Title: Undergraduate Eco-Ambassador Fall 2025-Spring 2026

Job Description: UMBC’s Office of Sustainability (OOS) seeks to employ responsible and dependable undergraduate students in the UMBC Eco-Ambassadors program. The program cultivates environmental responsibility by training student leaders to promote sustainable practices at the university and encouraging environmentally responsible behaviors among peers. 

Eco-Ambassadors are responsible for building strong relationships with campus stakeholders and students to build community, and partnering to create impactful change and special events on campus. Eco-Ambassadors are resources and educators for daily lifestyle choices that are within the control of individual students, such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, transportation, conservation, and food choices.

Eco-Ambassadors will report to the OOS and will, as a collaborative effort, conduct outreach campaigns each semester. All Eco-Ambassadors will implement these campaigns simultaneously across campus. Eco-Ambassadors serve in introductory student leadership roles and are vital members of the UMBC sustainability effort.

Eco-Ambassadors are expected to commit between 3 and 5 hours of work per week (on average), during the semester, and will be required to attend bi-weekly team meetings that will take place on Mondays during free hour (12-1 PM). Hours of commitment typically occur between 8 AM and 4:30 PM Monday to Friday.

If selected, Eco-Ambassadors will be encouraged to choose a specific role to fill within the team. This will add specially assigned projects and campaigns based on your interests, above and beyond the shared group campaign. These roles include:

• Social Media Manager (2 Spots)

• The social media management team is responsible for creating regular content on the Eco-Ambassador Instagram (informational, promotional, event recaps), taking photos at events, and writing a monthly contribution to the OOS Newsletter. This role will help build communications and marketing skills.

• Green Retriever Group Coordinator (1-2 Spots)

• The GRG Coordinator is responsible for coordinating with sustainability related student organizations to invite to and collaborate with on events, encourage them to continue their sustainability efforts, and recruit new groups to certify with OOS. They will also help recruit and certify campus departments for the Green Office Certification. This role will help build networking and communication skills.

• Zero Waste Coordinator (1-2 Spots)

• The zero Waste coordinator will work with OOS to identify and coordinate a project or program focused on waste reduction on campus. They will propose a project or educational campaign to help influence and inform students of the importance of waste management and diversion, and how to use the different streams we have at UMBC. Represents sustainability issues at Student Dining Advisory Committee (3-5 meetings a year). This role will help build networking, communication, and program implementation skills.

• Campus Ecosystem Coordinator (1-2 Spots)

• The ecosystem coordinator will work with OOS and the Grounds/Landscaping team to coordinate and execute a project to improve sustainable land management practices on campus, and lead the planning efforts of our semesterly invasive species removal events. This role will help build field work, networking, and program planning skills

• Build Your Own Position

• See potential for collaboration in a niche not already defined? Work with our office to help develop a position catered to your interest within your role as an Eco-Ambassador.

Requirements:

1. Campaign Execution: Work with campus partners to tailor programming for each campaign. This includes creating, advertising, executing, and measuring each program with the guidance of your manager and help from your teammates

2. General Sustainability Support: Eco-Ambassadors are often called on to help support campuswide or department-specific sustainability initiatives. Eco-Ambassadors are expected to sign up for shifts to help as needed. This includes attending meetings, tabling for relevant events, and attending work-group meetings.

3.Peer-to-Peer Education: Eco-Ambassadors are expected to lead with examples of sustainable lifestyle choices in order to encourage environmentally responsible behaviors among peers

4. Relationship Building: Serve as the point of contact for your students and clubs interested in sustainability and act as a resource for your peers

5. Communications: Work with the Office of Sustainability to clearly communicate sustainability related activities on campus. Solicit feedback from our campus community and identify opportunities for improved sustainability efforts. Write assigned reflections (2 per semester). 

6. Active Participant: Attend all scheduled meetings and training sessions.

Qualifications:

1. A sophomore, junior, or senior who will be on campus for the duration of the academic year. Graduate student applications will not be considered.  

2. Ability to attend group meetings on Mondays during free hour (12-1 PM).

3. Commitment to sustainability and desire to improve sustainability/eco-friendly behaviors on campus.

4. Commitment to representing the University in a positive and productive manner.

5. Basic understanding of Climate Change. 

6. Interest in the relationship between sustainability and one, or more, of the following areas: Energy, Transportation, Research/Education, Environmental Justice, Ecosystem Services, Waste Reduction/Recycling, Environmental Policy.

7. Ability to cooperate and engage with others.

8. Demonstrates that they are reliable and responsible.

9. Ability to maintain academic performance (minimum GPA of 2.8 required). 

Compensation:

Stipend: $500.00 per semester ($1,000.00 per year)

Sound like a good fit for you? Apply using this link.

Recent Visa Revocations and Status Terminations

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has escalated immigration enforcement actions against noncitizens across the country. The Secretary of State cancelled the visas of multiple individuals for the stated reason that their continued presence in the country “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

More recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began terminating the SEVIS immigration records of international students who are alleged to have criminal records or whose visas have been cancelled by the Department of State. In some cases, neither students nor their schools are being notified of these terminations. 

UMBC conducts daily audits of all SEVIS immigration records it manages, and will inform affected students and scholars of changes to their immigration status as quickly as possible. Any UMBC student or employee who receives a communication from the U.S. Department Homeland Security or U.S. Department of State regarding the validity of their visa or immigration status should contact the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) immediately.

Any member of the campus community who has concerns that they may be at risk of status termination or visa revocation is encouraged to speak with a qualified immigration lawyer who specializes in deportation defense. Such attorneys may be located through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

DHS Screening of Social Media Activity for Antisemitism

On April 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.  

New Registration and Document-Carry Requirements

Executive Order 14159, issued on January 20, 2025, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require all noncitizens in the United States to register with the government, under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. § 1302).

While this law has been on the books for many years, until now there was no formal process to comply with the rule apart from mandatory fingerprinting when applying for a visa abroad or submitting certain applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In addition to the registration requirement itself, noncitizens are required to carry with them proof that they have satisfied the requirement, a policy known as the “document-carry” requirement. Both the new registration requirement and the document-carry requirement are set to go into effect on Friday, April 11, 2025. 

Registration Requirement

Most people in F-1, J-1, or H-1B status already met the registration requirement when they applied for their visa and for entry to the United States. Proof of compliance with the registration requirement for most individuals is the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, which is available online for those admitted at a U.S. port of entry, or in paper form attached to the Approval Notice issued to those who filed a change of status application within the U.S.

Among those who will need to take action to meet the new registration requirement are those who last entered the U.S. before they were 14 years of age. At UMBC, this is likely limited to individuals in F-2, J-2, or H-4 dependent status, based on a parent’s principal F-1, J-1, or H-1B status. Anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who is (1) under 14 years of age and (2) was not registered (or fingerprinted, if required) when applying for their visa must register within 30 days of arrival. And anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who last entered the U.S. before reaching 14 years of age is now required to register their child with DHS within the 30 days following their child’s 14th birthday.

There is a helpful guide to this new requirement available here from Cornell Law School, Penn State Dickinson Law, and the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Additional resources from NAFSA: Association of International Educators are available here, and a detailed write-up of the new requirements is available from Klasko Immigration Law Partners here.

Document-Carry Requirement

In addition to meeting the registration requirement, all noncitizens in the U.S. are required to carry proof that they have done so. As noted above, for the vast majority of individuals, their I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is their official proof of compliance with the registration requirement. Individuals can and should download a copy of their most recent I-94 record as soon as they enter the U.S. after a trip abroad. In order to ensure compliance, individuals in F-1, J-1, H-1B, and other nonimmigrant statuses are required to carry a paper copy of their I-94 record with them at all times. 

We recommend printing out a copy of your I-94 record from the online system and placing it in your wallet or purse so that it is always with you. In addition, individuals in F-1 status are advised to carry a copy of their Form I-20 with them, and those in J-1 status should carry a copy of their Form DS-2019 with them at all times. Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) should always carry their green card (Form I-551) with them. Additional information about the document-carry requirement is available from NAFSA here.