April 19, 2024

Caffrey Talks Post-COVID Workplace Culture on NPR

Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey was a guest on WOSU’s All Sides and spoke with host Matthew Rand of 89.7 NPR News about workplace culture and returning to the office post-COVID. The piece was titled “Will working full-time in an office become the norm again for the majority of the workforce?” Topics included the importance of employers valuing physical as well as psychological safety at work as well as the importance of cultivating a positive workplace culture that prioritizes empathetic communication and leadership. Caffrey explained that post COVID-19, “Organizations really need to assess and reflect on their workplace culture. Is it a place that their employees are going to want to return to and feel physically and psychologically safe?” Listen to the program.

In-Person President’s Council on Sustainability Meeting, Feb. 13

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) will resume meeting in-person after several years of meeting virtually. The next meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 13, from noon to 1 p.m., in the Colonnade Room of the Cedric Rucker University Center. However, those wishing to attend virtually will have the opportunity to do so via Zoom.

PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. The council plans, discusses and helps coordinate ways to support sustainable-related activities at UMW. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend virtually, click on the Zoom link.

Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. For more information on the council and how to become involved, visit the Office of Sustainability web page.

Caffrey Publishes in ‘Business and Professional Communication Quarterly’

Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey recently published “Speaking to the Head and the Heart: Prioritizing Empathetic Communication in the Post-COVID Workplace” in Business and Professional Communication Quarterly. The article examines psychological safety, crisis leadership and the need to prioritize empathetic communication in a post-COVID workplace. Read the article.

President’s Council on Sustainability Resumes Meetings

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) resumed its monthly meetings this week. The council will continue to plan and discuss ways to support sustainable-related activities for the remainder of the academic year. PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend, click on the Zoom link.

Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. For more information on the council and how to become involved, visit the Office of Sustainability web page.

President’s Council on Sustainability Back in Action for Fall

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) has begun meeting this semester to plan and support sustainable-related activities for the fall and spring semesters. Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. At its September meeting, the council discussed the formation of subcommittees on communication, outreach and engagement, sustainability landscaping, and zero waste sustainability. The entire campus community should be aware that UMW is participating in the Trick or Trash Program this semester to help reduce the amount of candy wrappers that end up in landfills each year. For more information on the program, please contact sustainability@umw.edu.

Additionally, Fossil Free Fredericksburg’s Walk, Pedal and Celebrate the Planet event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. This annual event is a great opportunity to bring sustainability awareness to the Fredericksburg community. Help spread the word as this event normally garners strong UMW student involvement.

PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community.

Kevin Caffrey Named October’s Excellent Eagle Employee

Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey

Congratulations to Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey! Kevin is USC’s Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of October. Below is what Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen had to say about Kevin:

“Kevin is quick to respond to an email, explain an issue, and devise a solution. He has been very helpful as I learn my new role of Chair of the CAS Curriculum Committee and has guided me through the Course Inventory Management System (CIM). He met with me in August to answer questions, does his best to understand when I can’t fully articulate the nature of the problem, and seems to have solutions as the tip of his fingertips. I sincerely enjoy working with Kevin and am confident that he will have much more to teach me as the semester progresses.”

Nominate your co-workers for the Excellent Eagle Employee award! It’s easy! Just complete the Excellent Eagle Employee Nomination Form on our website. Winners receive a reserved parking space for a month!

Questions? Contact Sarah Appleby, USC Recognition Committee Chair.

Caffrey Releases New CD

Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey released his latest CD, Alchemy, on Friday, July 29th. Consisting of all original music, the album combines elements of folk rock, progressive rock, and ambient music to create a unique collection of evocative and personal songs. He’ll be performing at WAR Craft Brewery/The Winery at Rapidan on August 27th and September 17th.

Caffrey Publishes in Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey, Senior Associate Registrar, recently published “How Transformational Leadership Can Help Native American Students” in the Journal of Educational Research and Practice. The article examines how higher education administrators can serve as transformational leaders to address the longstanding challenges and inequities that Native American students face in higher education. Read the article at https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/jerap/vol11/iss1/24/.

Virginia Clean Cities’ Sarah Stalcup-Jones to Speak at PCS Meeting, Nov. 18

The next meeting of the President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) will be on Friday November 18, from 1 to 2 p.m. The guest speaker for this meeting will be Sarah Stalcup-Jones, Research and Heavy Duty Vehicle Programs Manager for Virginia Clean Cities (VCC). Sarah will be sharing an overview of VCC as well as her work on UMW’s fleet assessment projects and Drive Clean Rural. PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend on the 18th, go to https://umw-sso.zoom.us/j/81635523370.

Caffrey to Perform at Hurley Convergence Center

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey will be performing a short set of music on Saturday night June 22nd at the Hurley Convergence Center as part of the Dance Matrix & Company’s 3rd Annual Performing Arts Festival. The festival is a 2-day event featuring a wide range of individual artists & groups scheduled to perform and teach community workshops. For more event information and artist profiles go to http://www.dancematrixcompany.com/. For more information on Caffrey’s music and his most recent projects, go to http://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/KevinCaffrey.