UMBC is committed to insuring its digital content meets or exceeds the federal guidelines for accessibility. To assist with the project of remediating existing content on sites.umbc.edu sites that does not currently meet those standards, ahead of the April 2026 federal deadline, a liaison from each college has been asked to serve as a point person for the sites.umbc.edu website remediation and compliance project with the DoIT Digital Accessibility Team. For more on this project and the drop in-clinics:
Main myUMBC/sites post: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/sites/posts/155026
Clinic on the 11th: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/sites/events/148864
Clinic on the 18th: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/sites/events/148865
Melissa Penley Cormier, manager of Research Graphics, is the acting liaison for CNMS. Any questions or assistance needed in regards to sites.umbc.edu website accessibility, can be directed to Melissa at melico1@umbc.edu or researchgraphics@umbc.edu.
More information about Research Graphics' website design and management services:
https://researchgraphics.umbc.edu/webdesign/
Member of CAHSS, will be working with Jason Duncan and members of COEIT, with Karen D. Mattingly.
All the food has been taken — we are officially out.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by!
Follow OGSL on MyUMBC so you never miss future updates or events.
]]>If you haven't yet seen the campus announcement regarding digital accessibility, please read that first and come back!
You can read more about the project here.
This specific project is to remediate websites hosted via UMBC Sites/WordPress for accessibility. We currently have just over 500 Sites! We have identified 85 Sites for phase 1 of this project as "top priority." These Sites were chosen because they are at the intersection of high use by our community (internal and external) and most in need of assistance. Phase 2 Sites have not yet been identified, but our goal is to assist all 500 Sites over time.
Yes, we welcome site admins who are seeking to complete their own remediations ahead of our schedule!
Leave a comment on this specific post we put up for community crowd-sourcing solutions.
Attend our weekly Sites Accessibility Drop-In Clinics, hosted online on most weeks. Head to our myUMBC events page to get the Webex link or calendar event for the next one!
This is a drop-in/drop-out setting where site admins working on Sites accessibility remediations can ask questions or just hang out and be in good company with other people who know what "it keeps deleting the title of the expander when I try to insert a paragraph" means.
Sites Project staff will be present at every call to help answer questions and offer solutions.
Fill out the UMBC Sites Support form to request assistance from Sites staff, and select "I need help remediating my Site for accessibility."
Sites' staff availability and capacity to support requests will vary, and we may not be able to assist you with your question or problem immediately.
Questions are not guaranteed to be answered in a first-come, first-served order. We will prioritize what we have the capacity for.
In some cases, we may ask you to wait until we are able to put you and your Site through the remediation process.
Silktide is the tool we are using to identify what accessibility remediations each Site needs, and it is available for you to use on your own.
If you haven't logged in to Silktide yet, this myUMBC post explains how to get started.
Silktide has a huge library of videos in its Academy that can teach you how to fix specific problems. They also link their videos to their accessibility checks, so you can typically learn what the problem is and watch a video training you on the solution in the same place!
The UMBC wiki now has pages on how to use and understand Silktide.
The Digital Accessibility site hosted by the Office of Disability and Accessibility Services has a page dedicated to website accessibility, which consists of tools and recommendations specifically for UMBC Sites and WordPress.
]]>We'll have to-go boxes available, so please plan to grab your food and take it to go. First come, first served — see you soon!
The holiday season is a time of joy, laughter, and togetherness. It's also a time of whirlwind activity and cheerful chaos! This makes it easy to forget about caring for ourselves. But just like this gingerbread family strolling hand-in-hand, you and your loved ones can embrace simple, meaningful habits that keep everyone healthy, happy, and thriving throughout the season. The Wellness Program is here to support you and your family during your Holiday Thrive Journey!
Monday, December 8, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Holiday Mental Health Checklist
Learn how to set realistic holiday expectations and recognize the main sources of your holiday stress as you develop a plan for a stress-free holiday.
Register for 12/8 Holiday Mental Health Checklist
Monday, December 15, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Holiday Sleep and Your Heart
The holiday season is a time of joy and togetherness, but it can also bring late nights and disrupted routines that impact both your sleep schedule and your heart health. With planning and awareness, you can maintain good sleep habits to enjoy this time of year to the fullest and keep your heart happy!
Register for 12/15 Holiday Sleep and Your Heart
Thursday, December 4, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Chair Pilates
Holiday wellness is about supporting your body through a season that demands more from it than usual. Pilates enhances digestion, relaxes muscle tension due to stress, and provides a well-being boost just when it's needed. This class is a gift to your body!
Register for 12/4 Chair Pilates
Thursday, December 11, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: Healthy Holidays Tips
The holidays don’t have to derail your health. Moderation, movement, mindfulness, and smart planning keep you on track throughout the holidays!
Register for 12/11 Healthy Holiday Tips
Thursday, December 18, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Chair Yoga
The holidays can feel like a priority juggling act, making it easy to put yourself last on your list. But neglecting self-care now can lead to burnout, leaving you too exhausted to enjoy the season. This class provides you with a moment to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself - just the mini-retreat you need!
Friday, December 5, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: The Power of Acceptance
Developing your capacity to accept the reality of the present moment may help to reduce stress and increase inner peace - perfect timing for the holidays!
Register for 12/5 The Power of Acceptance
Friday, December 12, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Dropping the Suitcase of Worries and Regrets
Drop your heavy suitcase of worries and regrets to allow yourself to rest and feel a peace that will carry you through the holidays and beyond.
Register for 12/12 Dropping the Suitcase of Worries and Regrets
Friday, December 19, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Connection Reflection
Technology promises connection with others yet can actually distance you from genuine human interaction - collecting digital friends like trading cards misses the comfort of being fully present with another human being. Reflecting on your connections and how to nurture them beyond the screen can restore depth, warmth, and authenticity that no algorithm can replicate.
Register for 12/19 Connection Reflection
Friday, December 5, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Five Fundamentals of Financial Wellbeing
Finances can be more stressful during the holidays. Learn how to reduce this financial stress by practicing the five fundamentals of financial wellbeing.
Register for 12/5 Five Fundamentals of Financial Wellbeing
Friday, December 12, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Cold Weather and Wintertime Safety
Brush up on ways to stay safe during the colder months as common weather challenges and wintertime health practices are discussed.
Register for 12/12 Cold Weather and Wintertime Safety
Friday, December 19, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Healthier Ways for the Holidays
The holidays can be delightful but also can hinder your nutrition and fitness goals. Learn how to make healthier choices while enjoying holiday fun!
Dear UMBC Community,
As we shared earlier, the Division of Institutional Equity will host the inaugural Dialogue Symposium: Bringing Campuses and Communities Together on Wednesday, January 29, in the University Center Ballroom. This full-day, cross-USM initiative will bring together educators, students, staff, and community partners for interactive sessions and workshops dedicated to strengthening dialogue, belonging, and collaborative problem-solving across campuses and communities.
Our planning committee is now seeking proposals for sessions, workshops, and presentations. Submissions may focus on teaching and learning, community engagement, leadership development, trauma-informed facilitation, or other practices that support inclusion and meaningful connection. This initiative reflects UMBC's commitment to fostering shared understanding and community partnership across the region.
Proposal submissions are due by December 15.
Additional event details, including registration information, are available through the Center for Social Justice Dialogue website.
We hope you will consider contributing to this collaborative multi-campus event and helping to shape a day of learning, reflection, and connection.
Sincerely,
Jasmine A. Lee
Associate Vice President, Community and Culture
Co-Director, Center for Social Justice Dialogue
In a collaboration with The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity and Campus Engagement, "The Multicultural Leadership Experience (MLE)" seeks to:
Engage participants in a multicultural development and leadership learning program.
Enhance participants' understanding of their social identities, leadership identity, as well as their capacity to lead while navigating systems of power, privilege, and oppression.
Enable participants' development through authenticity, self-awareness, relationships, and capitalizing on differences.
The sessions are as follows:
***All sessions will take place in The Commons (room location will be specified in a Google calendar invite)***
Participants will be exploring the concept of Authentic Leadership, Legacy Building, and Breaking Barriers of White Supremacy within Leadership. We will do this in a leadership learning cohort by:
Enhancing participants' leader identity and leadership capacity using an identity-conscious lens and student development theories;
Increasing participants' awareness of their personal abilities, identity development, and intersections that shape their story through authenticity, self-reflection, and cultural humility;
Exploring the role they play in developing relationships while building intra/intercultural connections;
And capitalizing on their differences, specifically in relation to their racial, ethnic, national, and other salient identity social groups
The purpose of all MLE programs is to provide a space for students and student leaders who identify within diverse or marginalized backgrounds to discover their own capacity to lead, while also promoting a better understanding of their experiences, issues, strengths, and outcomes in navigating their own collegiate careers. However, ALL students are welcome to apply!
Registration is due Friday, January 30th, 2026 at 12:00 pm (NOON). Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to participate. In order to be accepted into the program you must commit to all sessions. Please answer all of the questions before submitting your registration. Any questions can be sent to themosaic@umbc.edu