A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
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.
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:
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
For Hybrid Retirement Participants, 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Participants and ORPHE – DCP Participants
Interested in a phone appointment or virtual meeting with the Financial Advisor?
Click here to register for a Virtual Appointment
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!
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
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:
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
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.