For the latest information on UMBC’s response to COVID-19, including campus wide updates and additional student support resources, please visit covid19.umbc.edu.
For the 2022-23 academic year, all residential students are required by UMBC to remain up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination. Residents have 3 ways in which they can comply with this requirement by August 15:
- Provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations
- The Mandatory Health Form includes a section for completion and the Retriever Care portal will allow you to upload vaccine documentation.
- Sign a waiver
- Residents wishing to waive the up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination requirement may do so via the Retriever Care portal.
- Request an exemption for medical or religious reasons.
- Residents wishing to apply for an exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement may review eligibility and submit here.
Safety, health, and well-being are top priorities in our on-campus residence communities and these priorities guide our decision making for fall semester. With the rise in the COVID-19 Omicron BA.5 variant, we are focused on minimizing risks to on-campus residents.
This includes educating students regarding campus expectations for social distancing, personal protective equipment (face coverings, sanitizer, etc.), and practices to support student health. Disinfectant as well as additional hand sanitizing stations will be readily available throughout the residential communities. Additionally, quarantine and isolation protocols are being developed to keep students and communities safe, in line with CDC and health professional guidelines.
Below are a list of frequently asked questions about Residential Life’s response to COVID-19. Additional information for campus can be found on the UMBC COVID website.
What actions can students take to help keep themselves and their fellow community members safe and healthy this fall?
- If you are sick, stay home and do not go to class or work.
- Wear a face covering at all times indoors and outdoors when other people are nearby.
- Keep appropriate distance between you and others.
- Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Wipe down shared surfaces in your bathroom and shared living spaces.
Most Residential Life bedrooms will return to standard capacity for the 2022-2023 academic year:
- Standard single bedrooms will house 1 student.
- Standard double (2-person) bedrooms will house 2 students.
- Standard Triple and Quad bedrooms will be converted to double occupancy bedrooms, and billed at the double room rate, unless roommate groups mutually express in living together in a triple or quad bedroom.
- Students may share a bathroom with up to 3 other students.
What are the requirements prior to my move-in arrival?
For the 2022-23 academic year, all residential students are required by UMBC to remain up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination. Residents have 3 ways in which they can comply with this requirement by August 15:
- Provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations
- The Mandatory Health Form includes a section for completion and the Retriever Care portal will allow you to upload vaccine documentation.
- Sign a waiver
- Residents wishing to waive the up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination requirement may do so via the Retriever Care portal.
- Request an exemption for medical or religious reasons.
- Residents wishing to apply for an exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement may review eligibility and submit here.
It is recommended that you do a self administered Rapid Antigen test prior to your arrival to move in. If you test positive you must stay home to isolate yourself. We continue to monitor COVID rates and will let you know if there will be further requirements for testing prior to your arrival.
What is the University doing to prepare in the event someone tests positive for COVID-19?
Our goal is for all students, faculty, and staff to stay safe and well on campus this fall. For their part, students should follow good personal hygiene practices, make healthy choices, and follow the campus’s guidelines regarding hand washing, physical distancing, and optional masks.
Public health experts tell us that it is likely that we will have cases of COVID-19 on campus this fall. The university will offer rapid testing on campus and guidance for individuals who test positive. Should they test positive, students should notify their professors and plan to quarantine at home. The University will maintain a limited number of quarantine and isolation residential spaces for students who cannot quarantine off-campus. We urge every student to have a plan for what they will do if they are exposed or become ill with COVID-19.