The University of Mary Washington has achieved a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), as confirmed by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees during its annual meeting on Dec. 3.

“Once again, the University of Mary Washington has proved that ours is an education that matters,” said UMW President Troy Paino. “We appreciate all who contributed throughout the process and through their work each day, particularly our faculty and staff. Together, we achieve and sustain a high-quality, highly ranked educational experience that goes beyond the classroom through student learning opportunities and alumni accomplishments and connections.”

The reaffirmation process spanned more than a year with input and insight across the University, culminating in a March 2023 on-site visit by a committee of leaders from peer institutions. The committee met with students, faculty and staff, as well as board members, reviewing documentation, policies and practices, and finding zero areas for recommendations. Read more.

A New York Times bestselling author. An Emmy-nominated television host. A past poet laureate. Two previous U.S. ambassadors. The former CEO of Rolls Royce North America. An award-winning chef and restauranteur. And the newly minted assistant general manager of the Chicago White Sox.

Those are just a few of the individuals recognized in the University of Mary Washington’s inaugural Alumni of Distinction class, featuring 35 exceptional graduates who excel in the fields of business, law, medicine, arts and entertainment, sports, literature, human rights advocacy, philanthropy, scientific research, higher education and more. Spanning generations and professions, their accolades can be found displayed on the first floor of George Washington Hall and in an online gallery. The University is accepting new submissions – grads can nominate themselves or others on the UMW Alumni website – and fresh faces will be added every five years. Read more.

“For what it’s worth, I’m really stressed out.”

The email from a fellow faculty member prompted University of Mary Washington Center for Teaching Director Victoria Russell to print it out and carry it in her planner – and in her mind – for nearly a year.

It served as a reminder of her plans with colleagues to address a growing concern in college classrooms – the challenge of meeting increasing student mental health needs while maintaining meaningful, rigorous coursework. Those plans sprang to life earlier this month with a keynote address and workshop by sought-after psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh, author of Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge. Read more.

Binge-watching C-SPAN from his great-grandmother’s couch was just the beginning for Tylik McMillan.

“That’s the only thing she watched,” he said. And as he sat there, too, seeing politics play out on the screen, he pictured himself – and other young men and women of color – with their own seat at the table.

Now 27, McMillan is a social justice leader and movement strategist who’s worked with The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) for more than a decade. He’s been featured for helping organize marches and for his viewpoints on voting, police reform and other civil rights issues on Good Morning America, CBS News and CNN. And, yes, you can find him on C-SPAN. Read more.

University of Mary Washington senior Nathaniel Huff attended 19 professional theatre performances in the span of three weeks – more than most patrons see in a year – on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer.

A theatre major, Huff grew up in a small town with limited access to his chosen field. He said that going abroad exposed him and his classmates to a wide variety of plays and musicals, including several world premieres. “There is no doubt that the productions I witnessed are influencing my work and giving me ideas on how to engage with the creative process,” said Huff, who is currently directing a play he discovered at England’s National Theatre for his senior project. Read more.