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SGA September/October Newsletter

SGA's Monthly Newsletter to keep you updated!

September: 

Cabinet 

The Executive Cabinet is responsible for assisting the President in supporting the UMBC undergraduate student body by actively creating, planning, and managing programs and services that uphold the values of UMBC and SGA. The Cabinet includes offices dedicated to promoting student civic engagement, strengthening connections between UMBC and the surrounding Arbutus community, and supporting initiatives that improve campus life through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and the Prove It Program.

 

  • SGA General Body Meeting - Friday October, 2nd

  • Make Your Mark Scholarship

    • 5 awards of $4,000 (Opens October 1st, ends December 6th) 

    • 2.25 GPA; Have to have been here for at least one semester 



Finance Board

  • We have weekly meetings that are open to the public on Tuesdays at Commons 318 from 5:30-10:00 pm

    • Meet and Greet - September 22th, at Commons Mainstreet from 6-8 pm

    • Study Hall - September 29th, at Commons 318 from 6- 8 pm

  • Meet and Greet 

    • Students met with liaisons and were able to ask questions and enter a raffle for their organizations

    • September 22th, at Commons Mainstreet from 6-8 pm

  • Study Hall 

    • First time!

    • Students came to receive support with planning events and submitting budget requests 

    • September 29th, at Commons 318 from 6-8 pm

  • Semesterly Budget Requests

    • Due October 9th at 11:59 pm

  • Important Budget Reminders

    • Large-scale events (50+ UMBC undergrads in attendance) and events happening in specialty spaces require a proper ECS invoice and event space reservation

    • Make sure your event dates haven’t already passed, aren’t happening before Involvement Fest, and aren’t happening during any breaks

    • You will need a movie license to stream movies

    • Finance Board cannot fund donations (all Finance Board funds must go towards UMBC undergrads)

    • Finance Board cannot fund gift cards as prizes

    • Finance Board contract funds cannot go towards a UMBC undergrad

    • If your event is ticketing UMBC undergrads, then Finance Board can automatically only fund half of the event's overall expenses 

  • Contact Finance Board

 

SOST

The Student Organizations Support Team (SOST) assists the Vice President for Student Organizations (VPSO) in all matters of supporting UMBC’s undergraduate student organizations. The SOST is responsible for maintaining and promoting Student Organization Resources such as SORC, the Memories cabinet, and the UmbcStudentOrgs Instagram. Additionally, SOST works to support new student organizations and existing student organizations with development, collaboration, etc. 

 

Senate

  • The Senate creates and initiates student-focused initiatives to improve campus life.

    • Its meetings are open to the public and take place each Monday of the week at Commons 331, from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM.

  • Spooky Senate Night

    • An upcoming Halloween-themed Senate meeting open to the public (as all are)

    • Oct. 26th at Flat Tuesdays, drop in anytime from 5:30- 7:30 PM

  • Impacts of last year’s initiatives

    • Retriever Essentials

    • Free Menstrual Product Committee 

    • Pollinator Garden! 

      • At the corner of Erickson Field between AOK and Erickson Hall

      • 10 species of native plants to support pollinator species and campus beautification

    • Bathroom signage(it’s been implemented!woohooo)

      • In many locations across the fine arts building, expected to continue

    • Puppy Love

    • Food Forest (went in last week!)

  • (Teasers) 

    • Upcoming Survey regarding Campus Lunch Hour Radio Initiative

      • Accepts Song Requests, on-campus news, Club Event Advertisements, and secret crush confessions from all UMBC students

      • Would like to know more about general preferences & additional suggestions

    • Golden Records - A multicultural event confirmed to take place later this year

  • Shoutouts:

    • Senators are serving on Shared Governance Committees, representing students across fields like dining,

    • All Senate meetings are open to the public

  • Contact

The senate now has an email for students to voice their opinions and concerns: sga-senate@umbc.edu

October:

Cabinet: 

  • Make Your Mark Scholarship

    • 5 awards of $4,000 (Opens October 1st, ends December 6th) 

    • 2.25 GPA

  • Election Night Extravaganza, November 3rd, 7:00 pm to 12:00 am 

  • SGA General Body Meeting, Friday, November 6th, 12:00- 1:00 PM, PUB 105. 

  • Thrive Fest, November 18, 10 am to 2 pm, Location: Lower Flat. Partnership with SGA and the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism. 

  • Things Happening in the Community: In October 2026, the Baltimore County Council passed Bill No. 84-26, legislation that prohibits commercial house parties in residential neighborhoods. 



Finance Board:

The Finance Board is a part of the legislative branch of SGA; it allocates funds to support student organizations' activities. Finance Board members meet weekly to discuss budget requests for student events and to ensure resources are fairly and appropriately allocated.

  • Finance Board has begun reviewing semesterly budget requests

  • There were 452 on-campus, 24 off-campus, and 7 marketing/merch budget requests

  • Student organizations will be notified when their budgets will be reviewed and can come to our meetings to be present during the process

  • Meet and Greet 

    • Students met with liaisons and were able to ask questions and enter a raffle for their organizations

    • September 22nd, at Commons Mainstreet from 6-8 pm

  • Study Hall 

    • First time ever!

    • Students came to receive support with planning events and submitting budget requests 

    • September 29th, at Commons 318 from 6- 8 pm

  • We have weekly meetings that are open to the public on Tuesdays at Commons 318 from 5:30-10:00 pm

  • Contact Finance Board

Senate

  • Short description for Instagram:

    • The Senate creates and initiates student-focused initiatives to improve campus life.

    • Its meetings are open to the public and take place each Monday of the week at Commons 331, from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM.

  • Spooky Senate Night

    • Senate recently hosted its Halloween-themed open-house-style meeting at Flat Tuesdays, fully open to the public

  • Impacts of last year’s initiatives

    • Retriever Essentials

    • Free Menstrual Product Committee 

    • Pollinator Garden! 

      • At the corner of Erickson Field between AOK and Erickson Hall

      • 10 species of native plants to support pollinator species and campus beautification

    • Bathroom signage (it’s been implemented!woohooo)

      • In many locations across the fine arts building, expected to continue

    • Puppy Love

    • Food Forest (went in last month!)

  • (Teasers) 

    • Upcoming Survey regarding Campus Lunch Hour Radio Initiative

      • Accepts Song Requests, on-campus news, Club Event Advertisements, and secret crush confessions from all UMBC students

      • Would like to know more about general preferences & additional suggestions

    • Golden Records - A multicultural event confirmed to take place later this year

  • Shoutouts:

    • Senators are serving on Shared Governance Committees, representing students across fields like dining

    • All Senate meetings are open to the public

  • Contact

    • The Senate now has an email for students to voice their opinions and concerns: sga-senate@umbc.edu

SOST

Posted: November 6, 2026, 12:00 PM

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