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Convocation (8/30)

You are invited to join us in the culmination of new student orientation at the 2011 UMBC Convocation Ceremony. This annual event includes remarks from President Hrabowski, Interim Provost Rous, faculty awardees and student leaders.

The ceremony will be held in the RAC Arena, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 30. Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a campus-wide community picnic on the Quad.

If you have any questions, contact Lin Guba at ext. 5-5656 or lguba@umbc.edu.

You can find more information on Welcome Week activities here.

We look forward to seeing you at Convocation!

Roy T. Meyers, Political Science, in CityBizList

In a new article on CityBizList, Roy T. Meyers, professor of political science, responds to the publication’s previous coverage of “tax flight”—the idea that the very wealthy move from state to state in search of more favorable tax structures. Although taxes for the most wealthy are lower in Florida than in Maryland, Meyers argues, “That a few millionaires might be tipped to declaring residence in Florida by a 1% increase in their marginal tax rates is not materially relevant in the accounting sense.” Additionally, Meyers suggests, one must take note of the unique financial benefits of living in Maryland, such as access to federal government contracts and a well-trained workforce with technical expertise.

Electrical Work on Hilltop Circle

From Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management

We apologize for the inconvenience, but power upgrade work for the Research Park will impact the availability of parking on Hilltop Circle and UMBC Blvd.

WHAT: Scheduled power upgrade work

WHERE: Along the outside of Hilltop Circle from Hilltop Rd to UMBC Blvd and along the west side of UMBC Blvd from Hilltop Circle to Research Park Dr

WHEN: August 15 until August 29

WHY: A power upgrade is needed to accommodate planned activity in the Research Park. The upgrade will require installation of an additional electrical line from the intersection of Hilltop Rd & Hilltop Circle to the Research Park,

EFFECT: This work will affect the availability of parking along Hilltop Circle and UMBC Blvd. The parking will only be affected in the immediate area of work being performed at any one time

THANK YOU for tolerance during this work, which is needed to provide adequate utility services. Your patience and cooperation is truly appreciated.

Reminder and Line Up Instructions for Convocation

From Philip Rous, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

We look forward to your participation in Convocation 2011, the formal opening of the academic year at UMBC, Tuesday, August 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Retriever Activities Center (RAC). I encourage you to participate in the academic procession that symbolizes for our talented and enthusiastic new students the community of scholars they have joined. President Hrabowski will address the gathering and Dr. Lynda Dahlquist, Presidential Teaching Professor for 2011-14, will make brief remarks.

REGALIA and RSVP

The deadline for ordering rented regalia has passed. If you own your own regalia, you are asked to rsvp for Convocation today, so that seating can be planned, using the form at my.umbc.edu/convocationform.

Regalia pick-up will take place at the Bookstore beginning August 22. Faculty and staff must pick up their regalia at the Bookstore by August 26. Faculty and staff are asked to return their regalia to the Bookstore after the ceremony.

LOCATION FOR LINE UP

Faculty and staff are asked to arrive for procession line up no later than 3 p.m. The line-up location is the first floor lobby of the University Center (UC). (The UC is located between AC IV and the Meyerhoff Chemistry Bldg.) There will be a table where faculty and staff can leave personal items and a Student Marshal to attend them. However, this will not be in a locked room; for the best security those marching are encouraged to leave valuables in their offices.

After lining up, faculty and staff will lead the procession of new students through campus to the RAC and will welcome them at the doors to Convocation. In case of inclement weather or the threat of it, announcement of an alternative line-up location will be made on the morning of Convocation.

ALL-CAMPUS PICNIC

After Convocation, all faculty and staff are invited to join new and returning students for a free Community Picnic, 4:30-7 p.m., on the Quad. (Rain location will be the Residence Life Dining Hall.)

President Hrabowski and I look forward to seeing you at Convocation – Fall 2011

E-Teacher Conference Held at UMBC

The E-Teacher Scholars’ Conference was held at UMBC on August 11-12, 2011. The conference was the culmination of the E-Teacher Professional Development Workshop 2011, which was held on UMBC’s campus July 23-August 13, and was moderated by Joan Kang Shin ’08 Ph.D., language, literacy and culture, clinical assistant professor of education and director of TESOL Professional Training Programs in Continuing and Professional Studies.

The conference included presentations from the 26 English teaching scholars from 25 countries who developed projects during their three-week stay at UMBC. Click here to see a list of the participants and their countries of origin.

The E-Teacher Professional Development Workshop is a three-week teacher leadership program that takes place each summer at the UMBC. Workshop participants are alumni of the E-Teacher Scholarship Program, a fully online training program for English teaching professionals sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and developed by UMBC and the University of Oregon. The purpose of the workshop is to enhance participants’ understanding of TESOL methodology and empower them as teacher leaders in their home countries.

On August 11, people from over 100 locations logged onto the live stream broadcast. The viewers included U.S. Embassies worldwide and alumni from the E-Teacher Scholarship Program. After each 20-minute presentation by an E-Teacher scholar, viewers from around the world texted through the live stream web chat box with comments and questions for the presenter. The conference continued through August 12, culminating in an awards ceremony and a cultural evening.

Hot Water Outage

From Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management

We apologize for the inconvenience, but a significant leak in the high temperature hot water line from the Central Utility Plant requires work to be performed that will impact the availability of hot water service on campus.

WHAT: A scheduled hot water outage

WHERE: For the academic core of the main campus (True Grits and Residential Life buildings will not be affected, except Erickson Hall)

WHEN: 4 PM Monday, August 15 until 6 AM Thursday morning

WHY: A significant leak has developed in the main high temperature (340 degrees) hot water line that provides heat and hot water to the core buildings on main campus. The repair time is quite long due to the size of the line (20” diameter) that has to be drained and allowed to cool, prior to repair

EFFECT: This repair will result in a hot water outage in the academic core of the main campus

Additional information from Chartwells:

– The Skylight Room, Au Bon Pain and Famous Famiglia in the Commons will not be operating on Tuesday, 8/16/11, and Wednesday, 8/17/11.

– Outtakes in the Commons will be in operation and will offer pre-made sandwiches, salads, wraps and other assorted Outtakes items along with baked goods, packaged chips and beverages. Au Bon Pain coffee will be offered at this location.

– Administration Coffee Shop: The Coffee Shop will only be able to offer coffee, pre-packaged Outtakes items as noted above, packaged chips and beverages only.

– True Grit’s will be open (as hot water is provided to this facility from a different source). On Tuesday and Wednesday, Chartwells is offering a special $7.50 rate for an “all you care to eat” lunch each day.

THANK YOU for tolerance during this inconvenient outage, which is needed to provide campus utility services. Your patience and cooperation to accommodate this interruption is truly appreciated.

Bill Thomas, Erickson School, in AARP Journal

“Persistently and deliberately misinterpreted as mere decline, elderhood is actually the rich reward that goes to those who manage to outgrow the frenzied jangle of adulthood and enter voluntarily into a new and much more soulful way of being.” This is the crux of William H. Thomas’ argument in the recent AARP Journal essay, “Eldertopia.” A geriatrician and faculty member at UMBC’s Erickson School, Thomas encourages older readers to reinterpret the physical changes that come with aging as “important signifiers or our unique journey through life” rather than as flaws. Recognizing the deeply personal nature of this challenge, he suggests that older adults “stop pining for what is already gone” and “start searching for the person [they] are meant to become.”

Libya Confirms Detention of Journalist Matthew VanDyke ’02, Political Science, in Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore Sun reports that Libyan authorities have acknowledged detaining journalist Matthew VanDyke ’02, political science, according to Maryland Rep. Ruppersberger. The UMBC community has been following VanDyke’s status since he was reported missing in March. In recent months, his mother, Sharon VanDyke, has been working with the US State Department and Red Cross, as well as other organizations, to locate her son and secure his release. In a June AP article, Thomas Schaller, professor of political science, called VanDyke one of his smartest students, saying, “I just know he’s going to come out on the other end with quite a yarn.”

Traffic Patterns for Move-In Days (8/27 and 8/29)

Residential Life joins the UMBC Community in welcoming our new freshmen and new transfers to campus move-in on Saturday, August 27. Returning residents will move-in into their residential communities on Monday, August 29. The hours for move-in on both days are from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Campus police, Parking Services staff and student volunteers will be assisting in providing traffic direction and assistance during these annual move-in day events.

On Saturday, August 27, freshmen and their parents will arrive on a Saturday this year. Because of this, changes to traffic patterns will have limited impact on the campus community.

On Monday, August 29, returning students and their parents will arrive on a weekday this year, and campus traffic will be altered to provide a welcoming experience as follows:

• Access to Center Road and Poplar Roads will be restricted to students and parents and day care facility drop-off and pick-up only.
• The inner loop of Hilltop Circle from Walker Ave to Commons Drive will have many parking spaces dedicated to staging vehicles to turn right onto Center Road and Back Road and unload directly in front of Patapsco Hall in the residential portion of the campus. Left turns from the outer loop of Hilltop Circle onto these interior streets will be restricted at these locations during the hours of 7 a.m.-4 p.m., on August 27 and 29.
• Faculty and staff are encouraged to arrive on campus via the Highway I-195 corridor to avoid expected traffic delays at other campus entrances, and are encouraged to use their faculty/staff parking spaces in designated lots and also the Hilltop Circle parking spaces on the Academic side of campus for Opening Day.

Pardon the temporary traffic inconveniences as we welcome all of our returning students to campus. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this annual event.