Call for Applications: UMBC Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (ELL)
Apply now for the Spring 2026 cohort!
Application Link: https://forms.gle/k3gNEAfn2bdKDJhU8
Dear UMBC faculty,
We are thrilled to invite applications for the Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (ELL)—UMBC's newest professional development experience designed to equip faculty with the tools, frameworks, and confidence to innovate within their teaching, research, and scholarly activities.
The ELL is a hands-on, cohort-based learning community that helps faculty transform ideas into impactful, scalable opportunities. Whether you are exploring the translational potential of your research, reimagining a course, launching a new initiative, or developing your entrepreneurial mindset, this program provides the structure and support to elevate your goals.
A partnership between the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ABCEI) and the Engineering and Computing Education Program (ECEP), ELL strengthens faculty capacity to identify opportunities, solve meaningful problems, and expand UMBC's culture of innovation and real-world impact.
What You'll Gain
Throughout the semester, participants engage in interactive workshops aligned with core entrepreneurial competencies such as:
Opportunity recognition, Value delivery, Entrepreneurial mindset, Storytelling
By the end of the program, each faculty member will complete:
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A Lean Canvas mapped to their project, idea, or research
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A clear action plan for applying entrepreneurial mindset principles
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A pitch deck presented during the final ELL Showcase
Participants also gain an enhanced ability to integrate innovation into curriculum, proposals, and research, along with access to a cross-disciplinary community of faculty innovators.
Eligibility
The Spring 2026 cohort is open to:
Participants must commit to attending all workshops and completing one project over the semester.
Upon successful completion, faculty receive a $1,500 professional development stipend.
Applicants should discuss their project idea with their department chair before applying. Selected participants must have approval prior to the cohort start.
Workshop Series (Spring 2026)
Workshop dates will be announced after cohort selection.
Beginning late January/early February, five workshops will be held in 2-hour block sessions.
Important Notes
- We aim to form a cohort representing the diversity of UMBC's programs and project visions.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Apply here: https://forms.gle/k3gNEAfn2bdKDJhU8
Notifications will be sent in early January.
Attendance at all workshops is required.
Questions?
Dr. Jamie Gurganus — jgurganus@umbc.edu
Engineering & Computing Education Program (ECEP) / CIRTL
Kevin Fulmer — kfulmer@umbc.edu
Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
We look forward to supporting the
Spring 2026 ELL cohort as we work together to cultivate innovation, creative problem-solving, and entrepreneurial leadership across UMBC.
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Application Link: https://forms.gle/k3gNEAfn2bdKDJhU8 Dear UMBC faculty, We are thrilled to invite applications for the Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (ELL)—UMBC's newest professional development...
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Faculty Affairs
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Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:26:35 -0500
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:28:33 -0500
Blackboard Revamps Course Navigation to Streamline Workflows
A cleaner, faster course experience arrives around Jan 8-9
Blackboard will roll out a refreshed interface in early January, introducing a cleaner, more intuitive design that aims to make everyday teaching tasks faster and more efficient. One change is significant enough that faculty should be aware of it now: the navigation and course layout will look noticeably different in January for winter and spring courses in four ways.
Image 1: The refreshed user interface in courses includes full-screen course pages to enhance the amount of screen space for users to engage with their course.
What's Different About the Course Design
1. Faculty will see several improvements within the course view itself. The header now displays both the courseID and course title, offering immediate orientation, which may be especially helpful when juggling multiple sections or cross-listed courses. In a future update, we will also see a breadcrumb navigation to further streamline movement through nested content areas.
2. If you use a course banner, it will now stretch across the full width of the screen and sit behind the course ID and title on a darker background. This change modernizes the appearance, increases readability for all users, and improves overall accessibility. Since the course name will now display in close proximity to the banner, we recommend using an image that does not include text.
3. To support more consistent wayfinding, Blackboard replaced the small "X" used to exit a course in the upper left. In its place, a new Home button appears in the course header. The Home button will return users to the Blackboard Institution page, not the course home page or the Courses page. To return to the course home page, click the Content tab. The familiar "X" will still appear for closing lower-level panels such as learning modules, but the main path out of a course is now clearer and less prone to mis-clicks.
4. A new Course Switcher in the header allows instructors to jump quickly to their four most recently accessed courses. This addition supports a smoother teaching workflow, particularly during busy periods when faculty frequently toggle between multiple sections. Selecting "View All" will allow users to access Blackboard courses not in the Recent Courses list. We anticipate that the February release will include additional options in the Course Switcher menu.
Image 2: The new course switcher lets users move between the four most recent courses.
Although the core functionality within courses remains unchanged, the interface updates will alter how the environment looks and how instructors navigate through it. Most users should find the transition straightforward, but the shift away from the "X" exit button and the new placement of key course information may take a brief moment of adjustment. Blackboard focused on reducing clutter and helping users move through their materials with fewer clicks and navigation errors based on feedback from instructors, students, and system administrators across the global community. Performance improvements, such as faster load times and smoother transitions, are also part of this redesign.
These changes are expected in the winter release, which will be installed on our Blackboard site around January 8-9, 2025. This date was selected by Blackboard to minimize impact on the traditional start of term (spring or fall) when more students are using the learning management system.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
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