Beyond the Classroom, the College of Arts and Sciences blog, includes posts about the latest UMW success stories. These posts explore the experiences of students who participate in research and creativity projects with faculty mentors, earn credits off campus, and take advantage of partner programs that lead to graduate and professional degrees. These are the stories of UMW students who take their liberal arts learning … beyond the classroom. Check out the latest posts.
UMW Stafford Campus Named ‘Best of Stafford 2024’
UMW’s Stafford Campus has once again been named the best college campus in Stafford County. Landing in the “Best of Stafford 2024” list, the Stafford Campus is featured in the October/November issue of Stafford Magazine, along with the county’s other stand-outs.
The accompanying text touts campus-community connections, including professional development and specialized programs made possible through Continuing and Professional Studies. CPS offers programs for career advancement, professional certifications, educator development and personal enrichment. The Business Acumen Series and the Women’s Leadership Colloquium also are mentioned.
Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants Program Applications Now Open
The following message is from UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement:
We are pleased to announce the return of the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants program for its second year. Applications are now open for donor-funded grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 for initiatives by University-recognized student organizations, faculty, and staff. These grants are for projects that will take place between May 2025 and May 2026. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025.
Please see a helpful one-pager and the Impact Grants page for requirements, evaluation criteria, FAQs, and the application. Please contact Executive Director of Development Beth Hunsinger ’01 with questions: ehunsing@umw.edu or 540-654-2068.
Crosby Publishes in Women & Language
Assistant Professor of Communication Emily Deering Crosby
Assistant Professor of Communication Emily Crosby’s article “Dethroned Victor: The Marginalized Women of Blake Edwards’ Victor/Victoria,” published in the fall 2024 issue of Women & Language, revisits the iconic 1982 film to illuminate how the comedic humiliation of archetypal women characters reinstates patriarchy in seemingly progressive texts. This research paper also explores the anxiety-inducing effects of drag reflected in recent legislation, which disproportionately targets drag queens and trans girls as cultural threats. Learn more.
Internship Updates and Grant Applications Reminders
The following message is from the Associate Provost of Career and Workforce:
Dear Campus Community
As previously announced, the processes for submitting and approving internship contracts will be managed digitally in the University’s student career management system, Handshake. Starting with registration for Spring 2025, this change will allow us to fulfill institutional and state expectations to enhance efficiency and tracking of student internships. Therefore, paper-based internship contracts will no longer be used.
Students must login to Handshake to submit internship contracts; however, reviewers (i.e., Faculty Sponsors, Department Chairs, and Internship Site Supervisors) may approve contracts through an email prompt without logging in to the system. For step-by-step tutorials, please visit umw.edu/careercenter/internships.
Along with this change, the process for requesting internship evaluations has been integrated into the new contract process. The evaluation form for site supervisors has been enhanced to include questions related to the career readiness competencies outlined in our current Quality Enhancement Plan, Life After Mary Washington. We have also developed a similar evaluation form for students so that we may learn more about their internship experiences. Effective with Spring 2025 internships, Handshake will automatically send evaluation requests to site supervisors and students 21 business days prior to the end of the term and responses will be submitted directly to the system.
Students interested in internships may also apply for various internship grants through Dec. 2, 2024. Prospective applicants may find more information here: Internship Grants. Learn about upcoming opportunities as they open by following @umw_ccpd on Instagram.
Special thanks to Dr. Antoinette Jenkins for leading this effort and engaging all stakeholders in testing and design to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. If you have any questions, Dr. Jenkins can be reached at ajenkin5@umw.edu; 540-654-2104.
Gately Comments for FXBG Advance in Article About Jazz4Justice Concert
Department of Music Senior Lecturer Doug Gately
Department of Music Senior Lecturer and Director of the UMW Jazz Ensemble Doug Gately is quoted in the FXBG Advance in an article titled “Giving Everyone a Voice Through Jazz.” Gately discussed jazz music in the article highlighting the 11th annual Jazz4Justice concert at UMW, which raises funds for Legal Aid Works and provides scholarships to members of UMW’s Jazz Ensemble. “Jazz is creating music on the spot. It’s spontaneous composition and it’s the performer’s way of speaking to the audience,” Gately said. Read the article.
MyTime Leave Requests for Partial Days
Hello Classified Employees and Administrative Professional Faculty,
After completing the first full pay period in the new MyTime system, we noticed the new Request Time Off type called Partial Day (Start/Stop) was causing editing complications for our employees and supervisors.
We can streamline this process and ease your editing by directing you to use of the Request type called Partial Day Bulk.
Please review the Quick Guide for guidance.
- Use of Partial Day Bulk will populate the Raw Totals column of the timesheet with leave taken.
- FLSA Exempt employees (those who can edit their timesheets) will continue to edit the timesheet when the Leave Request is approved for the Current pay period. See the section called Viewing and Editing Leave Requests on the Timesheet.
- FLSA Non-exempt employees’ timesheets should not requiring editing by their supervisor when using the Partial Day Bulk option.
Partial Day Bulk Example for FLSA Exempt Employee
The employee is using 4 hours of annual and has requested a partial day bulk leave request. The image below shows that the “To” time has not been adjusted to reflect the time that the employee stopped working. Notice how the total hours for the day is 12 hours.
The image below shows the timesheet after the “To” time was edited by the employee to be 11:30am. Notice the total hours for the day is now 8 hours.
Note: The Partial Day Start and Stop option has been removed from the Request Type.
Contact payroll@umw.edu for assistance.
Stonestreet Curates Exhibit at Mountain Lake Biological Station
Director of UMW Galleries Tracy Stonestreet
Director of UMW Galleries Tracy Stonestreet is noted by e-flux Education for curating the exhibit “New Growth: Ten Years of ArtLab at Mountain Lake Biological Station.” The celebration of this exhibit takes place Friday, Nov. 8, and includes a panel discussion in the gallery at 4 p.m., bringing together artists and biologists who have been involved in ArtLab to discuss the ways that cross-disciplinary observations and perspectives enrich their work. ArtLab brings together artists with scientists to observe, explore and investigate the natural world. Read the article.
Cowan Boulevard Temporarily Closed
Cowan Boulevard to Close for 3 Weeks beginning October 21stbetween Hospital Drive to Snowden Hills for Sewer Main Replacement
As reported in July, approximately 1,480 linear feet of sewer main is being replaced through the Belmont Apartments and under Cowan Boulevard, which includes the section that failed on New Year’s Eve 2023 and resulted in a Cowan Boulevard emergency closure in January of this year. The City’s Public Works Department and its contractor, W.C. Spratt, have been working to replace the sewer main since late winter. Replacement of this essential sewer infrastructure is now roughly 80% complete.
We are now heading into the last segment of this important project. Beginning Monday, October 21st, Cowan Boulevard will be closed to all traffic, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in both directions between Hospital Drive and Snowden Hills Boulevard. This temporary closure is for work to install the new sewer main crossing under Cowan Boulevard. There are a number of underground utilities that the contractor will need to cross while installing the new sewer main, which necessitates the road segment being closed for approximately 3 weeks. The traffic detour will utilize Hospital Drive, Mary Washington Boulevard, Fall Hill Avenue, and Carl D. Silver Parkway. Please be alert in these areas and watch for traffic detour signs.
Residents are encouraged to visit FredericksburgVA.gov for updated information, and subscribe to “Public Works Newsflash” to receive updates about this project by text and email.
Farnsworth Co-authors Book Chapter on Political Humor
Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who also directs the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is co-author of a book chapter, “Late-Night Political Humor and the 2020 Presidential Campaign: Still All Trump, All the Time.” The chapter is published by Routledge in the edited volume Social Media Politics: Digital Discord in the 2020 Presidential Election. The chapter was derived from portions of Farnsworth’s recently published co-authored book, Late-Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency.
In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Running for governor, Spanberger a force in 7th District race (Richmond Times-Dispatch; The Daily Progress)
“Certainly, she’s lending her credibility to the (Vindman) campaign,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. “It would be a bad look for Democrats going into 2025 if Virginia Democrats can’t keep Virginia 7.”
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/elections/virginia-spanberger-governor-7th-district-derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman/article_ede60b92-8cab-11ef-b7cd-eb1916a3af98.html
https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/government-politics/elections/virginia-spanberger-governor-7th-district-derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman/article_1882a92b-0cf1-584b-acac-9700a7c502f4.html
https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/government-politics/elections/virginia-spanberger-governor-7th-district-derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman/article_1882a92b-0cf1-584b-acac-9700a7c502f4.html
ANALYSIS: Are Candidates Trading Shoe Leather for Online Ads? (FXBG Advance)
The Advance contacted University of Mary Washington professor Stephen Farnsworth to get his take on the lower turnout numbers.
“Wow,” he began. “These declines raise questions about whether the parties are investing enough in getting out the vote efforts. With a very close congressional election in the region we should be seeing a lot of early votes locked in – not the declines we are seeing so far.”
Youngkin blasts DOJ lawsuit that trust Virginia’s voter roll removals into national spotlight (Virginia Mercury; Yahoo.com)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that the legal fallout over Youngkin’s executive order and the subsequent debate in the national media will likely benefit the governor’s desire to remain in the public discourse. “I think Governor Youngkin is available to the national media because he wants to keep Republicans thinking about Glenn Youngkin. With the one consecutive term limit, Youngkin’s political fortunes may be improved with greater national media visibility.”
Evaluating Biden’s Presidential Accomplishments (All News Press)
Political expert Steve Farnsworth from the University of Mary Washington noted that Biden’s economic record is, in fact, quite strong. Unemployment is at a low level, and lucrative opportunities abound, particularly in real estate and the stock market. However, public perception does not always align with this economic recovery.
Trump Escalates His Attacks on Harris (RTVI News)
“I think the challenge Donald Trump is facing right now is trying to say something new about the vice president,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “The vice president has been attacked as a socialist and not very smart in speech after speech by Trump. I don’t think these latest insults are going to move the needle all that much.”
Youngkin blasts DOJ lawsuit that thrust Virginia’s voter roll removals into national spotlight (WHRO)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that the legal fallout over Youngkin’s executive order and the subsequent debate in the national media will likely benefit the governor’s desire to remain in the public discourse. “I think Governor Youngkin is available to the national media because he wants to keep Republicans thinking about Glenn Youngkin. With the one consecutive term limit, Youngkin’s political fortunes may be improved with greater national media visibility.”
Harris has 6-point edge on Trump in Virginia: Poll (The Hill)
In a survey conducted by the University of Mary Washington and released in September, Harris led Trump by 2 points, 48 percent to 46 percent, in Virginia.
Early voting for 2024 General Election in DC begins Monday (WJLA)
“You cannot imagine a race much closer than this one this time,” Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told 7News. “The polls have consistently shown a very, very close race – not only nationally, but in those key swing states that will determine who wins the electoral college.”
How the Networks will Deal with Disinformation, Exit Polls, Toss-Up States and More (Newsday)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist with the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg,Virginia, and an expert in disinformation’s impact on elections, says, “Each election becomes more fraught because more and more disinformation enters the public discourse and that makes it harder and harder to sort out what is true in that high pressure get-it-first environment of breaking news.”
Local registrars give vote of confidence to early turnout at the polls (Fredericksburg Free Press)
University of Mary Washington Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth said declines in early voting in the Fredericksburg area could mean that political candidates are spending too much on advertising this year and not enough on early voting efforts. “Early voting is a key thing for political campaigns,” said Farnsworth, who is also director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies.
Two Virginia candidates for Congress say democracy is at stake. It’s there the campaigns part ways (The Washington Post; MSN; Star Tribune; ABC News)
Stephen Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political science professor, said it’s Virginia’s most competitive race. “There’s a lot of national interest in the Virginia 7th, and it is the sort of district where congressional majorities are won and lost,” he said. “If you can’t win the outer-ring suburban counties of big cities in America, then you’re not going to be in the House majority.”
Voter roll removals draw national scrutiny as election nears (Richmond Free Press)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the legal fallout over Youngkin’s executive order and the subsequent debate in the national media will likely benefit the governor’s desire to remain in the public discourse.
Road closures set for Kamala Harris campaign address in DC Tuesday (WJLA)
“One of the things you have seen the Democrats lean into a lot in the last several weeks is this character argument about Donald Trump. He is not suitable to be President, they say”, said Stephen Farnsworth.
Eugene Vindman vs Derrick Anderson: Who will fill the open VA-7 seat? (Fox 5DC)
Stephen Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political science professor, said it’s Virginia’s most competitive race. “There’s a lot of national interest in the Virginia 7th, and it is the sort of district where congressional majorities are won and lost,” he said. “If you can’t win the outer-ring suburban counties of big cities in America, then you’re not going to be in the House majority.”
Trump tries to push borderline states into battleground territory down homestretch (The Denver-Gazette; Washington Examiner)
In the Old Dominion, Harris leads Trump, 50.2% to 43.8%, in the polling average, with an October Christopher Newport University poll showing Harris leading by as much as 11 points and a September University of Mary Washington poll showing Harris leading by as little as 2 points.
Presidental Election (WTOP)
“I think when the electoral college environment comes into play, there are better places for Donald Trump to spend his time other than Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Listen to the segment.