Announcements - Faculty and Staff
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The UMBC Connection | Open Enrollment, Campus Conversations, and What’s Ahead

Connecting the people and work shaping UMBC

Announcements - Faculty and Staff October 28, 2026 at 2:46 PM

Dear UMBC Faculty and Staff,

As October comes to a close, this edition of The UMBC Connection brings together important employee information, opportunities to engage in conversations and activities across the university, and events and resources to keep on your radar in the weeks ahead.

We’re also introducing a new section, Stories from UMBC, featuring a few recent stories that offer a closer look at the research, ideas, initiatives, and issues being explored across the university.

Opportunities & Events

Ways to connect and engage across UMBC.

  • Help Re-Envision General Education at UMBC — October 28, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
    Join a campus conversation about UMBC’s work to re-envision general education, including the Provost’s charge and takeaways from the recent Teaching and Learning Symposium.

  • On-Campus Vaccine Clinics Available This Week
    Retriever Integrated Health, in partnership with Safeway, is hosting vaccine clinics on campus this week. Faculty, staff, and students can learn more about available vaccines, clinic times, and how to sign up online.

  • the serpent under’t — October 29–November 8
    UMBC Theatre presents an experimental dance theatre adaptation of Macbeth blending movement, dance, spoken text, horror, and the macabre.

  • Supervisors: Navigating Accommodations: From Referrals to Implementation — October 29
    Learn more about the workplace accommodation process and the role supervisors play from initial referrals through implementation.

  • Dis/Ability on the Job: Accommodations and Options Beyond Leave and PFML — October 30
    Explore workplace accommodation options and resources available to employees beyond traditional leave.

  • Imagine the Future of Online Learning at UMBC — November 4, noon–1 p.m.
    Join a virtual conversation about how changing student expectations, emerging technologies, course design, accessibility, faculty support, and human connection may shape online learning at UMBC by 2030.

  • Centering Wonder: Diverse Traditions, Shared Planet — November 4, 4–6 p.m.
    Explore how diverse religious and spiritual traditions understand the relationship between people and the environment through guided small-group dialogue.

  • UMBC Faculty String Sextet — November 8, 4 p.m.
    The Department of Music presents two landmark Romantic works for string ensemble by Johannes Brahms and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

  • 48th Annual W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Lecture — November 9, 6 p.m.
    This year’s lecture will examine reproductive freedom and political economy through the experiences and resistance practices of poor Black women in North Carolina and Senegal.

  • Fix Your Content Day — November 10
    Join UMBC’s campus-wide accessibility sprint with a goal of completing 1,600 Blackboard accessibility fixes across at least 160 courses in one day.

  • Grigorios Zamparas, Piano — November 11, 7:30 p.m.
    Pianist Grigorios Zamparas performs works by Liszt, Beethoven, and Ravel in a program spanning the Romantic and Impressionist eras.

Campus Updates

Important information and resources for UMBC faculty and staff.

  • State Health Benefits Open Enrollment Is Underway
    Open Enrollment for State of Maryland health benefits continues through Friday, November 13, at 5 p.m. Eligible employees can enroll in, cancel, or make changes to their benefits for 2027. Employees keeping their current health benefits generally do not need to take action, but healthcare and dependent daycare flexible spending accounts require new enrollment each year.

  • AI Strategy Task Force Report Available for Review
    The AI Strategy Task Force has submitted its report to the Provost and President following work across four areas: teaching and learning, research and creative achievement, administrative and operational practice, and workforce development. The report, informed by faculty and staff participation across campus, is currently under review and is available online for the UMBC community to read.

  • Before You Upload: Protect Your Information When Using AI Tools
    Before uploading documents, images, recordings, or other files to an AI tool, DoIT encourages faculty and staff to consider what information they are sharing and whether the tool needs access to it. New guidance offers practical reminders for minimizing unnecessary data sharing, reviewing connected-account permissions, and protecting sensitive information.

University Milestones

Major achievements and institutional developments across UMBC.

  • UMBC Joins Major National Research Effort Targeting Disease-Causing Proteins
    UMBC is contributing to a multi-institution research project funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health with up to $51.7 million. The four-year effort aims to predict how disease-causing proteins misfold before irreversible damage occurs and use those predictions to develop new approaches to detecting, slowing, and treating diseases including Alzheimer’s and Ewing sarcoma.

  • Sherman Scholars Program Marks 20 Years of Preparing Teachers for Baltimore
    UMBC recently celebrated 20 years of the Sherman Scholars Program and the 345 teachers it has prepared to serve children in and around Baltimore. The program’s work also provides a foundation for Honoring the Potential, a commitment in UMBC’s Bold Moves strategic plan focused on expanding opportunities for children and families in communities surrounding the university.

  • UMBC Takes First Steps Toward Offering Higher Education for Incarcerated Individuals
    A University System of Maryland grant is supporting UMBC’s exploration of a potential prison education program, including the academic pathways, partnerships, curriculum, staffing, and student support needed to expand access to higher education for incarcerated learners in Maryland.

Stories from UMBC

A few recent stories highlighting research, ideas, initiatives, and issues across the university.

Help Shape The UMBC Connection

As this effort continues to take shape, your feedback will help guide how we strengthen internal communications across the university.We welcome your input and invite you to share your feedback on The UMBC Connection.

If you would prefer, you are also welcome to reach out directly to Jessica McGroarty, Director of Internal Communications, at jmcgro@umbc.edu.

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