Information for Fall 2020
The Honors College will continue to update information from the Keep Learning @UMD, Department of Residential Life, Student and Academic Affairs, Athletics, and more. Please check your email for announcements from the Honors College and University.
Now that we know more of how the University will go forward with the fall 2020 semester, we understand that some students will need to make the personal decision to consider enrollment options for the fall semester.
University Level:
As you consider your options, please take into account whether or not sitting out a semester or dropping from full-time to part-time student status (11 credits or less), might impact scholarships, financial aid package loans, on-campus housing priority, as well as your academic progress. Depending upon your individual circumstances, there may be other considerations. We encourage you to meet with your academic advisor to ensure an informed decision-making process.
Honors College Level:
- For returning students, your LLP (with the exception of University Honors) consists of a sequential curriculum. We encourage you to consider the implications for your program curriculum if you sit out the fall. You may not be able to enroll in spring LLP courses.
- For returning University Honors students, please contact Mr. Dean Hebert to better understand the availability of HONR seminars and your progress toward completing the Citation.
- For EIP students, please contact your program staff. As EIP courses are sequential and are planned not to be offered next year, current sophomores would need to apply for transfer into University Honors and follow the plan for UH students above. Juniors and seniors should contact staff to discuss options to complete your remaining requirements beyond your completed HEIP courses.
- For returning Gemstone students, please review the temporary withdrawal policy on the website at http://gemstone.umd.edu/academics/procedures.html#temporary and contact gems@umd.edu if you have any questions.
Please also contact your program to inform them if your intention is to sit out the fall semester. Further, we also recommend speaking with your academic advising department(s) and scholarship sponsors in order to ensure your full understanding of your scholarship’s funding guidelines. You may also need to contact the Office of Financial Aid. Returning students may direct questions to Dr. Traci Dula, Associate Director, Honors College at tdula@umd.edu.
- For incoming freshmen (class of 2024), your decision to sit out the fall will need to involve contacting the Office of Undergraduate Admission (OUA) regarding an enrollment deferral. OUA has extended the deadline to request a deferral to July 24. Please contact them as soon as you decide you would like to request a deferral. A fall 2020 deferral will mean that you will not be able to begin your LLP (including University Honors students) until fall 2021 because all courses in all Honors College LLPs are sequential. Incoming students should direct questions to honorsadmissions@umd.edu. Should you decide that sitting out the fall is the best decision for you, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Only OUA can grant deferral approvals. Further, if you have a housing agreement with Resident Life, please contact them directly.
We are looking forward to seeing students in August!
More Student FAQs:
The University System of Maryland advises a density reduction on all USM campuses, and enforcement of physical distancing in classrooms, residence halls, and dining halls. Efforts to de-densify at UMD include reducing the number of individuals who need to be physically present on the premises on any given day, starting with reducing the capacity of our residence and dining halls. Other strategies to de-densify campus include online instruction and some staff (and faculty) continuing to work from home. More information is available at the KeepLearning website
This information is available on Testudo, as of July 15. All classrooms used for in-person instruction will be equipped with sanitary wipes for surfaces such as seats, desks and tables between each class. We will ask instructors to allow time for students to sanitize their work area before class and to similarly sanitize their own work area and whatever classroom equipment they plan to use for class. Classroom seating will be arranged or marked to indicate safe seating distances. For more information, please visit the 4Maryland website.
Because 6 feet of physical distancing limits the number of students that can be accommodated in a classroom, it is likely that most courses with 50 or more students will be at least partially online, while low-enrollment classes such as graduate and upper-division seminars will be good candidates for in-person instruction.
We will begin the fall semester on August 31, 2020 as scheduled.
The university is still determining what the fall will look like, but we are working in the meantime to plan for several different scenarios. More fall information is available at Keep Learning @UMD
Students in their first (and second year) have the highest priority for on-campus housing and have been confirmed for the fall. More information is available at the Department of Residential Life.
Yes. Dining halls will open with reduced seating capacity, carry-out options, and physical distancing. Stamp Student Union, Eppley Recreation Center, and other community gathering places will reopen with appropriate health and safety measures in place. Co-curricular programming will emphasize outdoor and virtual activities. Once the fall semester begins, the University Health Center and the Counseling Center will be open for both in-person medical assistance and counseling, as well as online options for support.
Some scholarships may be impacted based on our fall 2020 and spring 2021 Cost of Attendance (COA). Our COA includes tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses allowances. For more information regarding Banneker/Key award amounts, please review the Banneker/Key Policy.
Please visit your Living-Learning Program’s website for more info.
Students will continue to be considered for admission into the Honors College regardless of their submission of standardized test scores. For more information, please visit Test-Optional FAQs.