Melina Downs Makes a Move
From public relations to public school

Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Probably not, if the fifth graders are the ones in Melina Downs’ classroom at Locust Grove Elementary School!

Melina, who has worked for her alma mater eight years, will be writing lesson plans instead of press releases and posting on the blackboard instead of EagleVision screens. With a freshly minted MA in education from UMW, 2015, Melina has landed a full-time job close to home as a fifth-grade teacher at the school she attended and the school her children will be attending.

For nearly a decade, Melina has been an invaluable asset to UMW, first on the Stafford campus and, later, in Fredericksburg. Our media manager, she manages to squeeze a lot into each day, including longtime and dedicated service to the Leadership Colloquium and to the Staff Advisory Council.

Many of you all across campus have been touched by Melina’s energy and smile. Help us send her off in style. Please drop by University Relations, suite 300 in Eagle Village, after lunch on Monday, Aug. 10.  From 1 to 3 p.m, we will offer Blackstone coffee and delectable desserts.

You spoke and we listened! Come to a campus-wide forum on University Marketing from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in the ITCC’s Digital Auditorium.

We’ve conducted an awareness/perception study plus we’ve surveyed college-bound teenagers. We’re taking that feedback – along with ideas generated last fall by a cross section of campus representatives – and we’re translating it all into a new messaging and creative strategy that we know will grab prospective students’ attention while simultaneously increasing awareness of UMW.

Come to a piña colada party and hear about Weight Watchers @ Work. OR, come hear about Weight Watchers @ Work and enjoy a guilt-free piña colada!

That’s right – WW@W is serving up yummy frozen piña coladas, along with other tasty snacks, at our open house next Wednesday. Come out and learn more about this wonderful employment perk. Bet you had no idea – you can participate in Weight Watchers and slim down while at work. And the best part? You get reimbursed for doing so!

We’ll tell you all about it. See the flyer below. Seriously – if you have even been thinking about trying to battle that bulge, come out and learn more. Take that first step; you’ll be glad you did! This winter is supposed to be even worse than last year’s. Fretful about those housebound days when you indulge in hot chocolate and comfort food? Take action now. Weight Watchers is proven as the most effective of all weight loss strategies – it’s a way of life, not that four-letter word that begins with D. Nothing is off limits with Weight Watchers – not even umbrella drinks!

These weekly meetings are fun and engaging – plus, you get to know more of your colleagues from all parts of the University. If we don’t support our at-work meetings, they will go away.

See you at noon on September 17. Be there or be fat!

If anyone on campus picks up a phone after a caller has been on hold, do not be surprised if the person on the other end is energized and ready to get more involved with this gem of a place we call the University of Mary Washington. As of this week, the sleep-inducing music is gone!

“While callers are waiting for assistance, we have a great opportunity to create and reinforce the UMW brand,” said University Marketing Director Malcolm Holmes. “Why not use this unique opportunity to educate them about the University and share information about the exciting things happening here?”  Callers will hear targeted on-hold messages about UMW’s history, attributes, and academic offerings. Many thanks to Malcolm and Networks and Communications Director Deborah Hovey-Boutchyard for making this happen.

Did you know you no longer have any excuses for putting off your weight loss? Weight Watchers makes it easy! They come to campus once a week. Each Wednesday at lunch time, UMW Weight Watchers @ Work members gather to not only weigh in, but also listen to inspirational messages from a certified WW@W leader and share ideas, victories, and pitfalls with colleagues.

In case you weren’t aware, Weight Watchers has time and time again been cited as the No. 1 weight loss plan in the country. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle. This is what a recent news report, which rated WW tops among five popular weight-loss strategies, had to say: This 50-year-old weight-loss juggernaut tops every nutritionist’s list. Although the plan’s been tweaked in recent years, the basic concept remains. Because you count points instead of calories, the math is simple, and no food is strictly off-limits.

Join us! This is the perfect time to start shedding all those snow-induced pounds and to get ready for swimsuit season. As an added bonus, Anthem reimburses full-time employees for half the cost of the plan. See – it’s a no-brainer!

Check us out Wednesday, April 2 for an open house at 12:30 in The Link. Any questions, contact Shannon Finley at sfinley@umw.edu or (540) 654-1382(540) 654-1382.

After years of being the best kept secret in higher education, UMW followed the lead of peer institutions, launching its brand in the fall of 2011. Developed in collaboration with consultants who surveyed more than 2,700 stakeholders, the brand distilled Mary Washington’s key attributes into a brand positioning statement, brand promise, and brand personality traits. Starting with a blank slate, every word was vetted by Leadership Council, and the University of Mary Washington became the place where great minds get to work.

Two years later, we decided to take stock. Does every word of our brand still ring true? While we have evidence that the brand is resonating with external audiences, do members of the campus community embrace it? Would new members of Leadership Council endorse it?

Last fall, we provided numerous opportunities for faculty, staff, and other stakeholders to help us answer those questions. Once we drilled down, the overwhelming consensus was: “Hey, this really IS who we are.” Even so, after listening to many voices, Leadership Council decided to tweak certain parts of the platform. The key changes were insertion of these words/phrases: inclusive, passion, and socially conscious. For further details on the process and the outcome, please contact Associate Vice President for University Relations Anna Billingsley.

Brand Platform Refresh

Fall 2013

Positioning Statement
The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective, public liberal arts and sciences university, which provides an inclusive, supportive community that values honor, leadership, and service. We attract high-performing students with talent, passion, and intellectual curiosity who thrive in an intensely personal, participatory, and rigorous academic atmosphere. Our small, highly interactive classes motivate students to prepare for, participate in, and embrace new knowledge so that they get the most out of their educational investment. Innovative and accessible master teachers inspire students to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and engage meaningfully. Beyond the classroom, students participate in a rich array of research, internship, leadership, service, and recreational opportunities, developing real-world skills and making the college experience fun and exciting. Our civically, socially, and intellectually engaged community inspires individuals to define and act upon their values. Our graduates are socially conscious, articulate, critical thinkers who have the confidence to explore challenges as opportunities and adapt and thrive in a complex, fast-changing world.

Brand Promise
Rigorous academics in an inclusive, supportive community of high integrity

Brand Drivers

• Small, highly interactive classes
• Innovative and accessible master teachers
• Rich array of research, internship, leadership, service, and recreational opportunities
• Civically, socially, and intellectually engaged community

Brand Personality Traits

• Intellectual
• Innovative
• Passionate
• Genuine

The University of Mary Washington has had a brand in place for two years. We are in the process of refreshing the Brand Platform, and we invite your active participation in this process. Please plan to join an in-depth discussion of this important strategy document during a special UFC meeting facilitated by Bob Brock and Marlene Brock, the principals of Educational Marketing Group:

Monday, Nov. 18
4 – 6 p.m.
Lee Hall, room 411

Alternately, if your schedule allows, Bob and Marlene will hold two open faculty/staff discussion sessions on Tuesday, and you may provide your input at either of these sessions:

Tuesday, Nov. 19
9:30-10:30 a.m.
Woodard, Red Room

or

Tuesday, Nov. 19
Noon – 1 p.m.
Woodard, Red Room