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Remembering Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr.

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Campus email announcement chronicling the life of a campus icon

It is with great sadness we share with you that Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr., an icon in Maryland’s higher education system and a founding leader in the UMBC community, passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

In 1965, a year before UMBC opened, Dr. Schamp was appointed dean of the faculty, with responsibility for hiring the university’s first faculty members. “Homer was both a pioneer and visionary leader,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “A renowned physicist, he and other early leaders laid the foundation for the high quality education and research that UMBC is known for today.”

Throughout his career at UMBC as a provost, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and research professor, Dr. Schamp’s enthusiasm for learning inspired all those around him. His penchant for using new education techniques has led to advances in pedagogy, scholarship, and creative achievement reflected throughout the campus’s history. His belief in the importance of connecting the university to its surrounding community established UMBC as a catalyst for economic development and quality of life in the Baltimore region.

Dr. Schamp dedicated his life to education, serving more than 50 years in higher education roles at the campus and system levels. Prior to his appointment at UMBC, he was a rising star in the physics program at the University of Maryland, College Park. He became a key player in developing UMCP’s Institute for Molecular Physics and became its director in 1964. Known as an exceptional problem-solver, Dr. Schamp was called upon once more toward the end of his career at UMBC to assist the chancellor of the newly established University System of Maryland. His long record of building consensus was critical in helping the System navigate complex personnel and academic issues.

Viewing services for Dr. Schamp will take place on Friday, January 15, 2016, 5–8 p.m. and Saturday, January 16, 2016, 2–4 p.m. at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, 1050 York Rd., Towson, MD 21204. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Dr. Homer W. Schamp Memorial Scholarship. This newly established fund will support students interested in teaching science in K-12 schools after graduation.

Updated Fair Labor Standards Act

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Employee communications announcing the changes to FLSA and its impact on campus.

Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor approved changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that go into effect on December 1, 2016. These changes are intended to provide greater clarity on overtime eligibility for workers and employers and to support greater work-life balance for employees.

Specifically, the new federal rule raises the salary threshold required to qualify for an exemption from overtime to $47,476 per year. This will be the first change to the FLSA since 2004, and it is estimated to extend overtime protections to more than 4.2 million employees nationwide.

The new rule extends to higher education institutions and includes a number of provisions that recognize the unique function of colleges and universities. A detailed explanation of these provisions can be found in the document: Overtime Final Rule and Higher Education.

We are working with the University System of Maryland to understand and assess the impact of the new legislation on our campus community. As always, our goal is to support the members of our community, and we are committed to developing approaches to implementation that place the support of our people first and foremost.

As we continue to receive feedback from campus leaders, partners, and shared governance groups on the best approach to implementing the new requirements, we have established a list of frequently asked questions about the changes and how they may affect you. A more detailed message outlining new policies and procedures associated with the new rule will be issued in the coming weeks. We encourage you to contact the Department of Human Resources or your shared governance groups if you have any questions or comments regarding these changes.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure an equitable solution for our employees that best serves the needs of our campus community.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous

Update from UMBC’s International Education Services Office

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Campus email to targeted list of enrollment-eligible international students

Dear new and returning UMBC international students,

As we prepare for the start of the upcoming fall semester, we wanted to take a moment to share with you a few updates from the International Education Services Office (IES).

The UMBC community greatly values our international students, and we are committed to giving you the best possible experience while enrolled here. In our effort to continue our support of your unique needs, goals, and challenges, we will be expanding our services and resources, while also maintaining immigration compliance as required by law.

This expansion of our services and resources includes the enhancement of some of our most popular offerings, such as orientation events, the International Student Career Conference, and tax and lawyer workshops. We also plan to roll out several new programs, events, and other opportunities for engagement for all international students in the coming weeks and months.

The first step in this process is the launch of our new immigration case management system, known as The IES Portal. The portal will centralize all immigration applications that go through the IES office. Students will be able to create a personal account in the system, allowing them to manage all of their secure documents in a single location online. Other system services include personalized reminders for deadlines, electronic advisor signatures on applications, and much more. You should receive a follow-up email with more detailed information and directions on how to register in the next two weeks.

IES will also be building on its communication efforts to ensure international students receive important information and updates in a timely fashion, both in email and online through the IES website. This also includes greater availability of international advisors through increased walk-in hours and faster response times to phone and email inquiries.

To support our expansion of IES services, we are implementing a nominal international student fee, which will appear on your UMBC fall 2019 student bill. The fee serves to fund programs and resources specifically for international students. For more information about the fee, please visit the IES website.

We wish you all the best during your summer break and look forward to welcoming you to our UMBC community this fall.

Response to Ellicott City Flooding from the President and Provost

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Campus email announcement from UMBC leadership

We are deeply saddened by the devastation of historic Ellicott City following the severe flash flood Saturday night. Our thoughts are with all who suffered losses, especially those families who lost loved ones. Sadly, Joseph Blevins, a USM colleague who was director of financial aid at the University of Baltimore, was among those who died. Tragic events in our community such as this remind us that we are all connected.

Ellicott City is a part of us. Many members of our campus community live or work in the area, and many more regularly visit the town’s shops, restaurants, and historic properties. UMBC is committed to supporting this community as it begins its arduous cleanup efforts and looks to rebuild. We also see potential opportunities for campus experts to share their knowledge and resources to help address issues to reduce future flood risk to the area.

Due to the severity of conditions in downtown historic Ellicott City, officials have asked the public to stay away from the Main Street area while crews work to restore essential functions like water, sewer, gas, and power. For those interested in making donations to support the victims of this tragedy, Howard County has established several ways to direct support, including to the Ellicott City Historic District Partnership and through a dedicated fund with the American Red Cross. The Community Action Council of Howard County is handling all food donations. Community members interested in volunteering to aid in the cleanup and other activities should sign up through the county’s online volunteer form.

We know tragedies impact the campus community in different ways, and we remind everyone of support resources available on campus and elsewhere:

  • UMBC Counseling Center: (410) 455-2472
  • Howard County Crisis Hotline: (410) 531-6677
  • American Psychological Association: Recovering emotionally from disaster

UMBC faculty, staff, and students directly impacted by the Ellicott City flood are encouraged to contact Student Affairs, (410) 455-2393, or Human Resources, (410) 455-2337, for additional resources and support.

Good hiring strategies are crucial to business success, expert says

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Greater Baltimore Committee news story

Good hiring strategies are very important in determining the success of a business, Mary Kraft, president of Mary Kraft & Associates, Inc., told Greater Baltimore Committee members at a recent Bridging the Gap speaker series.

“Without good employees, your company will not do well,” Kraft warned. That’s why it’s very important for businesses to develop and use good hiring strategies, she said.

Kraft recommended businesses begin the hiring process by reviewing the job description. “Sometimes the description isn’t adequate or of the time,” she said. Businesses should make sure the description states the skills and qualifications needed relative to the current marketplace.

It is also important to have all candidates fill out an official application to place them on a level playing field. “Don’t just ask for a resume; everyone writes a resume differently,” she said. Policies, procedures and overall company expectations should be explained to all applicants in proper, legal documentation, Kraft said.

According to the Society of Human Resource Managers, more than 53 percent of all job applicants lie to some extent on their resumes, which is why Kraft strongly recommends that employers take the time to research and verify an applicant’s information.

This is especially important when filling a job position in upper management. Kraft estimates that it takes one month for every $10,000 dollars in salary to find the right candidate. “The higher the position, the longer it takes to find someone with the proper credentials,” she said.

During the interview, the employer should ask open-ended questions and give the candidate the opportunity to showcase his or her skills by developing a set of questions based on the resume, Kraft said. Take notes, but also keep the atmosphere as light as possible. There’s nothing worse than an interview that feels like an interrogation, she said.

But remember, the candidate is also interviewing you. It is your job to convince the candidate why he or she should consider a career with your company, Kraft said. Be sure to find out what benefits are most important to the candidate and highlight what your company can offer.

After the interview, finish taking notes immediately. “Take the time to evaluate that candidate,” Kraft said. Check all references; speak with immediate supervisors and ask for copies of written evaluations to verify the candidate’s job history.

Although good strategies can prepare a company for the hiring process, Kraft admits there is no formula that guarantees a perfect employee. “Better hiring is not a science, it’s an art,” she said.