Bring your kids to COAR’s Annual Pumpkin Palooza at the University of Mary Washington! We will be hosting an incredibly fun event with Halloween crafts, games, music and trick-or-treating tours around campus for kids of all ages. Come by Ball Circle from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25 for a Halloween celebration! All kids are highly encouraged to dress up in their best costumes.
Professor JeanAnn Dabb
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our distinguished colleague, Professor JeanAnn Dabb, who died early this morning after a long illness. JeanAnn was called to the faculty in 1992 after receiving her Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Michigan. As a medievalist, her early work focused on the Church of Saint-Nicholas at Civray. Her engagement with romanesque architecture and sculpture led to rich and wide ranging scholarship on mosaics, an art in which she herself was skilled.
JeanAnn was a wonderful colleague and teacher. We officially acknowledged this fact in 2009 when she won the Mary W. Pinschmidt award that recognized not just the quality of her teaching, but also her generous collaborations with numerous students and colleagues. She undertook several terms as Chair of the Department of Art and Art History, a role she carried out with the combination of conscientiousness and graciousness for which she was universally admired.
As Professor Carole Garmon has indicated, there will later be a tribute to JeanAnn at the University Galleries. However, I am sure that at this time your thoughts are with her family, friends, students, and close colleagues.
Sincerely,
Richard Finkelstein
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
University of Mary Washington
“One Can Hope” Hunger Relief Drive Reaches 100 Pounds
Staff Advisory Council is collecting non-perishable food for donation to the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, http://www.fredfood.org, through the December Holiday break. Over the past three weeks your efforts have contributed 107 pounds of food to assist in the relief of hunger to our neighbors in Fredericksburg, King George, Caroline, Locust Grove, Stafford, and Spotsylvania.
When you are shopping, pick up an extra can for this worthy cause. Since we all shop every week, one item per week “can” be a manageable goal.
Look for donation boxes at the Procurement office, Suite 480, Eagle Village; Student Accounts, 1st floor, Lee Hall; Facilities Services lobby; and the first, second, and third floor hallways in George Washington Hall.
Staff Advisory Council announces Larry Atkins Award winners
On Tuesday, October 13, the annual Fall Luncheon was held in the Chandler Ballroom of University Center. This event is held in recognition of all UMW employees and the contributions they make to the operation of our university. It is also an opportunity to present awards to one member each in Wage, Classified, and Administrative / Professional Faculty groups. This year’s awardees are:
Gene Feltner, Wage. Excerpts from the proposing citation read: … always going out of his way to help his fellow employee … visits different departments daily to conduct Finance business, and is always willing to perhaps drop a package off, or pick up an item at a different location … sets the bar high when it comes to internal and external customer service … always willing to take on new responsibilities and new roles.
Ginny Irvin, Classified. In proposing Ginny, one of her champions wrote: … [s]he is a stickler for accuracy, timeliness, and following through on all jobs … yet to see her miss a deadline or fail to produce when the chips were down … always manages to get everything done on time and in highly effective fashion … takes an interest in the personal lives of co-workers … she is as loyal and dedicated employee as there is.
Allyson Moerman, Administrative Faculty. Here are excerpts from the citation proposing Allyson: … always there for her employees, and her colleagues … a great example for what a supervisor should be … trusts her employees to do the jobs they are tasked with … [s]he leads with grace and dignity; always taking the high road, while getting the job done.
Each recipient receives $100 in addition to the accolades of their fellows.
Temporary Services Contract Updates
Effective on August 2015, four vendors now provide temporary services to the University. These vendors are:
- Excel Staffing Services
- 1st Choice Staffing, LLC
- Premier Staffing Source
- Temporary Solutions
Information:
- Each Vendor’s contact information may be located in Cobblestone Systems;
- Prices are effective for the next two years with an option to propose a higher pay rate for a temporary employee in order to hire a more highly qualified applicant;
- Prices posted are average for each position, not actual costs;
- New instructions for making requests, including EVA entry, are posted on the website (Temporary Staff web page).
- An updated form to submit requests is also on the website.
Additional information is available on the Temporary Staff web page. You may also contact Marilyn Birriel at mbirriel@umw.edu with any questions.
National Save for Retirement Week: It’s Your Time to Save
National Save for Retirement Week, Oct. 18-24, is a good reminder to assess whether you will have enough money set aside to live comfortably in retirement. If you haven’t started saving, it’s a good time to begin. If you are already saving, think about additional ways to save more to build your retirement. Additional information is at http://adminfinance.umw.edu/hr/employee-relations/worklife/whats-new-2/.
Important Message from Chief Mike Hall: When Tragedy Strikes a Community
The following is a message is from Campus Police Chief Mike Hall:
When Tragedy Strikes a Community
At the University of Mary Washington, we share common characteristics and hold on to what is good in a community.
When tragedy strikes other communities, we share their grief through a strong communion. Unfortunately, we are seeing more communities devastated through acts of violence.
Last week, we witnessed yet another community disrupted through a horrific act of violence.
All community members share the responsibilities for safety. As members of the University of Mary Washington community, your colleagues in the Police Department have a true passion to protect and educate our community against violent acts.
Below are guidelines about what to do in the rare event that an active shooter were to disrupt our community, including a video and written recommendations. This information is also available on the UMW Police Department website.
Below is a training video of an Active Shooter in the work place.
This video depicts a fictional representation of an active shooter scenario and includes very realistic imagery and content. Please be aware that watching this video could elicit personal feelings and reactions, which is a normal response to such content. The Talley Center is available to the UMW community to provide support to those with any questions or concerns. It is important that as a community we support one another and respect everyone’s feelings and responses to such tragic events. You may choose not to watch the video at this time. That is fine. Written tips follow the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0
If you choose not to view the video, we suggest the following safety tips in the case of an active shooter. First, you should try to escape; if that’s not possible, shelter place. The option of absolute last resort is to fight.
- Escape:If possible, evacuate the area where the threat is present. Have a plan in mind and be aware of all possible escape routes. Leave all property behind. If the doors are locked shut be prepared to break out the glass, or reroute around the area. If you encounter the suspect, run in the opposite direction. If you are close enough to the ground floor, consider going through a window if possible. If the window will not open, break it out. If an incident is taking place outside, run in the opposite direction from the gun fire. Call police as soon as you are in a safe area.
- Shelter in Place:If escape is not possible, shelter in place. Shut and lock the doors. Pile large heavy objects in front of the doors. Stay away from the doors and walls closest to the hallway. Shut the lights off in the room and turn your cell phone to vibrate. Do not open the door for anyone but law enforcement. If you are in a large open area, shelter behind large structures like concrete walls or buildings. Call the police when you feel that it is safe.
- Fight:This is a last resort decision. If you are stuck in a location that the suspect is about to enter and you know that a confrontation is imminent, find objects that you can use as weapons or heavy objects to throw at the suspect. If you decide to fight, commit yourself to this action. Once the subject is down, escape from the area as rapidly as possible.
Whatever option you choose, first and foremost, do not panic. It is a normal human behavior to become frightened during a stressful event. Making plans in advance and keeping your mind active will help you avoid a condition that causes you to freeze.
When you speak to law enforcement officials or to a dispatch center, let them know the location in which the event is taking place, any information about the suspect (such as his/her last known location, physical description, and whether or not he/she is armed). Let them know if there are any explosives present and if there are any other law enforcement officials on the scene.
We also encourage members of the University community to download the new
Rave Guardian Campus Safety Mobile App (UMW Guardian Eagle Watch)
http://adminfinance.umw.edu/safety/umw-rave-guardian-system/
To download the RAVE Guardian app, go to the Apple Store (iPhone users) or Google Play (Android users).
As always should you have questions or concerns, please contact UMW Police or Emergency Management and Safety at 540-654-1025.
Line Marking on College Avenue near University Center, Oct. 21
The following message is from Facilities Services:
On Wednesday, October 21, College Avenue and two parking lots at the University Center will be undergoing line painting. Barrels and tape will be set up in those areas on Tuesday evening, October 20, to prohibit parking. The street will not be closed, but flagging personnel will direct and control traffic flow. The activity is dependent on the weather. An alternate date will be chosen if it’s raining.
For questions or more information, contact Les Johnson, project manager, at ajohnso3@umw.edu or 654-2100.
Great SouthEast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, Oct. 15
The following message is from the UMW Office of Emergency Management and Safety:
The University of Mary Washington will join thousands of people who will participate in the Great SouthEast ShakeOut, a drill for what to do in the event of an earthquake, on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m. Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland and Washington, D.C., will participate in the event.
At that time, the Area Warning System will be tested and a text alert will be sent.
Please consider where you are and what you should do if an earthquake occurred. Please visit http://shakeout.org/southeast to help you prepare for an earthquake.
The following should be done in event of an earthquake:
- DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you)
- Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table and
- HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops
For more information, contact Christopher D. Cash, emergency systems integrator, at ccash@umw.edu or 540-654-1579.
Title IX for Employees
Title IX for Employees
Revisions to the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Upcoming Training
The University of Mary Washington (UMW) is committed to providing a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living and working environment for all members of the University community. UMW does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in any of its education or employment programs and activities. To that end, our Sexual Misconduct Policy prohibits specific forms of behavior that may violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”); relevant provisions of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (“VAWA”); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”); the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”); and the Virginia Human Rights Act.
UMW prohibits Sexual Assault, Sexual Exploitation, Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking, Sexual or Gender-Based Harassment, and Retaliation against a person for the good faith reporting of any of these forms of conduct or participation in any investigation or proceeding under the policy (collectively, “Prohibited Conduct”). These forms of Prohibited Conduct are unlawful, undermine the character and purpose of the University, and will not be tolerated
One of the many outcomes of the President appointed UMW Sexual Misconduct Task Force was the revision of our Sexual Misconduct Policy. The revised policy was effective on September 18, 2015 and can be found on Board Docs. Please take a few minutes to review this very important policy. (http://www.boarddocs.com/va/umw/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=93QKQ352EB3D).
In addition, it is important that every employee (except for the Talley Center Staff, the Health Center Staff and designated Title IX Advocates) understands you are a “responsible employee”. This means you are required to report to the Title IX Coordinator all relevant details (obtained directly or indirectly) about an incident of Prohibited Conduct, as defined by policy, that involves any student as a complainant, respondent, or witness, including dates, times, locations and names of parties and witnesses.
Within the next few weeks Human Resources will launch a comprehensive online training course regarding sexual misconduct. This training will be required for all employees and will outline your rights as an employee, your responsibilities and your resources in regards to Sexual Misconduct. The training takes approximately 2 hours; however, it can be taken in segments based on your time allowed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Terri Arthur at 540-654-2015 or tlockhar@umw.edu