December 14, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Veterans Day Luncheon, Nov. 11

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If you are currently serving or have served, the entire university community thanks you and your family for your service to our country. As a token of appreciation, we invite you to join us at the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom on November 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., for our annual Veterans Day Luncheon. This event is open to spouses and dependents, so please feel free to bring your family. Please send your RSVP to Ryan Hastings at rhasting@umw.edu to ensure an accurate headcount for seating and catering by Friday, November 7.

Women’s Leadership Colloquium November Coffee Talk, Nov. 11

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November Coffee Talk
Tuesday, Nov. 11
8  to 9 a.m.
718 Venue: 718 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Parking is available at Riverfront Park, George St. lot, Sophia St. parking deck, or street parking on Caroline St.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the key to achieving success and fulfillment lies in recognizing and harnessing your unique strengths. This session is designed to help you unlock new levels of personal and professional growth, which includes identifying talents and overcoming obstacles. Whether you are aiming for career advancement, personal development or simply seeking to better understand your own capabilities, “Empowering Your Potential” will equip you with the tools and insights needed to thrive in any endeavor. Speaker: Veronica Curry, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs at Germanna Community College.

Click to Register for November Coffee Talk

Next AI Event, Nov. 11

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Mark your calendars for NotebookLM Webinar: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 12:30 p.m., via Zoom

How can Google’s NotebookLM help you and your students organize sources, summarize information, and improve the writing process – without replacing meaningful academic work?

Join me on Tuesday, November 11 at 12:30 p.m. for a short, hands-on webinar where we’ll:

  • Walk through NotebookLM’s core features
  • Demonstrate how to build an AI-powered “notebook” from course readings
  • Explore ways to scaffold research, note-taking, and drafting

Zoom (12:30pm ET, Tues Nov 11):
https://umw-sso.zoom.us/j/85072833575

The session will be recorded and posted on the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts website:
https://academics.umw.edu/center-for-ai/

Questions? Visit the Center for AI & the Liberal Arts website for details and access information.

Final On-Campus Vaccine Clinic, Nov. 12

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The Student Health Center is collaborating with Giant Pharmacy to offer on-campus vaccine clinics during the fall semester.

There is one more clinic available:

  • Wednesday, November 12

Stop by the Cedric Rucker University Center living room areas from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The clinics are open to students, faculty and staff with no appointment needed. Vaccines for flu, Covid, shingles, meningitis, pneumonia and tetanus may be available, depending on availability on each date, typically at no cost with most insurance. For more information call the Student Health Center at 540-654-1040 or contact Associate Director Rene Sanders at rsanders@umw.edu.

Jewish Cultural Celebration Events, Nov. 17 – 21

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JCC Week Kickoff – Sherut (שרות): Monday, November 17 | 5:30 pm | Colonnade Room, Cedric Rucker University Center

This kickoff event for the Jewish Cultural Celebration will provide opportunities for individuals to engage in community service projects while learning about the Jewish value of giving back, or Tzedakah. This special event is dedicated to performing acts of philanthropy while exploring the roots, branches, and values of the Jewish community. This event is open to everyone.

Jewish Cultural Dinner at the Top of the CRUC: Tuesday, November 18 | 5:00 p.m. | Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC

Cost with Campus Meal Plan: 1 meal swipe or $15.27 flex. The cost for EagleOne or credit card is $17.64 plus tax, and $5.24 plus tax for children ages 4–10. The cost for UMW faculty and staff is $7.57. Co-sponsored by University Dining. Join the Jewish Student Association for a themed dinner and learn about upcoming events.

Jewish Cultural Celebration Major Speaker: Dr. Jeff Grossman: Wednesday, November 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Monroe Hall, Room 116

Jeffrey A. Grossman is Associate Professor of German and a founding member of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on German and German Jewish literature and thought, Yiddish literature, and the translation and transmission of literature, knowledge, and ideas. In addition to his book The Discourse on Yiddish in Germany from the Enlightenment to the Second Empire (Camden House, 2000) and a co-edited issue of the online journal Quest devoted to German and Habsburg Jews during the First World War, he has published numerous articles and book chapters on Yiddish and German literature. His work covers writers such as Sholem Aleichem, Y. L. Peretz, Dovid Bergelson, Shalom Asch, Heinrich Heine, Franz Kafka, and Walter Benjamin, among others. He has also written on English author Martin Amis’s treatment of the Holocaust. Grossman is currently working on a new book titled Scenes from the East: Translating Yiddish and the Eastern Jew in Early Twentieth Century German and German Jewish Culture.

Shabbat Dinner: Friday, November 21 | 5:00 p.m. | Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom

The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and continues until three stars appear in the sky on Saturday night. During Shabbat, families, friends, and community come together to reflect on the week and share a meal. Join the Jewish Student Association to conclude the week’s celebration with a Shabbat dinner.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit the James Farmer Multicultural Center webpage or contact (540) 654-1044. Email jfmc@umw.edu with questions regarding disability-related accommodations.

 

Jewish Cultural Celebration Talk, Nov. 19

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UVA Associate Professor of German Jeffrey A. Grossman is a founding member of the Jewish Studies Program at UVA.

UVA Associate Professor of German Jeffrey Grossman will speak about Sholem Aleichem, the great Yiddish author, on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in UMW’s Monroe Hall.

The Jewish Student Association is pleased to share this year’s schedule for its annual Jewish Cultural Celebration.

The speaker will be Jeffrey Grossman on November 19th at 7 p.m., in Monroe Hall, room 116.

Jeffrey Grossman is Associate Professor of German and a founding member of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on German and German Jewish literature and thought, Yiddish literature, and translation/transmission of literature, knowledge and ideas. Professor Grossman will speak about Sholem Aleichem, the great Yiddish author, playwright, and humorist, best known for his stories about Tevye the Dairyman.

The entire schedule can be found here:
https://students.umw.edu/multicultural/programs/jewish-cultural-awareness-week/

Please share with students and consider attending! Hope to see you there.

Virginia Archives Month 2025

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Archives Month 2025 Zine Cover

October is Virginia Archives Month 2025, and this year we’re zooming in on the power of photography to preserve and share history.

The theme, Oh Snap! Photography in the Archives, celebrates how a single image can capture a moment, a mood, and a memory, all in the blink of an eye. Photographs aren’t just visuals; they’re time machines that connect us to the people, places, and stories of the past.

In addition to our rich archival photo collections, we’re featuring a selection of rare books on photography, from early techniques to the evolution of the camera, available for browsing in the Reading Room (Simpson Library, Room 217).

Plus, check out the library’s special display in the Little Unborrowed Library, spotlighting books you can borrow on photography history, camera technology, and more!

Visit us during open hours or explore our digital collections anytime. Bring a friend, bring a class, or just drop by — we’d love to show you around and share how we keep UMW’s history accessible and alive for our campus community.

Follow Simpson Library on social media for updates on upcoming events, and don’t forget to check out the Library of Virginia for Archives Month happenings across the state!

Facilities and Landscaping Updates

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During Fall Break, we will complete the landscaping improvements adjacent to Custis Hall, weather permitting. We’ll add shrubbery and small caliper trees along the raised wall that will provide a natural border, similar to other areas of campus. The chains remain for now as a measure of attempting to reduce impact to the new landscaping as it is installed. Once restored, the area will be reopened as a greenspace on campus. We appreciate the feedback from students on this project, particularly through frequent conversations with SGA about use of the space as you navigate campus.

Ball Circle and the green space between Randolph and Mason Halls are also on the project list for Fall Break as we add compost from our leaf collection last year. This can be a dusty process, so it’s best completed when the space is empty.

Additional tree work will be completed throughout campus, but the big project happens at the new theatre site at the corner of William St. and Sunken Rd.The site preparation for the new academic home of UMW’s Department of Theatre and Dance includes removing two buildings and many trees from the site. Marshall and Russell Halls have been scheduled for demolition, beginning in November. It will take 90-120 days to complete this phase of the project. The road at Marshall Hill remains closed and will not reopen as the theatre is added to this corner of campus.

As we remove trees around the theatre site, we will repurpose them as mulch for campus, as feasible. In addition, about a third of the trees will be repurposed and reused around campus and in the regional community, creating artistic, functional and educational installations. For example, oak, maple and black walnut trees may be milled and cured for use in the theatre lobby, interior-use benches or tables. Smaller trees, such as dogwood, magnolia and holly, could be shared with local woodworkers to create artisan pieces. Any unused wood may be sold to the wood-purchasing market with proceeds to support our UMW Campus Tree Fund.

We’ve partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry for assistance with tree measurements and cataloging in advance of this phase of the project, along with contractors to complete the work. We also have on-campus leaders in this area, as Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby and her team have worked for many years to earn and maintain Tree Campus status.

New Locker Rooms Coming to the Battleground Athletic Complex
In addition, we are breaking ground for locker rooms at the Battleground Athletic Complex. The locker rooms will be located between the Shell Trail and Facilities Plant. Look for some temporary detours as waterlines are installed and the modular units are moved into place. We look forward to celebrating the start of this project with a groundbreaking around Homecoming.

Facilities Renovations
Work continues at Ball Hall for accessibility improvements including the addition of an elevator and room updates to the first floor to make several suites accessible. As materials are delivered to the site, we will be utilizing the Fairfax Parking Lot for this project. We’ll announce any significant closures to this area. Work also continues at Simpson Library to rebuild the brickwork on the façade of the building. We appreciate your patience during the noisy parts of this project, and note that the library remains open during schedule business hours.

Brickwork and Chalking Policy Reminder
Throughout the semester, we’ve repaired or replaced broken bricks along Campus Walk that may pose a safety issue. Thank you for working around these projects. As a reminder, chalking is not permitted on brick surfaces on campus, as it can be difficult to clean and detrimental to the bricks. Please review the Posting and Chalking Policy for more information.

Utility Projects
A steam pipeline repair project is tentatively on the schedule based on materials availability for Jefferson Square during Fall Break, resulting in a temporary outage of steam and hot water to Combs, Jefferson, and Bushnell Halls. As it’s scheduled, more information will be shared with residents of those buildings. Cold water is still available for restrooms during this time, and full water service should be restored by the restart of classes on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Contact Info
We appreciate you working around these areas as the projects take place. For more information, visit the Campus Construction website. For any questions, contact Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Capital Outlay Brian Gorham at bgorham@umw.edu.F