Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The health of the UMB community is a top priority for the Graduate School. This site will be updated with resources and communications for the Graduate School community. You are advised to check the UMB COVID-19 Site for the latest information about the outbreak, measures implemented to reduce its spread, and the impact on travel and other activities.
Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19
This section will be updated periodically with information pertaining to current and future students, Graduate School operations and events.
Existing guidelines are still in place for requiring a test on file, including coming to campus for the first time and having possible COVID-19 exposure.
If you are required to upload a test in the future, here is what you do:
- For students who have yet to submit or are waiting on results for tests conducted prior to Oct. 5, 2020, you should upload your COVID-19 test results into CastleBranch.
- For all tests conducted on Oct. 5, 2020, or later, students should upload their test results into the secure, confidential, and HIPAA-compliant UMB SAFE on Campus (SAFE) daily symptom monitoring form that you already receive.
- If you are on a pause from the SAFE form, upload your test by using the Episodic Symptom Monitoring Report Form. For those not receiving SAFE emails, please bookmark this link in case you need to come to campus or upload a test in the future.
The move to SAFE will help to address technology challenges experienced by some students using CastleBranch. SAFE will also allow for the collection of daily symptom monitoring and COVID-19 test results in one location.
If you are required to get an additional COVID test, you will be notified by UMB or the Graduate School.
COVID-19 Testing Locations
- Students and employees in the Baltimore area can schedule a free COVID-19 test at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital. Make an appointment here. Walk in testing is also available.
- Information on testing locations across the state of Maryland can be found here.
- Students and employees living outside of Maryland should visit their state health department’s website for information on COVID-19 testing available in their state. A link to each state’s health department can be found here.
Submitting Test Results
- Students: For all tests conducted on Oct. 5, 2020, or later, students should upload their test results into the secure, confidential, and HIPAA-compliant UMB SAFE on Campus (SAFE) daily symptom monitoring form that you already receive.
- For students who have yet to submit or are waiting on results for tests conducted prior to Oct. 5, 2020, you should upload your COVID-19 test results into CastleBranch.
- Employees: Upload evidence of negative COVID-19 diagnostic test result to the secure, confidential, and HIPAA-compliant UMB SAFE on Campus app once it is launched. Directions on uploading results will be provided as part of the SAFE on Campus app launch.
COVID-19 Testing Costs
There is free COVID-19 testing offered in the state of Maryland. With Affordable Care Act-compliant health insurance, there are no co-pays for a COVID-19 test. Therefore, UMB will not cover any medical costs associated with COVID-19 testing for students or employees.
The Student Emergency Fund (SEF) was established to support students who have unexpected emergency expenses, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis, such as illness, medical emergency, or the need for housing, food or transportation. I am proud to say that in the face of these challenges, the Graduate School has pulled together and is meeting each and every challenge with grit and determination.
We encourage you to apply by filling out the online application link listed below and provide documentation of the financial hardship that you are experiencing.
Please note that the SEF awards cannot be used to cover any of the following expenses:
- Tuition, lab fees, health insurance
- Parking tickets and other university-imposed fines
- Costs for entertainment, recreation, non-emergency travel
Request will be reviewed on a case by case basis to determine applicants’ eligibility and an interview may be required (on-line or via phone call) with a representative from the Graduate School as well.
Recognizing that our students’ lives have been significantly disrupted by COVID-19, we have developed a option in which students will be able to opt-in to Pass/Fail grading on a course-by-course basis with permission of their Graduate Program Director (GPD), course director and the Graduate School.
The deadline to request Pass/Fail grading is April 24th.
Review the guidelines for the Pass/Fail Grading Option.
Has COVID-19 delayed or changed daily Graduate School operations? ▾
To the fullest extent possible, admissions, enrollment and registration, grade acquisition & posting, and student progression-related, and degree certification activities and functions will continue through the mandatory telework time period. Some activities and processes may slow down and take longer to complete - and there will be postal mail delays - but otherwise we hope and expect to provide our full, normal support.
I am scheduled to defend my dissertation or thesis in the upcoming weeks. How do I proceed? ▾
The Graduate School fully supports your successful completion of your degree program including your upcoming defense.
- All defending students will establish a method for videoconferencing (examples include WebEx, Zoom or Skype) the open presentation portion of the defense and defense exam.
- All committee members may participate remotely in defenses.
- If the conferencing technology fails and the examiner can not fully participate, the committee may fail to reach its quorum. In this case, the examination must be rescheduled.
- The Report of Examining Committee will be sent to the Graduate School Dean's Representative in advance of the defense.
- All committee members are encourage to sign the document electronically.
- Student will submit the form to the Graduate School within 48 hours.
Recent recommendations and policies regarding COVID-19 require modifications to previously established Procedures for Examination of the Master's Thesis and Procedures for Examination of the Doctoral Dissertation.
ETS has introduced a solution for students who have been impacted by the coronavirus to take the TOEFL iBT® test and the GRE® General Test at home until test centers can reopen. TOEFL® testing is scheduled to begin on March 26, and GRE testing will begin on March 27.
Testing will be conducted through the use of live remote proctoring serviced by ProctorU®. This high-touch, real-time human monitoring of test sessions limits the number of seats available. Students can register beginning today in the following countries:
- United States
- Canada
- Colombia
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- Hong Kong (China)
- Macau (China)
Find more details about security measures and answers to other questions you may have on the TOEFL and GRE web pages dedicated to this purpose.
Have more questions? You can find additional FAQs on UMB’s Coronavirus page.
Guidance and Letters to the UMB Community
- January 4, 2020 Letter: Vaccination Registration
- December 18, 2020 This Week In COVID-19 Vaccine News | Dec. 18
- December 18, 2020 Letter: Maryland Travel and Testing Update
- December 17, 2020 Submit Your COVID-19 Vaccines Questions
- December 17, 2020 Tuition and Fees for Spring 2021 Semester
- December 16, 2020 Telework Agreement Form FAQs
- December 15, 2020 UMB Weather Emergencies
- December 11, 2020 Holiday Travel Guidance
- December 8, 2020 Letter: Take Pride in UMB: Vaccine News
- December 4, 2020 Central Administration Equipment Sign-out Form
- December 3, 2020 Join the ‘Fight COVID-19 in One Click’ Campaign
- December 1, 2020 Call the UMB COVID-19 Hotline
- November 20, 2020 UMB Partners with Lyft on Two On-Demand Ride Programs
- November 19, 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Guidance
- November 12, 2020 Encouraging the Use of MD COVID Alert
- November 11, 2020 Reminder about Coronavirus Vigilance and Telework
- November 2, 2020 UMB IT Resource Orientation
- November 2, 2020 On-site Computer Restarts and Shut Downs
- October 30, 2020 Staff Senate Hosts Virtual Thanksgiving Food Drive
- October 28, 2020 Student Parking at UMB during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- October 26, 2020 For In-Person Gatherings, Please Limit Your Bubble
- October 22, 2020 Letter regarding Coronavirus Vigilance and the Holidays
- October 16, 2020 Feel Sick? Make the Call
- October 16, 2020 Together, We Can Stop The Spread
- October 9, 2020 Fall Semester 2020 URecFit Fee Update
- October 8, 2020 Participate in COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials
- October 8, 2020 Letter Regarding Spring Semester 2021
- September 28, 2020 Lexington Street Garage Daily Rates Change
- September 23, 2020 ‘Virtual Blue Bins’ Are Open for Collecting Donations
- September 23, 2020 Flu Shot Clinic Sponsored by HS/HSL and School of Pharmacy
- September 18, 2020 Free Pediatric Immunizations For Baltimore Families
- September 17, 2020 Licenses Available For Webex With Closed Captions & Live Transcriptions
- September 16, 2020 Starbucks, Market at UMB Reopens in SMC Campus Center
- September 16, 2020 Central Payroll Bureau Will Not Participate in Payroll Tax Deferral
- September 9, 2020 HS/HSL To Reopen Sept. 14
- September 3, 2020 Contract Considerations During COVID-19
- September 3, 2020 Letter regarding Post-Labor Day testing
- August 27, 2020 Back-to-School Campus Safety
- August 25, 2020 Research Update: Phase 2 Initiation
- August 24, 2020 Letter From Dr. Jarrell: Welcome Back
- August 17, 2020 Non-USPS Package Information
- August 14, 2020 SMC Campus Center Fall 2020 Reopening
- August 13, 2020 COVID-19 Testing Guidance Letter
- August 10, 2020 COVID-19 Safe on Campus Student Training
- August 10, 2020 Letter regarding SAFE on Campus Symptom Monitoring
- August 4, 2020 Updates and Reminders Regarding Phase 2 of Research Activities
- August 4, 2020 UM shuttle Suspended for Fall Semester
- August 3, 2020 Letter regarding UMB Updated Face Covering Policy
Archived Letters to the UMB Community ▾
Summer 2020
- July 31, 2020 Research Stage 2 Delayed
- July 31, 2020 Letter regarding COVID-19 Testing for Employees and Students Returning to Campus
- July 30, 2020 Tuition & Fees for the Fall 2020 Semester
- July 28, 2020 Letter regarding Updated Telework Policy
- July 23, 2020 UMB Safe in the Workplace Staff Training
- July 23, 2020 UMB Safe in the Workplace Faculty Training
- July 15, 2020 Letter Regarding Reversal of ICE Policy on International Students
- July 14, 2020 Letter regarding Stage 1 of Clinical and Community-Based Human Subjects Research
- July 14, 2020 Letter regarding updated guidance on out-of-state travel and testing
- July 11, 2020 Letter Regarding Research Update: Phase 2
- July 10, 2020 COVID-19 Recovery website and Focus Area videos
- July 9, 2020 Letter Regarding International Students Update
- July 4, 2020 Guidance on Out of State Travel
- June 30, 2020 University Recovery Update
- June 25, 2020 UMB Phased Research Plan
- June 24, 2020 Penn and Pearl Reopening
- June 22, 2020 Thank You For Supporting UMB's Front Line Employees
- June 17, 2020 Facilities and Operations Responds to COVID-19
- June 15, 2020 University Recovery Update
- June 12, 2020 UMB Housing at Fayette Square and Pascault Row Apartments PDF
- June 3, 2020 USM Guidance on Employees at High Risk for COVID-19 Complications
- June 3, 2020 Research Update
Spring 2020
- May 29, 2020 Chancellor's Letter and Episodic Telework Reminder
- May 21, 2020 Travel Guidance
- May 20, 2020 Return to Normal Pay Practices
- May 19, 2020 UMB Research Phased Plan
- May 15, 2020 Letter regarding UMB Recovery Framework
- May 15, 2020 UMB Recovery Framework
- April 27, 2020 UMSON Offers Early-Exit Option to Students to Bolster Nursing Workforce During Pandemic
- April 24, 2020 COVID-19 General Updates
- April 16, 2020 Letter regarding communications survey
- April 14, 2020 Letter from Dean Reece to FPI Patients
- April 14, 2020 Letter to Graduating Students
- April 9, 2020 Update to Episodic Teleworking
- April 6, 2020 UMB Guidance on the Use of Non-Medical Cloth Face Coverings
- April 3, 2020 With Gratitude to the UMB Community
- April 3, 2020 Student Refunds and Bankmobile
- March 31, 2020 Student Refunds Spring 2020
- March 30, 2020 Extension of Episodic Telework
- March 28, 2020 A message to graduating students from Dr. Jarrell
- March 23, 2020 Severe Research Restrictions take effect on Monday at 5 p.m.
- March 23, 2020 Guidance on research administration expenses on sponsored projects
- March 23, 2020 A video message from Dr. Jarrell
- March 21, 2020 A member of the UMB community has tested positive for COVID-19
- March 20, 2020 Clarification of Guidelines for Designation of Laboratory Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
- March 19, 2020 Continuation of virtual learning, commencement, and refund of fees
- March 19, 2020 New UMB Clinical Placement Guidelines
- March 18, 2020 COVID-19 Research Guidelines
- March 12, 2020 Step 2 UMB/UMMS Policies and Guidance Regarding COVID-19
- March 12, 2020 New UMB Telework Policy
- March 12, 2020 Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in Research and Scholarship
- March 10, 2020 UMB/UMMS Policies and Guidance Regarding COVID-19
Updated January 5, 2020 at 10:50 a.m.
Photo Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention