The following message is from the Office of the Provost and University Faculty Council Chair:

Dear Colleagues,

We write today to share next steps and provide clarity for the Academic Affairs Organization Model shared with UMW faculty and staff at the beginning of February. We are eager to continue the conversation and provide opportunities for feedback and refinement of the plan through established shared governance of the University Faculty Council, the deans and the administration.

The two upcoming UFC meetings in February and March will be key moments in the timeline to collect additional feedback and implement the next phase of the plan. The University Faculty Council will coordinate input from all avenues, formulate questions yet to be answered, and dispel misconceptions about the process or the plan itself. UFC strives to represent all faculty perspectives, and we know there are many viewpoints to consider. These meetings are additional opportunities to bring your viewpoint forward and discuss the next steps. We have much work ahead, including the process of reviewing and revising the Faculty Handbook.

The conversations we have had through this point have been illuminating. It’s clear that not everyone will agree, but we can come to a general consensus for a model that will spend less on administrative costs and help break down barriers, so we can be more collaborative. We have been working together on this plan and a potential path forward since September. As the Academic Organization Working Group worked throughout the fall semester, there were numerous opportunities for conversation, feedback and critique. The group provided weekly updates, in-person and online sessions, individual meetings and small group sessions, at several different times in the academic schedule.

If you did not yet engage in these opportunities, we encourage you to learn more and join the conversation at upcoming UFC meetings.

Today, we shared the model with the UMW Board of Visitors, which also reiterated their commitment to engage with UFC on a regular ongoing basis and encourage a revitalization of faculty engagement in shared governance. We have UFC as an established channel for further feedback, and we look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings. Following the March meeting, we will report back to the Board of Visitors at their regularly scheduled April meeting.

Rachel Graefe-Anderson, Ph.D.
University Faculty Council Chair
Associate Professor of Finance

Timothy M. O’Donnell, Ph.D.
Provost

The following update is from the Office of the Provost and Office of Administration and Finance:

UMW Campus Community,

Following the closure of Monroe Hall for the spring 2024 semester, the Registrar’s Office has relocated classes to other classrooms on campus. The full list is available online.

Students should check email and Canvas for any additional updates from instructors.

Faculty offices have also been reassigned to other academic buildings, and we continue to update the list online. Office information will also be updated in the online directory this week. For those with offices in the Monroe Hall, we’ll share upcoming opportunities to retrieve and move items in coordination with department chairs.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we adjust the class schedule at this critical moment in the semester and keep this iconic building on our campus in good repair and structurally sound. Classes, events, and activities should not convene in Monroe Hall, and the building will be closed to all access during the roof reconstruction project.

For those who have booked events, the Office of Events will reach out to relocate meetings.

This seemingly beautiful woodland photo is actually filled with 80% invasive species, Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), located in two areas around our UMW Physical Plant and ball fields.

In January, UMW Landscape & Grounds awarded a grant from the VA Department of Forestry to remove these trees, treat the stumps with herbicide and address future sprouting Ailanthus seeds this spring. You likely saw the big removal show in late January!

Ailanthus altissima forms dense, clonal thickets which displace native species and can rapidly invade fields, meadows, and harvested forests. This invasive tree species is extremely tolerant of poor soil conditions andcan even grow in cement cracks!

It is also the host species for another invasive species, the Spotted Lanternfly. This invasive plant hopper was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. In Pennsylvania and its native range, SLF is a pest of grapes, peaches, hops, and apples…and it’s working its way into Virginia. Removing their host tree helps keep them at bay!

The University of Mary Washington’s championship soccer field has long been associated with Roy Gordon, founding coach of the men’s soccer team. Now efforts are underway to name the field in his honor, while funding future improvements for the competition field and soccer stadium as a whole.

Gordon served the University of Mary Washington and its intercollegiate athletics program, especially the men’s soccer program, with distinction, dedication, and loyalty for 34 years. His men’s soccer teams captured 386 total wins, won eight Capital Athletic Conference titles, and advanced to nine NCAA tournaments. Since the Eagles made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1985, their cumulative record under Gordon’s leadership was 329-133-33, for an outstanding .698 percent.

One of the most respected college soccer coaches in the nation, Gordon repeatedly earned regional and national awards. He was named the Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year eight times, selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Regional Coach of the Year on five occasions, and named Virginia State College Division Coach of the Year an impressive four times. Gordon became one of only eight head coaches in Division III history to surpass 400 career wins, in 2007. Gordon received the NSCAA’s prestigious Honor Award in 2009, and was named to the NSCAA Hall of Fame in 2023.

“My guess is that playing soccer at Mary Wash was a deeply meaningful experience for many of you, and that the lessons learned and friendships made continue to influence your lives years after leaving Fredericksburg”, said UMW Hall of Fame alumnus Scott Karr. “This is certainly the case for me, and I am incredibly grateful to Coach Gordon for all I took away from my time at Mary Wash.  He was a phenomenal coach, team-builder, and teacher.”

The first coach in Mary Washington soccer history, Gordon oversaw the development and transition of the home field, from the site of the current recreation field on Alvey Drive, to the development of the Battleground Athletic Complex in the 1980s. Gordon’s Eagles hosted the 1997 NCAA Division III national championship.

Current coaches have also created nationally competitive teams and the enhancements to this facility will continue to attract the high-quality student athletes. The 1992 NCAA Division III women’s national championship and the 1997 NCAA Division III men’s national championship were decided on the Eagles’ home pitch, and the field has been the site of dozens of conference tournament and NCAA Tournament competitions over the years, including hosting conference and NCAA Tournament action in each of the past two years.

That momentum has brought larger crowds to games and the need for additional enhancements to the experience for players and audiences.

“UMW Athletics is excited to announce that the UMW soccer stadium is getting an upgrade through a multi-year fundraising effort led by our alumni. Our goal is to raise $600,000 and we are halfway there,” said UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. “The improvements will help elevate the program, ensure first-class facilities and attract the best future players.”

Upon completion of the fundraising effort a proposal to name the facility goes to the UMW Board of Visitors for approval.

LEARN MORE about the project and make your gift electronically. The Office of University Advancement can explain naming and customized giving options. Call 540-654-1024 or email advance@umw.edu for more information.

UMW Fitness Classes
Spring 2024 Schedule (valid through May 3) – Brought to you by Campus Recreation
Fitness pass required. Register for classes at campusrec.umw.edu.

Mondays
Noon to 1, Faculty/Staff Yoga, Bill, Goolrick 5
5:15 to 6 p.m., Barre, April, Goolrick 5
6:30 to 8 p.m. Intro to Mindfulness and Meditation, Bill, Leidecker Center, James Farmer Hall

Tuesdays
4 to 4:45 p.m., Pilates, Sofia, Goolrick 5
5 to 6 p.m., Embodied Yoga, Carla, Goolrick 5

Wednesdays
Noon to 1 p.m., Faculty/Staff Yoga, Bill, Goolrick 5
5 to 5:45 p.m., Full Body Strength, April, Goolrick 5
6 to 6:30, Cycle, April, Cycle Studio

Thursdays
5 to 5:45 p.m., Peaceful Poses, Carla, Goolrick 5
6:15 to 7:15 p.m., Zumba, Jorden, Goolrick 5

Fridays
4 to 5 p.m., Relaxation Yoga, Bill, Goolrick 5
5 to 5:45 p.m., Fitness Happy Hour, Instructor Varies, Goolrick 5/Cycle Studio