July 11, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

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.

Newly instituted approval requirement for ALL University purchases

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To: All UMW faculty and staff
From: Paul Messplay

In order to more carefully manage the financial impact of COVID-19 on the University, we are implementing some additional spending control measures through at least the end of the fiscal year.

To that end, ALL purchases of goods and services, with the exception of Emergency Management and Facilities, will require Cabinet approval prior to procurement, regardless of fund source, effective immediately. Currently active University charge cards, with exception of those referenced above, will remain in a suspended status (deactivated) until further notice.

If you need to make a purchase, as always, you must work with your department’s authorized buyer, who holds a University charge card(s). The department buyer will route the request for purchase approval via the Approval to Purchase Request Form. Approval will be requested from the appropriate Cabinet member and, upon receipt of that approval, the applicable card (SPCC or Finance) will be temporarily activated for the approved purchase only.

  • If your department has Foundation Funds and/or a Foundation card, Cabinet approval is still required.
  • ALL purchases require pre-approval; regardless of fund source. This includes purchases traditionally made by check, AND reimbursements for purchases made with personal funds.
  • eVA requisitions, and Direct Pay check requests, will be reviewed for accompanying approval documentation prior to approval-to-purchase order.
  • All business meals, including catering, must be preapproved by a Cabinet member.
  • Documentation of purchase approval will be required in paper and electronic card files for future reviews and audits.

If you have questions about this process, please direct them to Procurement or  TESS.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Paul C. Messplay
Vice President for Administration and Finance & CFO
University of Mary Washington
(540) 654-1410

Stafford Campus will close as of March 26

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Effective this Thursday, March 26, UMW’s Stafford Campus will close, and all staff and faculty will be teleworking until May 15. Staff and faculty will have access with their ID cards to enter the South Building if necessary; similarly, Stafford County Public School personnel will be able to access the Gates Hudson Building if necessary during normal operating hours.

Important information about UMW continuity of service

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To:       UMW Faculty and Staff
From:  The Office of Finance and Administration
Date:   March 19, 2020

In keeping with Virginia’s public health guidelines for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, the University’s Administration and Finance support services have transitioned most staff to telework. These offices continue to support the campus community, with some modification to the service models.  Please see below for current details, which are subject to change as the situation evolves. Please regularly check the COVID-19 updates on UMW’s website for current campus advisories and information.

Finance and Accounting:

The Accounts Payable staff is primarily teleworking, with limited hours in the office.  You can contact AP by email at payables@umw.edu or by leaving a message at one of the staff’s extensions. https://adminfinance.umw.edu/ap/contact-us/

The Accounting staff is primarily teleworking, with limited personnel in Lee Hall. The best way to contact Accounting is to email accounting@umw.edu.

The Cashiers Office will have staff present in Lee Hall from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily but with limited face-to-face transactions.

Please email Mary Bullock or Rashel Hauber prior to arriving in Lee Hall.

Payroll is primarily teleworking but will have one person in the office Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Face-to-face transactions will be limited. Email communication is preferred.

Lynda Worthy    lworthy@umw.edu

Leslie Petrey      lpetrey@umw.edu

Cris Lopes         clopes@umw.edu

Kayla Hill            ksmith25@umw.edu

Tania Ellis          tellis@umw.edu

 

UMW’s MyTime System Administrator Cheryl Dunn is teleworking but can be reached by dialing her UMW extension (654-5981) or by email at cdunn@umw.edu. Support tickets for MyTime should go topayroll@umw.edu or through the UMW Help Desk.

Training and System Support will be staffed by Vickie Chapman in the office 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily; Vanessa Shurina will be teleworking. Please email tess@umw.edu for assistance.

The Office of Student Accounts will have staff present in Lee Hall from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily but with limited face-to-face transactions.

Please email umwbills@umw.edu prior to arriving in Lee Hall.

 

Human Resources:

In keeping with the CDC guidelines regarding social distancing, the Human Resources staff is working remotely, and we request that communication be handled by email or phone whenever possible. You may call the HR Office at 540-654-1214: voicemail will be monitored during normal business hours (8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday). You may also send email as follows:

 

Benefits – Denise Frye dfrye@umw.edu

Employee Relations – Terri Arthur tlockhar@umw.edu

Recruiting – Pam Lowery plowery@umw.edu

All other needs/inquiries – Debra Wander dwander@umw.edu

 

If an in-person visit is essential, the HR Reception Office will be open on the following reduced schedule, subject to change at any time:

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – 9 a.m. to noon

Wednesday – 9 a.m. to noon

Thursday – 9 a.m. to noon

Friday – Closed

 

Procurement

Due to remote operations of our Procurement Services team, email is the preferred form of communication. Please visit the Procurement webpage for further contact information. Voicemail left on office numbers will route to email. Package deliveries to the procurement office may be rerouted to the UMW Post Office or the Central Storeroom as long as they remain open for business.

 

Business Services 

Bookstore

Staff are on site processing online orders, answering customer calls and emails, and processing course material adoptions. The Bookstore is closed to walk-in traffic.

Questions about the Bookstore may be directed to:

Brett McMichael, Store Manager – 540-654-1767 or bmcmicha@umw.edu

Nicole Opper, Textbook Department – nopper@umw.edu

Charles Riley, Operations – criley@umw.edu

 

Business Services office staff members are working remotely and can be reached as follows:

Business office: Patty Land – pland@umw.edu

Hotel lodging, licensing, office manager: Lauren McDonald – lmcdonal@umw.edu

Kathy Sandor – kunderwo@umw.edu  or 540-654-1648

 

Copy Center

Copy Center hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

EagleOne Card Office

Staff members are working remotely. One person will be onsite as needed for emergency card replacement and will coordinate pick up location and times for cards at the time of request. Email is monitored throughout the day, and voicemail is checked hourly:

 

EagleOne Card Office: eagleone@umw.edu , 540-654-1005

Barbara Quann: bquann@umw.edu ,  540-654-1377

Maie Makin: mmakin2@umw.edu , 540-654-1005

 

Parking Management

Parking questions and concerns may be directed to Jean Elliott at jelliot3@umw.edu or 540-654-1129.

 

Post Office and Campus Mail Delivery

There are no changes to student mail procedures at this time.

Delivery times and locations for the faculty and staff mail run have changed. Effective 3/18/2020, mail for buildings designated as essential will be sorted by department, and delivered to one location within each of the following buildings:

Brent Hall

Eagle Village –  Suite 480

George Washington Hall – Rm 111

Hurley Convergence Center*

Jepson Alumni Executive Center*

Jepson Science Building

Lee Hall – Student Services Center

Physical Plant

Simpson Library

*Indicates the need for one building representative to contact the UMW PO (540-654-1049 or amahler@umw.edu) to arrange a mail delivery location and schedule.

If your building is not listed above, there are two options for receiving campus mail:

1) One representative for your department should contact the UMW Post Office and schedule preferred delivery days to a single location in your building.

2) Department representatives may plan to pick up mail at the UMW Post Office window between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

UPS and FedEx deliveries

UPS and FedEx will attempt to deliver to the recipient on the shipping label. In the event that no one is available to receive these deliveries, after the last attempt the packages will be delivered to the UMW Post Office instead of being returned to sender. The UMW Post Office will notify the recipient via the package tracking system that a package is there and arraignments can be made to retrieve the package.

 

A Message to the Class of 2020

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Class of 2020 President Eleanor Kilmon shared a moving message with her classmates.

To My Fellow Seniors,

One week ago, I sat down on Ball Circle surrounded by the bustle of excited students emerging from their residence halls ready to enjoy the first touches of spring in the air. I began writing the greeting I would share as we prepared to receive our diplomas on commencement day. And now, I sit on my bed in my sweatpants and an XL t-shirt surrounded only by my own emotions and an embarrassingly large amount of tissues. Still though, I am writing to my people, the UMW Class of 2020. Ironically, my speech was going to focus on what I like to call the “uncomfy” zone. The space where at Mary Wash where I have built my character as a friend, a leader, and a grown to be a better person. I was going to encourage you to find that growth in your own “uncomfy” zone as you move into an unfamiliar world where we don’t see our friends, professors, and mentors every day. Little did I know, we would all be thrust into an undeniable sense of uncertainty and uncomfortable so soon. While we mourn the loss of what could have been, I would like to share what I know for certain. The UMW community stretches beyond the brick and mortar of our beloved buildings. I find solace in my privilege of existing in these “uncomfy” times surrounded by a what I believe to be the best “Class of 2020” I could have imagined. I hope to see you all soon and celebrate IRL. By the way, what is stopping us from screaming IT’S FRIDAY, having a higher than average love of goats, or painting a rock in our yards?

Yours,

Eleanor Kilmon

Class of 2020 President

UMW announces new work protocols for all employees

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Dear Faculty and Staff:

Following the announcement of further Virginia guidelines and restrictions to manage the impact of COVID-19, effective today, March 16, 2020, UMW is implementing new working protocols for employees, whether their roles may be fulfilled virtually or must be done on-site. Please read this communication in full for further details as to how these protocols may affect your role.

First, and most importantly, the safety of the entire campus community is a top priority for UMW and the Commonwealth. The steps described in this email are being taken in an abundance of caution and because it is our public and social responsibility to help diminish the potential spread of COVID-19. Self-quarantine by a few members of our community is a safety precaution, not an  indication of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Please help reduce anxiety or fear by correcting and refuting rumors. There have been no reported or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our campuses.

At this time, several hundred students have registered to remain on the Fredericksburg campus; however, this number is fluid and changes day by day. Even as we continue to encourage students to go home, remaining on campus is the safest or only feasible option for many. We will continue to serve them to the best of our ability, providing for their physical, emotional, and academic needs. This said, UMW may need to modify the services we have provided to this point. If your department was previously designated to remain open, please consult with your supervisor as to any changes that may affect your work.

UMW is continuing with plans to begin online and virtual instruction today for all students. We have a duty to ensure that students can successfully complete their spring classes and make appropriate progress towards graduation.

Staff and Supervisors

Given the lack of clarity on how long Virginians will need to practice social distancing, supervisors will be expected to identify optimal ways to work with employees remotely and to be available for all typical guidance and direction.

In addition to establishing telework protocols and accountability, supervisors are encouraged to think creatively about new means of accomplishing core functions. Supervisors may also use this time to have employees work on strategic and tactical plans, complete professional development and training, participate in virtual meetings and team activities, or other duties as assigned. Supervisors will work with employees to make sure deadlines are met, duties are fulfilled, and responsibilities completed, albeit remotely.

Please read below for additional information on continuing our work and mission:

Supervisors should take steps immediately to contact their employees to notify them whether they are considered:

  1. Essential personnel—physical presence on campus,
  2. Essential personnel—physical and/or remote presence,
  3. Non-essential personnel—no telework option or
  4. Non-essential personnel—telework only.

Wherein possible, we are starting the process of redeploying all those employees who may work remotely, both essential and non-essential, to telework status. Decisions related to your designation or where your work may be completed are subject to change as circumstances evolve. Your supervisor will reach out as things change, so pay attention to your email and phone.

Supervisors (in consultation with their division VP) should be moving, as appropriate, all eligible employees to telework. Supervisors should consult with their employees about assignments and challenges to working remotely. Supervisors will email HR (Debra Wander – dwander@umw.edu) with a list of employees, job titles, brief summary of what each employee will be doing, while teleworking in their unit.

Supervisors will document telework assignments as follows: email each employee their telework status (see above for the four options), the nature of their remote work assignments, and procedures and dates for checking in with their supervisor or other team members.

All employees will continue to work, but the nature of different roles will require varying campus availability. In most cases, employees will be expected to work their normal shifts and/or complete their full hourly requirements whether remotely or on campus. Employees who need scheduling flexibility to address family or personal needs should contact their supervisors.

As usual, non-exempt employees should complete their time cards to reflect their actual working hours. If you cannot complete your timecard electronically via MyTime, submit your hours to your supervisor in written form via email or text. Employees will be fully compensated at their normal pay rate, assuming they are meeting their onsite or telework assignments and requirements as well as their standard number of working hours per pay period.

Further, employees, whether working on site or remotely, essential or non-essential, should expect to assist wherever needed during these extraordinary circumstances. Many or all may be expected to complete tasks outside their normal job description.

Resources about telework and working remotely can be found at HR’s site and the Help Desk’s advice on working remotely. Additional links will be added as available.

Faculty

Faculty will continue with remote instruction. Department chairs, associate deans, and deans are available to help assist with your general academic questions. The Center for Teaching, Digital Learning Support, Digital Knowledge Center, the Library, and other support centers remain available to assist faculty and students.

All Employees

This transition to telework, where possible, will support the social distancing strategy recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and will follow guidance from the Virginia State of Emergency declared by Governor Ralph Northam.

The UMW community’s response to this fast moving and ever-changing situation has been professional and positive, and we are grateful for the way all of you have put the needs of students above personal impact. Your flexibility and agility have been evident, and we will continue to call upon them and your best nature. In times like this, the strength of our community is truly demonstrated, and we thank you for your commitment.

Paul Messplay
Vice President for Administration Finance

Nina Mikhalevsky
Provost

In keeping with ASPIRE, we are committed to a learning environment that supports the wellbeing of all students, staff, and faculty free from harassment, discrimination and unfair bias. If you who have questions or concerns are encouraged to report a bias incident or may contact Terri Arthur at tlockhar@umw.edu or Sabrina Johnson at sjohnson@umw.edu, directly.

Employee Travel Guidance, COVID-19

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Dear Faculty and Staff,

I am writing to provide additional guidance regarding domestic and international travel as part of our efforts and the efforts of the Commonwealth to manage the impact of the coronavirus.

As mentioned in President Paino’s message on March 11, all University-sponsored international travel is suspended until at least May 15. While we recommend using caution and good judgment for all travel destinations, if you undertake personal international travel to any country that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified as a level 3 risk, or the State Department has identified as a level 3 or 4 risk, we expect you to follow CDC guidance. You must not return to campus until you have followed that guidance. Upon return home, notify your supervisor and self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. You are urged to seek medical attention if you experience fever, coughs or difficulty breathing. Read the latest CDC travel guidance related to COVID-19.  

In accordance with Governor Northam’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 12, all University-sponsored domestic travel outside of Virginia is suspended for 30 days, even if your travel was previously approved and regardless of the funding source of your official business travel. The Governor will revisit these guidelines after the initial 30-day period.

We strongly discourage all University travel for non-essential purposes, particularly if traveling by air, attending large gatherings or traveling to areas experiencing high numbers of COVID-19 cases, as documented by the CDC. As a part of the University’s travel approval process, we are asking supervisors and approvers to carefully evaluate the purpose of a trip, the destination’s COVID-19 conditions and why the travel is essential to the University. We also discourage personal travel when possible.

If you must travel, whether University-sponsored within Virginia or personal, please take all possible precautions, including staying up to date on the latest spread of the virus.

Please check UMW’s COVID-19 web page for additional travel information under the Frequently Asked Questions section.

The University’s Emergency Operations Team will continue to carefully monitor the situation, and both international and domestic travel guidelines will be updated and communicated to the UMW community as needed.

As always, take appropriate steps to ensure your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of those around you.

Sincerely,

Paul Messplay

VP for Administration & Finance, and CFO

A Message from the President regarding COVID-19

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To the campus community:

I am writing to share important information about the University’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. In recent days, the University’s Emergency Operations Team has been closely monitoring the situation and has been working to plan and prepare for possible disruptions to our operations. We have consulted with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), the Governor’s Office, local officials, and our colleagues in higher education around the Commonwealth and beyond. Though we have no known cases of infection among members of the University community, the virus’ spread across the mid-Atlantic region is continuing and it is likely that this will be the case for some time.

In this challenging time, we appreciate your positivity and cooperation as we try, first and foremost, to ensure the safety and well-being of our campus community. Equally important is our commitment to keeping all students on track to complete their course work for the semester and maintain progress towards graduation. We realize that the virus, as well as the uncertainty of what lies ahead, may cause heightened anxiety across our campus community. Your concerns are understandable, and we will continue to communicate with you as frequently as possible to give you accurate and current information.

Based on the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the VDH, we will immediately initiate a series of steps designed to mitigate the risk of transmission. The goal of these efforts is to promote social distancing by minimizing gatherings in which members of the community spend long periods of time in close proximity. We know from public health officials that this step is essential to help slow the spread of the virus in the United States.

First, all classes will be cancelled this Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13. This will provide faculty and staff an opportunity to virtualize instruction and prepare to move teaching and learning online and to alternate formats beginning next week. All in-person class meetings will be suspended and instruction will be moving to online and alternate learning options for a three-week period beginning on Monday, March 16, and continuing through Friday, April 3, pending further developments.

Provost Nina Mikhalevsky will soon provide faculty with additional information in support of this effort. The University will continue to monitor the situation and will make appropriate adjustments as necessary to the timetable outlined above.

Let me be clear: the University will remain open with operations and services continuing with minimal interruptions.

While all in-person classes are being moved online and to alternate learning approaches, this will allow residential students to depart the campus. All residential students are strongly urged to return home by the end of this weekend. The Office of Residence Life & Housing will be available to work with and support students during this transition and Vice President Juliette Landphair will be sharing additional information with all students shortly.

To further ensure the health and safety of members of the University and local communities, we will also limit gatherings and travel during this critical time period. Effective tomorrow, all University events and programs, as well as all other events scheduled for the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses, are cancelled through April 6. Varsity athletic conference competition will continue while we work with athletic conference partners and the NCAA.

Further, all University-sponsored international travel is suspended until at least May 15. All members of the UMW community are strongly encouraged to exercise caution in domestic University-related and personal travel. Further guidance about travel will be provided in a follow-up communication from Vice President for Administration and Finance Paul Messplay.

In taking these actions, our goal is to ensure the health and safety of the University community while maintaining the continuity of our academic programs so that students remain on track to complete the semester and, in the case of our graduating students, to receive their degrees.

While we hope that we will be able to return to in-person classes at the beginning of April, we must also understand that this may not be possible. We will update you as events warrant for this very fluid and rapidly evolving situation.

Please also continue our tradition of care for one another. We encourage you to acknowledge the hard work of the people working in residence halls, facilities, services, and classrooms as they prioritize student learning and the safety of all members of our community. In keeping with ASPIRE, UMW is committed to creating an environment that supports the wellbeing of all students, faculty, and staff with all members of the community being treated with dignity and respect.

Thank you for your help and leadership as we work collaboratively to face COVID-19 as a united community and take steps to respond in this complex situation.

President Troy D. Paino
University of Mary Washington