December 17, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Employee Appreciation Day, May 11

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A message from the Office of Human Resources.

The 2020 UMW holiday calendar designates May 11 as Employee Appreciation Day; this has not changed, we still have the day off!

Traditionally, this day is intended to give faculty and staff a break after Commencement. Although there’s no graduation ceremony this spring, UMW employees have been working tirelessly responding to COVID-19 and continuing to do great work under very challenging circumstances. We want to show our gratitude with this well-deserved break on Monday, May 11.

Thank you for all you do, and enjoy your time off to rest, relax and recharge.

 

Best wishes, and Be Well!

Beth Williams
Executive Director for Human Resources

2020 Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

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Starting Friday, May 1, it’s Open Enrollment!  This is your window each year to enroll in a health plan and/or a flexible reimbursement account (FSA), change your health plan, add or remove family members or waive state health coverage.

Changes to your premiums, health benefits and FSAs will take effect on July 1, 2020.

Plans Offered Administrator Available
COVA Care Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Statewide and elsewhere
COVA HealthAware Aetna Statewide and elsewhere
COVA HDHP Anthem Statewide and elsewhere
Kaiser Permanente HMO Kaiser Permanente Regional, primarily in Northern Virginia
Optima Health Vantage HMO Optima Health Regional, in Hampton Roads
TRICARE Supplement Selman & Company Statewide and elsewhere for employees or their spouses who are military retirees

 

Need help making decisions?  ALEX, your online benefits counselor, is on the job again!  ALEX can assist you in reviewing your health plan options, do the math based on your input, and recommend a plan for you.

See the Spotlight newsletter, which was mailed to your home address. Or you can visit the Open Enrollment page for more information.

Make your elections on EmployeeDirect or complete, sign and mail an enrollment form.

The deadline to enroll or make changes is Friday, May 15, 2020.

Questions?  Contact your Benefits Administrator or send an email toopenenrollment@dhrm.virginia.gov

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Join Mary Washington’s ‘Mother of All Book Clubs’

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Looking for a way to stay connected to other alumni during this challenging time? Join our new online literary group–the Mother of All Book Clubs!

Alumni will read and collaborate via a Facebook group. The Facebook group is private, so only approved members will be able to see posts or participate in the discussion. This is designed to be an informal and low-pressure group–read along with us and chime in on the discussion as much or as little as you like.

Our first selection is “Educated: A Memoir,” by Tara Westover. This was UMW’s Common Read for 2019, so we’ll be reading the same book that all incoming freshmen read last fall.

Pick up a copy of the book and start reading–we will begin posting discussion questions about Part 1 on Monday, April 20.

You might have a local small-business bookseller you like to support, and that’s great! But if you are in a shutdown area and need the book shipped, here are some links to larger providers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target.

We look forward to reading with you!

 

All the best,

The Alumni Relations Team

Mary Talks: Eric Gable on ‘An Anthropology of Art’

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Join us ONLINE for the next Mary Talk of the 2019-20 academic year.

Next in this year’s series is Eric Gable, professor of anthropology and recipient of the 2018 Waple Faculty Professional Achievement Award at UMW, presenting “An Anthropology of Art: Images and Objects from a Cross-Cultural Perspective.”

Professor Gable’s lecture distills his current book project, which delves into anthropology’s long-standing fascination with art and what it reveals about human equality and difference. The lecture is based on an ongoing study of Western art museums and how primitive art–particularly African–has been interpreted therein, and will include material on artistic practices among the people of West Africa and Indonesia, where Gable conducted field research.

Wednesday, April 22
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Online

To watch the Talk online, register here. You then will receive a link to the streaming video, which can be watched live or at a later time. You also will have the opportunity to submit questions to be asked of the speaker at the end of the Talk.

Note: Online viewing is the only option for this Mary Talk, as we are not conducting any in-person events at this time.

We look forward to seeing you online!

Chichester Discusses UMW Landscaping with Total Landscape Care

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Holly Chichester, UMW’s landscape and grounds manager, recently spoke with Total Landscape Care about how she and her team are keeping the Mary Washington campus looking beautiful in the midst of the coronavirus threat and social distancing guidelines.

Chichester says the team is now working in groups of no more than three people in shifts throughout the week to help cut down on close-quarters interaction with each other. During this time, each worker will be assigned a mower for the day that only he/she will use, and once the work is completed, he/she will hose off and sanitize the mower.

“It’s very fluid and we take it as we can,” Chichester says. “We’re doing the best that we can. The rules still apply; we’re just being as flexible as possible.” Read more.

All good things must come to an end!

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Clearly, with all good intentions, some folks at UMW started what was described as “a good, old-fashioned chain letter.” However, we have learned that chain letters are prohibited by the University’s Network and Computer Use Policy. Therefore, if you receive such a letter by email, please disregard it. We do encourage you to inspire your colleagues – just do so by emailing them individually.

For your enjoyment, however, here are a few things that were shared via the short-lived chain letter.

Free Guided Meditation Calls on Fridays

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Mindfulness and meditation is great for relieving stress and improving mental health. On Campus Recreation’s free weekly meditation calls, you won’t be asked to speak, but simply to listen and relax as Bill guides everyone on the line through some mindfulness practices to start your weekend off on the right foot. Give it a try! What have you got to lose?

  • 30 minutes of LIVE guided meditation with Bill Brooks, UMW Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor
  • Fridays from 12:15-12:45 pm
  • It’s easy to participate. On your phone:
    • Dial 425.436.6352
    • Enter the access code 155679

Farnsworth Comments on Upcoming Elections in Henrico Citizen

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Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who is also the director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently commented in the Henrico Citizen on the possibility of using mail-in or absentee ballots for upcoming elections.

The groups are asking for provisions such as free or prepaid postage, allowing ballots postmarked by election day to count, in addition to extending early voting periods for in-person voting. Two possible alternatives to replace voting in person are mail-in and absentee ballots, according to Stephen Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg that specializes in media and elections.

Farnsworth believes it’s unlikely that the November U.S. presidential election will be delayed, but said voters may see changes at the polls.

“Even for states that don’t make the switch away from largely in-person voting, you can expect much greater opportunities for no-excuse-required early and absentee voting,” Farnsworth said. Read more.

C-SPAN Airs ‘Great Lives’ Lecture on Joanne Freeman’s ‘Field of Blood’

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Missing UMW’s celebrated Great Lives lecture series? Coronavirus cut this season short, but you can catch pre-recorded episodes on C-SPAN. Acclaimed author Joanne Freeman kicks off the three-part series by discussing her book, Field of Blood, which recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress.

View the C-SPAN coverage of Freeman’s lecture, based on her acclaimed 2018 work, The Field of Blood. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery.

These fights didn’t happen in a vacuum. Freeman’s dramatic accounts of brawls and thrashings tell a larger story of how fisticuffs and journalism, and the powerful emotions they elicited, raised tensions between North and South and led toward war. In the process, she brings the antebellum Congress to life, revealing its rough realities―the feel, sense, and sound of it―as well as its nation-shaping import. Funny, tragic, and rivetingly told, The Field of Blood offers a front-row view of congressional mayhem and sheds new light on the careers of John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and other luminaries, as well as introducing a host of lesser-known but no less fascinating men. The result is a fresh understanding of the workings of American democracy and the bonds of Union on the eve of their greatest peril.

Emergency notification to all members of the UMW community

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The following message is from the Office of Public Safety.

The welfare and safety of our community during this time is the University of Mary Washington’s primary concern. We are writing to inform you that the University learned this morning of a member of our community testing positive for COVID-19. This person worked in Lee Hall and has not been present on campus since March 17.

Upon learning of this staff member’s diagnosis, we immediately notified public health authorities and consulted with epidemiology and infection prevention experts. In coordination with the Virginia Department of Health, we have begun tracing any possibility of or potential exposure to students and staff, based on the timeline of this incident. Those who had been in direct contact with this individual have been contacted and offered additional guidance. Also, in an abundance of caution, we are closing Lee Hall at the end of business today for thorough cleaning.

We are relieved to report that this patient showed mild symptoms, did not require hospitalization, and is recuperating at home.

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take seriously CDC- and state-issued health guidelines regarding COVID-19. These guidelines are designed not only to ensure your own well-being, but the well-being of others:

  • Engage in social distancing. Do not go to work or school. Keep at least 6 feet from other individuals.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with your hands.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • Watch for cough, troubled breathing, or other signs of respiratory infection.
  • Monitor temperature for a fever above 100.4 degrees F.
  • If you develop a cough, fever, and/or difficulty breathing, call a healthcare provider or dial 911. You may also call the Virginia Health Department at 877-ASK-VDH3.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, please inform your supervisor and/or Human Resources. All such communications are strictly confidential.

Our thoughts are with each of you. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Emergency Management Director Mike Muckinhaupt at mmuckinh@umw.edu or 540-654-2108.

 

Stay safe,

Mike Muckinhaupt                                                                           Mike Hall
Director of Emergency Management and Safety                       Chief of University Police