On August 15, I was asked to attend a meeting of all agency heads in Richmond to hear from the Governor about the status of the State’s budget.  As has been widely reported in the news, he and his staff reported that they are projecting a $2.4 billion dollar shortfall over the next biennium due, for the most part, as a result of cutbacks in Department of Defense spending.  While no specific budget reduction targets were announced, the Secretary of Finance did report that he thought a reduction in the 5 to 6 percent range would be required.  He went on to say that all state agencies and institutions of higher education will soon be asked to prepare budget reduction plans to ensure the state operates within a balanced budget.  To that end, we were encouraged to take steps immediately to curtail spending and think about how we will respond to the forthcoming budget reduction directive.  Accordingly, I am instituting a temporary freeze on all new hiring at least until we receive direction from the Governor’s office regarding the University’s level of reductions needed.  I have also directed Cabinet members to begin discussions with their staffs with respect to potential approaches to additional budget reductions in their areas.

Regarding the hiring freeze, all recruitment activity is immediately suspended pending review by Cabinet members of which positions will be filled at this time.  Criteria for the review will include strategic necessity and impact on service and/or work flow.  Supervisors and managers will be consulted as needed.  We will move expeditiously to complete this initial review to ensure the least amount of disruption to operations while we assess the extent of possible budget savings through this action.

Until further notice, hiring managers will be required to obtain approval from their Cabinet VP before progressing to the next phase in any recruitment (advertising, interviewing, offer, background check etc.). HR must receive Cabinet level approval for any recruitment activity.  If you have questions, please direct them to the Cabinet member responsible for your area.

Until we receive instructions and direction from the Governor’s office, I am not able to share with you how long this hiring freeze will last.  As soon as we know more, we will communicate that to you.  I remain hopeful that this State revenue shortfall can be managed in the least disruptive way possible.

Thank you for your support, patience and hard work.

Richard Hurley

President

The following message is from Parking Management:

Greetings to the UMW Campus Community:

As we begin the 2014-2015 academic year, the Parking Management Office extends a warm welcome to faculty, staff and students. We wish to share some basic rules of the road for a smooth opening of the school year. The Parking Management Office is responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient use of parking resources. As an added safety measure, UMW Campus Police provide escort services beyond the daylight hours. Please call 540/654-1025 to request service. Under the umbrella of Business Services, our Parking Management team includes:

Robin Jones, Supervisor; Mark Graziano, and William Barnett

Parking on Campus

Vehicles parked on campus must display a valid decal or temporary dash pass and be parked in a lot that corresponds with the decal designation. Reserved spaces and restricted lots are enforced at all times. College Avenue parking is available for commuters, faculty and staff with appropriate decals, as well as University visitors. The parking website offers guidance on seeking a parking pass for overnight campus guests.

Permits: Parking permit applications are available for eligible students and all faculty and staff through EagleNet.

Parking Lot Designation: A listing of all lots and their designation may be found on the Parking website (includes guidelines for the UMW Parking Deck)

Note: Change for the 2014-15 academic year: Good news, we have added two spaces for ‘30 minute Only Parking’ in the rear lot at Lee Hall. We hope that this will aid folks needing parking for short-term business, and pick-up/drop-offs. There is no UMW permit required, butthe time limit will be strictlyenforced. We welcome all feedback as we evaluate the value of these spaces.

Eagle Landing Parking Those residents of Eagle Landing who have purchased deck parking will receive RFID tags from the ELfront desk. These students have 24/7 access to the enclosed deck parking on floors 3 through 5 of Eagle Landing. Eagle Landing guest spaces are for registered guests with guest passes, available from UMW Parking Management, UMWPD, and (new this year) the Eagle Landing Front Desk.

Note: EAGLE VILLAGE is private property and parking is for tenants and customers of Eagle Village businesses only. Towing in these locations is enforced.

Parking in nearby Commercial and Residential areas: Students and faculty/staff members are cautioned not to park their vehicles in nearby commercial parking lots or residential communities while on campus. The City of Fredericksburg and Commercial Businesses restrict parking to patrons or residents within designated city blocks. Violators are subject to fines and towing.

Construction Projects affecting parking at this time:  Sunken Road lot #13/Woodard Hall lot contain the ‘construction staging area’ for Mercer/Woodard renovations. Use caution in the Back Drive area of campus while walking and driving, due to heavy construction equipment/traffic present.

Enforcement: To ensure the availability of safe parking and the efficient use of the parking resources, all parking regulations are enforced on a year-round schedule, ‘Failure to Register’ enforcement will begin Wednesday, August 27, 2014. The university has been granted the authority under the Code of Virginia Sections 23-9.2:3, and 2.2-4800 to issue citations and collect fines. 

The Student Parking Enforcement Program, introduced in 2011, will resume in September.

Specific questions on lots, decals or enforcement should be directed to:  Robin Jones, Parking Management Supervisor, 540/654-1129 or rjones@umw.edu.

We wish you a successful academic year .

Erma A. Baker   CPPO, VCCO, VCO

Assistant VP for Business Services & CPO

University of Mary Washington

1301 College Avenue

Fredericksburg, VA  22401

540-654-2043

ebaker@umw.edu