January 22, 2026

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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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.

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

 

Credit & Loans with College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson, May 19

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Join us online for virtual programming featuring faculty from UMW’s College of Business and sponsored by the College of Business Alumni Affinity Group.

Our first lunchtime session will feature Lynne Richardson, dean of the College of Business, discussing “Loans, Credit Cards, and Credit Scores.”

During this unprecedented time, it’s more important than ever to increase your financial literacy. Dean Richardson will help you better understand how loans and credit cards work, how credit scores are composed, and why those scores are important.

Tuesday, May 19
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Online

Register here for this free event. The day before the program, you will receive a link to the live-streaming video.

We look forward to seeing you online!

Commencement Update from President Paino

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A Message to the Class of 2020 and the UMW Community:

I know that graduating seniors and their families are devastated that the University can’t hold commencement on May 9 due to the coronavirus and the CDC’s ban on gatherings of over 50 people for two months. So are we. Commencement is one of UMW’s favorite times of the year, a chance to celebrate all that you have accomplished and to look forward to all that you will achieve. Few moments in the life of the University are as purely joyous as commencement.

So, I want you to know that the commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 is not cancelled; it is postponed until the fall. Grades are still due May 5 in order to confer your degrees by May 15. You will be able to get an official transcript that indicates you are a UMW graduate as you start jobs or the next stage in your education.

I don’t yet know the exact date for the class of 2020’s commencement this fall or any other details, but I know all of us want to celebrate you and give you a chance to walk across that stage. You are a unique class in the history of Mary Washington, full of resilience and determination in the face of unprecedented obstacles. Over the next few weeks we will pull together our commencement planning team — along with students, faculty, and staff — to find the right day, time, and way to celebrate during the fall semester.

In the meantime, please know how proud we are of you.

Sincerely,

Troy

COVID-19 Phishing Awareness Alert

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To the campus community:

As we continue to address the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, the Information Security Office is alerting the UMW community to beware of phishing campaigns that exploit COVID-19 concerns. Scammers often take advantage of health scares to distribute phishing scams. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spawn dozens of such campaigns, scaring recipients into clicking on malicious links or attachments in emails, text messages, or social media posts.

Don’t let the pandemic lower your guard. Phishing emails will still persist, even if the theme changes. Be on the lookout for the following:

  • Fabricated notices from health organizations (e.g., the CDC or local/state health departments)
  • Fake updates from an employer about policies or procedures to address the risk
  • Phony websites containing maps and dashboards
  • Information about protecting yourself, your children or your community that contain malicious links or attachments
  • Charitable appeals to help victims of the virus, which generally are not legitimate
  • Fake links to Zoom meetings

If an offer seems too good to be true or an email seems suspicious, feel free to forward the email to abuse@umw.edu.  IT Security will take a look at it for you.

Be safe.

Mike Townes
Director of Information Technology Security/ISO
University of Mary Washington
(540)-654-2152
mtownes@umw.edu

Important Information for Zoom Users

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The following information is important for anyone using Zoom to host meetings.  If you do not use Zoom, you can disregard this message.

With the increasingly widespread use of Zoom, we’re seeing a rush of “Zoom bombing” – uninvited participants dropping into Zoom meetings to share inappropriate or distracting audio, video, or images. To prevent this, Digital Learning Support is making some changes to the default settings of our UMW-owned Zoom accounts, and offering the following safety tips for anyone using Zoom (whether a free, shared, or UMW-owned account).

  1. Avoid sharing your meeting link publicly (on social media or a public website). Share the link in a closed environment like Canvas or direct email.

  2. Change your screen sharing settings to “Host Only.” Note: If you are using a UMW-owned Zoom account, we have edited the settings to make this the default. You will need to change the settings during your meeting if you want to allow other participants to share their screen.

  3. Consider turning on the Waiting Room feature. This will require the host to approve every participant before entry into the meeting. Keep in mind that if a participant is disconnected, you will need to re-approve them for entry, so this option requires keeping an eye on your Zoom notifications during the meeting.

  4. Alternatively, consider locking your meeting (via the “Manage Participants” button in your Zoom tool tray) once all attendees are present. Keep in mind that if a participant loses connection, they will not be able to reenter unless you unlock the meeting.

Feel free to use these tools at your own discretion. Some may work for your meetings, some may not.

For more information, we recommend Zoom’s blog post on the subject: How to Keep the Party Crashers from Crashing your Zoom Event

And of course, if you have questions or run into issues, you are always welcome to contact DLS using our contact form, or by emailing dls@umw.edu.

Change in Dining Service

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Due to the limited number of people now using dining services, and in keeping with the University and government directives regarding social distancing, Campus Dining Services will transition to providing one single serving time as of Saturday, March 28th. As of Saturday meal service will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the Chandler Ballroom. A full hot dinner meal will be available to “grab & go,” and guests will also be given cold boxed meals to use for breakfast and lunch on the following day. Guests coming to dinner on Friday, March 27th at the Top of the UC may get carry-out breakfast and lunch meals to use on Saturday.

An updated dining schedule can be accessed by going to UMW.SodexoMyWay.com and clicking on the Dining Update tab. For additional information contact Dining@UMW.edu.