Spring Testing Plan

Key Points

• Faculty, staff, and commuting students who wish to test on campus January 26 - 29 can now schedule their test.

• We are working to categorize everyone who is approved to be on campus so that you can receive specific instructions about your testing schedule for the rest of the semester.

• Continue to check your COVID Compliance Card in your myUMBC profile.

Dear UMBC Community,

Updates for Spring Entry Testing

If you are expected to be on campus before March 1, you need to complete testing and submit a negative test result at the start of the semester. Faculty and staff who participated in testing from January 2 ﹘ 9 are not required to participate in this pre-semester testing period. Residential students will receive testing instructions separately from Residential Life.

Faculty, staff, and commuting students can now schedule an on-campus testing appointment. Please make every effort to sign up as soon as possible. You may also test off campus; options are detailed here. 

All community members who are currently approved to be on campus will receive an email from MarylandGenomics (MG Scanner Mobile) with instructions on downloading an app and a QR Code unique to you. You will need this information to test throughout the semester.  

Ongoing Testing Throughout the Semester

Based on your campus access status, we will be assigning everyone approved to be on campus to different categories and different testing schedules. You will see your designation in your COVID Compliance Card in your myUMBC profile by Friday, January 29. 

Groups and testing schedules include:

Group A ﹘ Residential studentsliving on campus will test twice a week throughout the entire semester except during spring break.

Group B ﹘ Pre-approved faculty, staff, and commuting students who come to campus two or more times a week and have shared work spaces and/or close interactions. This group will test twice a week throughout the entire semester.

Group C ﹘ Student athletes and coaches follow a unique testing schedule approved by the NCAA and the university. It includes regular testing at least twice a week.

Group D ﹘ Pre-approved faculty, staff, and commuting students who come to campus on average once a week OR come to campus less regularly but have a high risk situation that includes shared work space or interaction with others on campus. This group will be tested less frequently with the goal of accessing rapid antigen testing when feasible. More details will be provided directly to this group as the situation evolves.

Group E ﹘ Faculty, staff, commuting students, or other visitorswho come to campus for a one-time visit OR who visit once a week or less and do not have shared work space or interaction with others. If not already approved to be on campus, anyone in this category must first obtain approval from their supervisor and the Chief of Police to visit campus. We will share additional information on this process and testing guidance soon. In general, testing will not be required unless there will be exposure to others for more than 15 minutes.

After your COVID Compliance Card is updated with a group designation, if you believe that you have been assigned to an incorrect group, please speak with your supervisor. You can also contact covid19@umbc.edu.

Additional Compliance Requirements

Please remember that all community members who are approved to be on campus must complete the online symptom tracker every day, seven-days-a-week, starting 14 days before arrival. Please be sure to review all the campus access requirements. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us at covid19@umbc.edu.

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs