In the Company of Strangers: AI and the Value of Estrangement
Dr. Alexa Alice Joubin, Professor of English at George Washington University

Monday, Feb. 2, weather permitting
4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Combs 139
Reception to follow

About the talk: AI makes us strangers to ourselves in a productive manner. AI can produce uncertainties, but AI also compels us use estrangement as cognitive and affective intervention. We put our embodied perception and emotions on the line when we interact with human and more-than-human entities. This hands-on workshop addresses two of the challenges in our era: (1) data poverty despite informational abundance due to AI’s inequitable filtration, and (2) disempowerment through exclusion, which is caused by technological opacity. The solution to information inequity is open culture, which transforms us from mere consumers of AI to informed participants in the digital world. The antidote to opacity and exclusion is participatory justice through meta-cognition (the ability to reflect on one’s own thought processes). 

About the speaker: Alexa Alice Joubin is a leading voice on AI, social justice, and higher education. She is Director of the Digital Humanities Institute and Professor of English, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Theatre, International Affairs, and East Asian Languages and Literatures at George Washington University. She is a faculty of the Trustworthy AI Initiative and an affiliate at the NSF’s Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society. In 2024, she was named the inaugural Public Interest Technology Scholar.

The Center for AI and the Liberal Arts invites you to a Public Debate on the question:
Should the University of Mary Washington be an AI University?
Wednesday, Feb. 4  at 3:30 p.m.
Weatherly Wing, Seacobeck Hall

Arguing for the resolution: Anand Rao (CDS)
Arguing against the resolution: Stefan Bauschard (Adjunct CDS; Berkeley Prep Debate Coach)
Moderator: Tim O’Donnell

This debate will explore what it might mean—academically, institutionally, and culturally— if UMW were to define itself as an “AI University.” Following the debate, there will be time for audience questions and discussion. Please encourage your students to attend. We will have attendance sheets available and will share copies with instructors after the event.

We also invite you to send us suggested lines of argument or key questions in advance, especially issues you would like to see addressed in the opening speeches. This is meant to be a fun and engaging debate with a provocative topic. I would like to follow the debate with an open forum in the coming weeks for a more deliberative conversation of AI initiatives, including curricular proposals. I hope this public debate prompts ongoing discussion about the university’s future, and I welcome suggestions for how the Center can support those discussions.

This event is sponsored by the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts and is open to the public. We hope you will join us for what should be a thoughtful and engaging conversation about the University’s direction.

The Department of Political Science and International Affairs is hosting a panel discussion on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. in Monroe 116: “Trump and the World: One Year On.” The panel will feature regional expertise and analysis of the Trump administration’s foreign policy from Professors Jason Davidson, Surupa Gupta, Guan-Yi Leu, Melissa Martinez, and Ranjit Singh. There will be ample time for questions from the audience.

A year of affirmation—join UMW Women’s Leadership Colloquium for February’s Coffee Talk on “Affirming a Positive Year,” Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. at 718 Venue in Fredericksburg. Learn more and register today!

With the start of a new semester, we want to once again provide reminders for inclement weather and resulting changes to campus operations and the class schedule.

Starting this spring 2026 semester, classes may be offered in alternative modalities during an inclement weather closure or change in operations.

During an inclement weather closure, class meetings shall not be held in-person. Faculty have the discretion to switch to another modality or assignment, including holding class virtually. If virtual instruction involves a synchronous element, the meeting time must be during the normal class meeting time. Faculty are responsible for informing students of their intention. However, students should not be penalized if they are unable to attend or complete assignments virtually during the inclement weather period.

The status for public events will be communicated with the change in operations during inclement weather.

We will continue to make every effort to post an inclement weather announcement by 6 a.m. on the day of closing or delayed opening. A decision about evening class changes will be made by 3 p.m. on the day in question if possible.

Announcements are shared via UMW email and on the UMW website. You should check these communication channels as your first source of information, as updates to external sites, social media and traditional media are secondary and may be delayed. Severe storm updates will come from the National Weather Service via text messages in UMW Alerts, but you’ll need to check email for changes to class schedules and campus operations. Updates to weather advisories are shared on the UMW website.

In addition, some campus services remain open and accessible to students during winter weather, but may modify hours or services depending on the situation. UMW Police and Public Safety remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Please check the following for updates:

• UMW Dining on Facebook or join the UMWFoodies by texting 82257.
• Campus Recreation with updates posted to Instagram
• Hurley Convergence Center (HCC)

Snow emergency parking regulations may also be implemented. In most cases, these regulations go into effect when there is a threat of snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain, or ice and begin at 10 p.m. preceding forecasted inclement weather or as otherwise announced. Note that if parking access is closed due to an icy hill, such as road to the Alvey Deck, there is access via Sunken Road.

Students and employees should assess the weather conditions in your location. If campus continues normal operations, but you are impacted by weather and road conditions in your area, please contact your instructors and supervisors with any changes to your schedule and to make arrangements for missed classes or work.

During inclement weather that impacts campus and results in a change to campus operations, employees who can work from home (telework) should do so.

Those unable to work remotely should contact your supervisor for options:

Supervisors will add Emergency Closing Leave, as necessary, to timecards of non-essential fulltime and quasi-fulltime employees who are not able to telework.

• If an employee has the means to telework but chooses not to, another leave type must be requested. (For more information on leave, supervisors should check the MyTime Supervisor Manual.)
• Employees who are designated as essential and required to work on campus during authorized closings are paid their regular rate of pay for hours worked and granted compensatory leave for the hours worked. For some inclement weather events, Facilities Services Alternate Shift Pay Policy E.1.3 may be in effect for employees engaged in snow/ice removal working outside their normal schedule.
• Please check with your supervisor if you are unsure of your designated employee status. Supervisors are reminded to communicate with employees regarding expectations during changes to campus operations for inclement weather.

Welcome back for the spring semester, and thank you for preparing for possible winter weather by staying informed.

Beginning this year, UMW will launch the implementation of Workday, a modern, cloud-based system to help us work more effectively, collaborate easily, and provide a better experience for our students, faculty and staff.  Workday will replace most of our applications in Banner as the new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, with applications across additional areas of campus. We have reached limits of our current capabilities and term with Banner, offering an opportunity to transition to a new system with more capabilities and integrations for campus.

We understand that this will be a transition for many areas, and we appreciate your consideration and feedback as we reviewed options during the fall semester. Your expertise in your areas is essential to this work, and this tool will help us develop that excellence across areas, offering a centralized system to share information and to make our work more visible and connected. The result will be a platform that is simpler, more dynamic, and more secure.

While the transition will be most visible to those who rely on these systems daily for planning and operational work, the benefits extend directly to our students. By strengthening the processes and practices that support every stage of a student’s experience—from admission to graduation—we can improve our day‑to‑day operations, enhance our interactions, and deepen our understanding of student needs and outcomes.

Implementation will occur in stages and will take time. Cabinet members and directors across several areas – beginning with finance and HR – will lead this work, supported by an implementation partner with extensive experience guiding universities through similar transitions. This partnership will provide guidance and additional staffing we know we will need, allowing us to focus on the knowledge and skills of our employees, examine our processes and practices, and make improvements as we approach this opportunity.

We also have the example and shared resources from William & Mary and Norfolk State University, which have also moved into Workday recently, and we have funding from the state to begin this upgrade. We’re joining more than 400 higher education institutions who benefit from Workday’s unified, cloud-based system for financial, HR, and student data.

This is an early notice to let you know what we’ll be working toward in 2026. As we move into pre-planning, we’ll connect with those departments who will lead the first stages. We expect the transition will take several years as we strategically move into the new system. This phased approach ensures continuity of services and gives our community time to learn, adapt, and thrive.

The alumni events calendar picks up quickly in the new year with several opportunities to connect, serve and celebrate. Unless otherwise noted, alumni events are open to parents, friends, faculty, and staff as well.

The latest local events include:

• On Saturday, Jan. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., Young Alumni: MLK Day of Service is scheduled providing a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community.
• On Saturday, Feb. 7, alumni in the Roanoke and New River Valley area are invited to gather for a happy hour at Olde Salem Brewing beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. hockey game at the Berglund Center.
• On Wednesday, Feb. 18, there will be a Mary Talk featuring Dr. Andi Smith.
• On Sunday, Feb. 22, the DC/NoVA Network will be bowling in Arlington.

Looking ahead, the Alumni team will also launch the Devil-Goat 100th Anniversary Alumni Engagement Challenge this month. More details about this fun, campuswide initiative—leading up to the 100th Devil-Goat Day in April—will be shared soon. Watch your email for updates and event information.