Faculty interested in exploring the possibility of a Health Humanities/Health Social Sciences minor are invited to a short exploratory meeting in HCC210 at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20. We will be done in time to celebrate our new faculty at the LibertyTown AAUP New Faculty Reception at 5:00 p.m. that day. Questions: Marie McAllister at mmcallis@umw.edu (ELC).
Flu Shots Now Available
Flu shots will be available in the University Center lobby on the following dates:
- October 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- October 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- November 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
*Flu shot cost is covered by most insurance policies through Giant. Out-of-pocket cost is $20. If you have any questions about insurance coverage, contact Giant at 540-371-4284.
New Tour Offers Sights and Sounds of Gari Melchers Home in Stafford
The new tour at Gari Melchers Home and Studio was highlighted in The Free Lance-Star:
At one point during the new tour of Belmont, the Falmouth home of American Impressionist artist Gari Melchers and his wife, Corinne, visitors hear the sound of a bell ringing.
It’s a recording of the real servant’s bell that rings in the kitchen of the historic house, and it’s the tour guide’s cue to tell visitors about the servants whose work allowed Gari and Corinne Melchers to live their lives the way they did, said Michelle Crow–Dolby, education and communications manager at Belmont. Read more.
Business Services eUpdate–September 2019
Bookstore
Grand Opening
Barnes & Noble and University of Mary Washington invite you to celebrate the grand opening of the campus bookstore! On October 3, 2019, from 12-2 PM, join us in a variety of activities and chances to win prizes, and welcome bookstore manager Cameisha Chin. There will be:
- A scavenger hunt
- Prize drawings every half hour
- Learning stations for textbook ordering through Faculty Enlight
Ms. Chin can be reached at cchin2@umw.edu.
Copy Center
Special Orders
Have a job that seems outside the scope of what the Copy Center can offer? Contact us to find out how we can help. The Copy Center partners with local companies for jobs that cannot be done in-house. We also work with them to ensure that customers are getting the lowest prices available.
EagleOne
New Credit Card Readers
Have you noticed the new payment readers on Pepsi beverage vending machines? The machines now accept credit, debit, and mobile payments! The readers do not currently accept EagleOne, but that functionality will soon be restored. Keep an eye out for this decal, which will be placed on machines when all payment options are working.
New Vending Items
Campus vending machines are stocked on a regular basis. Whether its new favorites like Zapp’s Voodo chips, or classics like Fritos, there is something for everyone. Visit the nearest vending machine to see the most recent selection of treats.
Parking Management
Parking Reservation Calendar
Occasionally, certain lots are reserved for special events or visitors. Parking Management maintains a calendar of scheduled lot reservations where five (5) or more spaces have been reserved. Visit the page here.
Please note that even when lots are reserved, accessible parking spaces remain available to any vehicles with DMV-issued accessible placards or license plates. UMW Campus Police are also available to provide an escort if needed; more information is found here.
Contact Parking Management at (540) 654-1129 or at parking@umw.edu.
Post Office
Amazon Couriers
Amazon packages are being delivered to the UMW community via Amazon Couriers. Amazon Couriers are to deliver all student mail (addressed to 1701 College Ave) to the Campus Post Office, and all Faculty and Staff mail (addressed to 1301 College Ave) directly to the addressee on the package. If an Amazon Courier attempts to deliver a package that is addressed to someone outside of your department, please direct them to the Campus Post Office in Woodard Hall for assistance. The Post Office can also be reached at 654-1049 if you need further assistance.
Social Media Changes
Business Services has joined Instagram! Follow us @umw_business_services for the latest announcements in goods and services.
VIVA Course Redesign Grants
UMW Libraries is excited to announce that the second round of VIVA Course Redesign Grants is now open. These grants are designed to empower faculty at Virginia higher education institutions with the resources and time they need to redesign courses by swapping out expensive textbooks for open, no cost, or library options. These materials may be adopted as is, adapted, or created from scratch.
This program awards grants from $1,000-$30,000 to assist faculty members at any VIVA institution in transitioning to course materials available at no cost to students, such as OER textbooks and/or library resources. Proposals may involve one person or teams that include: teaching faculty, librarians, instructional designers, subject matter experts, editors, graphic designers, or others as needed. Applications that include multi-institutional partnerships are encouraged.
More information, including the full Request for Proposals, application details, and evaluation criteria are available at http://vivalib.org/courseredesign.
Applications are due September 30, 2019, and award notification will take place on December 9, 2019.
An informational webinar will be held at the following times, and will include a general introduction to the grants, the application process, and a Q&A:
- September 26, 2019, 1:00 p.m.: Register at https://vivalib.libcal.com/event/5492759.
Questions about the program may be submitted to viva@gmu.edu.
UMW faculty interested in utilizing Open Educational Resources (OER), no-cost, or low-cost learning resources can find additional resources on the Libraries’ OER Guide at: https://libguides.umw.edu/OER.
Mindfulness and Fitness Program Registrations Close Soon
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Course
Fall 2019: Tuesdays, 6pm-7:30pm, September 17 – November 12 (Excluding Fall break on October 15)
Leidecker Center, Trinkle B-39
Cost: $15 (but you get that money back if you attend 6+ sessions!)
Sign up on the Campus Rec registration site under “Courses”.
Learn the practice of mindfulness in a 7-week, non-credit course led by Bill Brooks, a certified meditation teacher through the Meditation Teacher Training Institute. This experience is $15 and participants who attend six or more sessions will receive that money back in the form of a UMW bookstore gift card. Our lives are often overly stimulated. What would happen if we gave ourselves a few minutes each day to stop, and be fully silent and still – to meditate? Research has shown that the practice of mindful meditation can lead to a calm and focused mind. Such a practice helps to reduce stress, enhances self-awareness, and offers a greater sense of inner peace and connectedness with life. This 7-week introductory course is being offered to UMW faculty, staff, and students. It will answer the basic question: What are we doing when we meditate? You will learn about meditation through instruction, discussion and guided practice. Specific training will be provided on obstacles to meditation and how to work with them. Upon completion of this course, you will have the tools and experience needed to continue an independent practice of mindfulness meditation.
Reserving Event Space at UMW
To: All Faculty and Staff
From: Jeffrey McClurken (on behalf of the Space Utilization Committee, the Office of Events and Conferencing, and the Registrar’s Office)
As part of our movement to a single centralized scheduling system, 25Live is our new system of record for all scheduled rooms on campus. In addition to creating a unified place to find and reserve rooms at UMW, using the system will provide a one-stop location for room reservation, as well as supporting our emergency services personnel and our analysis of space usage. Here is how Faculty and Staff will reserve rooms going forward for events.
Reserving Event Space at UMW
25Live is UMW’s university-wide scheduling system. This system provides a centralized tool for scheduling events and requesting room reservations throughout the university.
There are two parts to the system. By default, all users will have access to the Express Scheduling tool for booking short meetings and study sessions in select spaces up to 30 days in advance. Approved users can also access the Event Wizard to submit requests for events all over campus.
Express Scheduling
Book conference rooms and study spaces for up to two-hour sessions.
All faculty, staff, and students can reserve meetings rooms and study space using 25Live Express Scheduling (max of two hours per session in select rooms, up to 30 days in advance). Use of this system requires no additional training, and reservations are approved immediately.
Express Scheduling can be used on any computer using the Chrome or Firefox web browsers (the system will not work in Internet Explorer) or on a mobile device.
Learn more about the 25Live Dashboard and Express Scheduling here.
Event Wizard
Approved users (faculty and staff) can request space for longer or recurring reservations using the 25Live Event Wizard. Most requests using the Event Wizard require review by a space manager, so may not be immediately approved. Events can be requested up to one year in advance.
The Event Wizard works best on a computer using Chrome or Firefox web browsers (the system will not work in Internet Explorer).
Faculty and staff can request access to the Event Wizard. Contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@umw.edu for more information.
To access the information in this email, go to umw.edu/reserve
To access the 25Live scheduling system directly, go to https://25live.collegenet.com/umw/scheduling.html#/home
A Final Note
This is a new process and there will be some issues as the university gets used to being on a centralized system. Please be patient as we work through these issues together. For general questions and technical issues with the system, contact the IT Help Desk. Academic course scheduling questions should go to Academic Deans or Evie Sherlock. Event scheduling questions for fac/staff should go to Sue Lafayette. Student group scheduling questions should go to Sandrine Sutphin.
Retirement Education Workshop and VRS Presentation on September 18, 2019, at Lord Fairfax Community College, Warrenton, VA
The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) will provide two workshops on September 18:
Nearing Retirement Workshop, September 18, 2019, 8:00 AM-12:30 PM, and
VRS Are You Ready to Retire? Presentation, September 18, 2019, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, at Lord Fairfax Community College, Warrenton, Va.
Important information about UMW Alerts
The following message is from the UMW Office of Emergency Management and Safety.
UMW subscribes to an emergency notification provider, RAVE Safety Mobility, for official emergency and inclement weather notices. Today, all new incoming students and new employees will receive an important email directly from RAVE requesting that they log in to the UMW Alerts system. Please know that the University has sanctioned that email, and it is essential that you follow the instructions contained in that email.
NOTE: A new feature has been added to UMW Alerts this year. Automated Weather Alerts are now active, allowing for immediate notification of severe weather events in the area.
If you are a member of the UMW community and have not registered for UMW Alerts, we urge you to visit https://www.getrave.com/login/umw. Click on the “Register” tab in the far right-hand corner. Once the account is created, please log in to the site and follow the instructions to customize how you receive the emergency notices. Please make sure to save your changes.
If you already have registered and want to make updates to your account, please log in to the site at https://www.getrave.com/login/umw and follow the instructions. The Office of Emergency Management and Safety urges all registered users to review their account at this time to ensure information is up to date.
For more information, please contact Chris Cash in Emergency Management and Safety at ccash@umw.edu.
University Recognition Award Nominations are Open!
Good afternoon!
Each fall, through the presentation of 3 awards, the University of Mary Washington recognizes employees who have been nominated by other members of the University Community for providing exemplary service to the University and making a positive contribution to the work environment. Nominations are now open and the details are outlined below; please take the time to nominate a colleague who deserves to be recognized and celebrated!
What: Hurley Presidential Commendation,
Coleman Memorial Service Award,
Larry Atkins Staff Awards
When: Nominations are open, and close at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 6, 2019.
Awards will be presented at the Fall Luncheon
How: See University Recognition Awards for nomination criteria and the nomination form.
Questions: Contact Terri Arthur (tlockhar@umw.edu) about the Hurley and Coleman awards; contact Charles Tate (ctate@umw.edu) about the Larry Atkins Awards.