense of gas and tolls, and to have someone to share the ride with. Getting connected with other students is easy with our myUMBC Casual Carpooling group: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/casualcarpooling. To access the group, students login with their myUMBC account credentials. Then, they can join one of the Discussions, categorized by the town the student commutes from. Students who live near to campus or who commute from Baltimore City can take advantage of the free UMBC Transit shuttles. The complete list of shuttle lines and schedules is available online: http://www.umbc.edu/transit/, or tell your student to stop by our office, and we can help with navigating the route. Public transportation is available to students living near and far. Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) buses stop at several locations around campus. Students can purchase discounted monthly bus passes in our office.  A complete list of bus lines is available online http://mta.maryland.gov/.

Now that your student has multiple ways to commute back and forth to campus, he or she will feel more comfortable staying after class to get involved on campus! In addition to the multitude of programs offered by Student Life, OCSS offers commuters a special line of social programs called Commuter Connections. These once-monthly events are held during free hour on Fridays. We also host a commuter breakfast every Tuesday morning. Good Morning Commuters, or GMC as it’s more commonly known, is held in the Commons on Main Street from 8:30am-10am. Breakfast is free for students who have a Commuter Gold Card. Students can purchase their Commuter Gold Cards for just $5 at any Tuesday breakfast. For more information about these and all of our upcoming events, visit http://my.umbc.edu/groups/ocss. 

Whether it's doing a field study searching for fossils, discovering new ways to interpret hieroglyphs, or doing a documentary series on the life of Cleopatra, there is absolutely NO WAY that conducting undergraduate research in this field could be boring!

YOU decide what you want to research, and what burning questions you want to ask.

YOU decide if you want to apply for grants, travel, or do an internship.

YOU decide if and how you want to showcase your findings.

Undergraduate research is fun, rewarding, and whatever else you want it to be. Check out the link provided for more information and to see what other students have done!

P.S.  The UMBC Ancient Studies Department will conduct its 49th annual study tour in Turkey next spring! Deadline to apply to is September 26, 2014. Don't miss out on this AMAZING opportunity!