Spring 2022 COVID-19 Updates

KEY POINTS

• Spring semester classes will begin as scheduled on January 31.

• Spring telework agreements will be in effect beginning January 24.

• All in our on-campus community must be up to date with our vaccination requirement, including a “booster shot” when eligible.

• PCR tests are required for all returning to campus.

• KN95 or equivalent masks must be worn in all spaces where masking is required.

Dear UMBC Community,

As promised, we are writing to update you on the University’s plans for the spring semester. Classes will begin as scheduled on January 31, and spring telework agreements will be in effect beginning January 24. 

It is clear that the COVID-19 Omicron variant will affect many in our campus community as we begin this semester. Knowing that many of us and our families have and will continue to be impacted by this virus, we will continue our multi-layered approach to health and safety precautions and our commitment to compassion and flexibility for students, faculty, and staff. If you need additional support or flexibility as the semester starts, please ask for help. Students can reach out to their instructors and advisors, faculty should work with their department chairs and keep their students informed, and staff can work directly with supervisors. We will get through this together.  

Three safety requirements will allow us to continue teaching and learning, research and creative achievement, and other community activities as safely as possible. We expect all students, faculty, and staff on campus to comply with these measures:

1. Be up to date with our vaccination requirement, which will include an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—a “booster shot”—when you are eligible. More information is located on this page.

2. Take an on-campus PCR test on the first day that you return to campus. We will share particular information on how to test for the spring semester directly with commuting and residential students. Instructions on how to test are available here. 

3. Wear KN95 or equivalent masks in all spaces where masking is required. The campus continues to require indoor masking for all community members and visitors. More information, including locations to obtain free masks, is available here.

Finally, please remember that community members who have been on campus and have tested positive, or been a close contact of someone who has tested positive, should file a Case Report Form. We also have added guidance for community members who have recently tested positive.

Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our community healthy and strong. Additional guidance for faculty members, residential students, and our Universities at Shady Grove students and faculty will be forthcoming soon. If you have any questions, contact us at covid19@umbc.edu.

Provost Philip Rous

Vice President of Information Technology and CIO Jack Suess

COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs