Update on Monroe Hall Closure, Spring Senior Photos and Fall Planning
UMW Campus Community,
It’s been just over two months since we announced the closure of Monroe Hall for a roof reconstruction project. We appreciate everyone’s quick work to move offices and classes, adjust schedules earlier this semester, and allow the time and space to assess the building and develop the scope of work for the project. More information is available on the Campus Construction website, and we’ll continue to update you on progress with the project.
We are now planning the roof reconstruction project for this summer and anticipate that it will extend into the fall 2024 semester, requiring Monroe Hall to remain closed for part or all of the upcoming semester. We are once again working with the Registrar’s Office and department chairs to schedule alternative class spaces. If you have fall 2024 classes that are listed in Monroe Hall, the location of the class will be updated by the end of the spring 2024 semester. Updates will be available via the student information system when complete.
With the extended closure, opportunities have been scheduled this week for faculty and staff to retrieve any additional items from Monroe Hall. The building is closed for construction and will be locked throughout the project. Access is only available through Facilities Operations.
As the project progresses this spring, we’ve installed a tarp to protect the attic area, beginning in the northeast corner of the building, which has been prioritized as the area most in need of repairs due to recent rain. As the roof reconstruction begins, a fence will be added around the building to include a portion of the parking spaces in the Monroe Hall North Lot for materials. The fence installation is scheduled for Friday, April 26, so please plan and take any senior photos or spring photos now if you would like to feature Monroe Hall as part of it.
Construction will start in the next few weeks and continue through the summer.
We appreciate your continued patience and flexibility during this project. Thank you for supporting our efforts to repair and maintain this iconic academic building that has been part of our campus since the very first classes.
Artificial Intelligence Literacy Day Workshop Friday, April 19
The AI Working Group invites the entire UMW community to participate in our AI Literacy Day event!
- Date: Friday, April 19th, 2024
- Time: 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
- Location: HCC Digital Auditorium
AI Literacy Day is a great opportunity to learn about the applications of AI in personal, professional, and educational contexts. You’ll also get a chance to try out AI firsthand, so bring your laptop!
We’ll also discuss the current state of AI at UMW, based on data from the AI Survey conducted in March.
Refreshments including coffee, tea, soda, and snacks will be provided. To ensure we have enough refreshments, please register in advance. Please feel free to attend some or all as your schedule allows. We look forward to seeing you there!
10:00 – 10:50 AM: First Steps With AI
J. D. Swerzenski, Associate Professor, Communication and Digital Studies
Jerry Slezak, Director, Digital Learning Support
Session description:
Based on data from our recent AI Survey, we might conclude that many at UMW are unsure about AI and what it means for teaching and learning. After a quick review of the survey results, we will dive right in to help participants get started using a large language model (LLM) AI. Bring your laptop and try out Copilot, a free AI service by Microsoft. We will look at the interface, review some of the basic options, and create prompts to generate text and images.
- J.D. – 15 minutes reviewing AI Survey Results and other information
- Jerry – 30 minutes reviewing Copilot, PowerPoint tools
- Short time for discussion – 5 minutes
10:50 – 11:00 AM – Break
11:00 – 11:50 AM: Using AI in the Classroom
Anand Rao, Professor, Communication and Digital Studies
Session Description:
While most of us have made use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, that does not mean that we have a real understanding of how those tools work and how we can best make use of them. In this workshop, I will show you how to build your own AI chatbot with the free and no-code platform, PlayLab.ai. You can build your own chatbot or AI tool and can train it on your own documents and instructions. You might build something that is very useful while better understanding some of AI’s limitations. Bring a laptop or tablet and you will have your own chatbot before the end of the session!
Farmers Market & Craft Fair Coming to Campus, April 23
University Dining is hosting a Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair on Tuesday, April 23rd between 11:30 am and 3pm in Palmieri Plaza. This event will feature an array of fresh fruits and vegetables from C & T Produce, along with lots of great munchies from a variety of food vendors. This year’s Fair includes returning favorite food vendors Poppin’ Jon’s Kettle Corn, Biscuit Batch, Great Harvest Bread, and Beth’s Mad Batter Baker, along with some new purveyors, such as Chocolate Moonshine, Agora Coffee, Selectos Latin Market, Kindred’s Kandies, and K & K Island Spice and Produce. There will be many gift and craft items available, too. A complete list of the vendors is available on the University Dining website.
New this year is a “Lunch & Learn” dining event featuring a variety of dishes made with honey and a presentation about the benefits of local honey and bee pollen from Rick Pound of the Blackstone Honey Bee Farm. This event will be held in the South Living Room on the second floor of the CRUC at 12pm. It is open to all, but space is limited! Those who wish to attend should RSVP to Rose Benedict, rbenedic@umw.edu, in order to assure a seat at the table! *Note: For those with food allergies, please be aware that the meal includes peanut butter and other nuts.
Farnsworth Lectures in Poland on U.S. Presidential Election
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a lecture, “Policy Issues in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election,” at Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Dr. Farnsworth is serving as the Spring 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in the American Studies Program at the University of Warsaw.
‘Bipartisanship’ fizzles as General Assembly session ends (Chatham Star Tribune)
Another point of contention among lawmakers is establishing a regulated cannabis market. Democrats may have to wait for a new governor before making progress on cannabis, according to Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Read more.
Virginia lawmakers concerned Gov. Youngkin could scrap budget proposal amid declining bipartisanship (Loudoun Times)
Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said he can’t recall any governor shooting down the entire budget. But he noted that bipartisanship is in decline.
“We really have seen a sort of downward trend in the ability of people in Richmond to work together across party lines,” he said. “A generation ago, moderates of both parties would have worked out a deal. Increasingly though, there aren’t that many moderates left.” Read more.
Congressional hopefuls are almost out of time to get their paperwork in (WVTF)
Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington says they’ve got nothing to lose. “If you’re currently a member of the House of Delegates or the Senate of Virginia, you’re not on the same electoral timetable as a congressional race,” says Farnsworth. “So, you basically can get a roll of the dice without having to give anything up in terms of your own seat or not running for reelection because your contest would be in a different cycle in a different year.” Read more.
Virginia lawmakers concerned Gov. Youngkin could scrap budget proposal amid declining bipartisanship (The Virginian-Pilot)
Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said he can’t recall any governor shooting down the entire budget. But he noted that bipartisanship is in decline.
“We really have seen a sort of downward trend in the ability of people in Richmond to work together across party lines,” he said. “A generation ago, moderates of both parties would have worked out a deal. Increasingly though, there aren’t that many moderates left.” Read more.
After vetoes, Youngkin’s budget “olive branch” unlikely to persuade Democrats (Virginia Dogwood)
Even as Youngkin struck a more conciliatory tone in budget talks with the General Assembly, “significant daylight” remains between the two sides, which have a history of contentious debate going back to the Youngkin’s first days in office, Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said in an interview. “The governor has offered an olive branch, but it’s a relatively small olive branch,” Farnsworth said. “My guess is the Democrats are going to want more from what they’ve seen from the governor so far. Read more.
Jury Selection Resumes in Trump Trial (CTV News)
“We should be prepared for a long slog with this case. What you are seeing so far is the reality of a man who is intensely polarized in the United States,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read more.
Virginia’s legislature hasn’t overridden a veto in more than a decade. Could that change Wednesday? (WVTF)
Professor Stephen Farnsworth with the University of Mary Washington said Youngkin may have miscalculated when he overturned the largely red and rural-backed effort. “The governor will face more severe threats of an overridden veto because of the way that he ignored Republican concerns,” Farnsworth told Radio IQ. Read more.
Bone Marrow Registry and Blood Drive, April 24
Thirty years ago, Dr. Suzanne Sumner donated bone marrow to a two-year old child with leukemia. Now her cousin, Kelsey Sumner, an epidemiologist at the CDC, needs a stem cell transplant.
Please sign up for the NMDP bone marrow donor registry or give blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive on Wed. 4/24, 11 am – 4 pm, in the Chandler Ballroom in UMW’s Cedric Rucker University Center. Thank you!
Larus Comments on France24 on Japanese Prime Minister Visit
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, commented on France24 on Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to Washington. Professor Larus indicated that, despite solid defensive agreements with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, Japan questions US political commitment to maintaining maritime security in the Asia Pacific. She also indicated that Japan can see that the US is short on ships, ship builders, and people to put on ships. In response, Japan is increasing its miliary budgets and expanding its military power. Read more.
Tuition Reimbursement Applications Due April 26
Enrollment is currently open for Tuition Reimbursement (courses outside of UMW) for courses starting July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. All applications must be submitted by Friday, April 26, 2024. Please note: the Cabinet agreed to expand the Tuition Reimbursement Program to include certificate programs. However, any and all courses associated with the certificate program must be credit-bearing.
The complete policy and procedures are posted online; some important and key provisions are listed below. You may contact Denise Frye at dfrye2@umw.edu with any questions.
Program Purpose:
Eligible employees enrolled in a degree-seeking program or enrolled in a credit-bearing certificate program at other accredited institutions of higher education will be provided with tuition reimbursement up to a specified amount for courses after completion of the course and submission of proof of grade.
Eligibility:
This policy applies to classified, wage, administrative professional faculty, and other non-faculty part-time employees. Graduate Assistants who are required to be enrolled in UMW graduate programs are not eligible for this program. Eligible employees must be continuously employed by the University for a minimum of one year prior to their application for reimbursement and job performance must be satisfactory or at the “contributor” level. Tuition up to the approved amount will be reimbursed upon receipt of proof of completion of approved courses. Employees who receive tuition reimbursement must remain employed at the University of Mary Washington during the term of the courses taken and for one year after receipt of tuition reimbursement for those courses(s) or be subject to terms for repayment as described in the written agreement.
Important Information to Know:
- A Tuition Reimbursement Request form is required to be submitted to Human Resources during open enrollment for courses starting July 2024 through December 2024. The link to the form is below and forms may be scanned to jhudgins@umw.edu
- The Finance office will notify the employee the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form has been approved within 2 weeks of the enrollment timeframe closing and request the following:
a) Proof of enrollment in a degree-granting program
b) Schedule of the institution’s fees
c) Proof of payment
- The assistance awarded will then be reimbursed to the employee upon submission of evidence of course completion with a minimum grade of “C” or “PASS” if a Pass/Fail course. Submission of grade must be within 30 days of semester end. Reimbursement will be issued within 10 business days of grade submission to the Finance Office.
Thank you,
Denise M. Frye
Benefits Manager
Office of Human Resources
University of Mary Washington
Phone: 540-654-1210
Email: dfrye2@umw.edu
Schedule an Online Virginia Retirement System Meeting, Through April 26
VRS DCP Online Regional Education Meetings
Register today for an online Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Regional Education Meeting or a virtual one-on-one with your Defined Contribution Plans Retirement Specialists.
Learn More About Your Retirement Options
VRS 457 and Cash Match Plans Overview
What is a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan? How about a Cash Match 401(a) Plan? Learn about how these plans help you build your retirement future.
Select How Your Savings Are Invested
VRS Plan Investments
Do you find investing confusing? Learn about asset classes, diversification and the three investment paths available to you.
How Do I Withdraw My Money in Retirement?
VRS 457 and Cash Match Distribution Options
Retirement on the horizon? Understand the various distribution requirements and options under your 457 and 401(a) plans.
Personal Individual Account Review
One-on-one Appointment
Need assistance? Sign up for a 30-minute virtual one-on-one with a Defined Contribution Plans Retirement Specialist.