Mark your calendars now for a few of your favorite fall employee events:

• Welcome Reception on Brompton Lawn for UMW Faculty and Staff on Friday, September 19 from 5-7 p.m. You are welcome to bring a guest. A reminder and response form will be emailed to faculty and staff, and this event is weather-dependent.
• Employee Appreciation Lunch will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 during the University’s fall break. Join us for a delicious lunch menu, award announcement and raffle prizes.
• Holiday Gathering is Friday, December 12 from 5-7 p.m., as we gather to celebrate the end of the semester and our employees.

Look for additional information and response forms closer to the event dates.

Christine Ryder, a Mary Washington alumna with a degree in geography, served for nearly a decade in the Office of Admissions

It’s with great sadness that we share the passing of Christine Ryder, a Mary Washington alumna with a degree in geography, who served for nearly a decade in the Office of Admissions, often working behind the scenes to connect students with campus. Known for her selflessness and generous spirit, Christine had a natural ability to make others feel seen and valued. She loved animals and her hobbies, including art, knitting and cooking, and she created a cookbook and kitchen gifts store, Salt and Pepper Books, which for years operated in Occoquan, Virginia and later at the National Harbor in Maryland.

She loved to travel, and her wandering spirit led to many adventures in her life, including living and working in Boston, Massachusetts; Richmond, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia before making Fredericksburg her permanent home.

Christine shared her life with her devoted husband, Shawn Ryder, who also works at UMW as the set-up assistant at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. Her passing marks the loss of a beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend whose warmth and generosity touched many lives. Our sympathies go to the family and all who knew her well on campus.

As a reminder, any employee in need of additional support can access the Employee Assistance Program, which is available at no cost with state employee health insurance plans, with more information on the Human Resources website. Employees can also reach out to Human Resources for additional support by contacting Executive Director of Human Resources Beth Williams at bwilli22@umw.edu.

More information about Christine’s life is published in her obituary online. A service was held on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. The family received friends prior to the service at the funeral home chapel. Interment followed at Oak Hill Cemetery.

In 2022, Professor Emeritus of Business Galen deGraff stands with Rob Strassheim ’96 in the doorway of the Galen deGraff Classroom in Woodward Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Professor Emeritus of Management Galen DeGraff, who taught business courses, primarily in finance, for over two decades. He retired in 2015 and led the Strategic Management capstone seminar for 20 years.

With an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate Business School and his doctorate in strategic management and international business from George Washington University, DeGraff wrote the book International Strategic Business Environments: A Comparative Empirical Assessment of the United Kingdom and the United States, which was published by George Washington University.

He also flew in Vietnam as a combat assault helicopter aircraft commander in the 1968 TET invasion with the 173 Assault Helicopter Company and on the staff of the 11th Combat Aviation Battalion. Stories from his military career and from his research and consulting interests in strategy formulation, strategic management, international business, and the management of family firms often came into his classroom, bringing business concepts to life.

DeGraff is remembered fondly by many alumni, including those who gathered support and resources to name the Galen deGraff Classroom in the College of Business in 2022, along with an endowed scholarship in his name to help recruit out-of-state students who plan to major in business.

His students note how he changed their trajectory, instilling confidence in their studies and having a tremendous impact on their lives and professional careers. He steered students toward impactful learning opportunities such as internships and independent studies, inspiring them to take on challenges. His colleagues have said, “He taught students that the pursuit of anything meaningful requires effort beyond what most people are usually willing to give.”

It’s in that spirit of generosity and impact that we remember Galen, both in the classroom and through the lives and careers of those inspired by him. Our sympathies go to his family and friends.

For more information about his life and family, please see the obituary online. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support the Galen F. deGraff Scholarship in Business at the University of Mary Washington. To make a donation to Galen’s scholarship, please visit umw.edu/gift and include Galen’s name in the “in memory” field.

State Employees:

The Employee Financial Wellness Program continues to provide resources to help you achieve financial independence as your financial wellness remains a priority in the new year! Please check out August’s financial wellness newsletter and the new items below to learn more about the financial education offerings and resources.

Virginia Employee Discounts Marketplace. End Summer with Hot Deals! Soak up the last days of summer with big savings this August! From travel to family-fun essentials, enjoy exclusive end-of-season deals you won’t want to miss, such as the Richmond Jazz & Music Festival, Science Museum of Virginia membership, and Washington Commanders tickets here!

Virginia Retirement System (VRS). Plan early for college costs. Many students take out loans to pay for college. But alternatives exist—especially for those who start saving early. Read “How Families Are Paying for College—These 7 Smart Ways” to learn about options such as 529 savings plans, Roth IRAs, scholarships, grants and more. Just log in to myVRS and choose Financial Wellness

Virginia Credit Union. Planning Your Family’s Finances. Keeping your finances straight can be challenging. Add in other’s people’s needs and habits, and it might be time to consult the experts. This seminar teaches you how to maintain and grow your family’s money while making a solid plan for the future Join VACU on Tuesday, August 12 at 12 p.m. for this virtual event. Register here now!

BANZAI. August’s rewards bundle focuses on life changes. As you progress through the activities for the month of August, you will have the chance to win cash and other giveaways. Most importantly, we aim to provide you with the peace of mind that comes with financial literacy and preparedness. Proceed to the link here to learn more.

Banzai Winners for July:

• Seth Taft, VCU
• Laura Aguilar Garcia, NVCC
• Tina English, VADOC
• Karen Collins, DEQ
• Kayla Robertson, Virginia Tech

Each completed the necessary courses and passed their quiz. Drawing winners received a $100 Amazon Gift Card, sponsored by the Virginia Credit Union (VACU).

Employee Assistance Program. All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAPs). Included are up to four sessions at no charge for such services as mental health, alcohol or drug abuse assessment, child or elder care, grief counseling and legal or financial services. Please learn more here!

Virginia State Employee Assistance Fund (VSEAF). The Virginia State Employee Assistance Fund provides grants to eligible state employees suffering from a financial crisis or an unplanned emergency/or unplanned event that impacts the employee or family members living in the residence of the employee. The VSEAF is a recognized 501c(3) charity member of the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC), Code 203040. Visit the VSEAF webpage here.

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign. The CVC is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its 28th annual giving season! This year’s campaign officially kicks off on October 1, 2025. We’re thrilled to share that over 700 approved charities will participate in the 2025 campaign cycle. This means even more opportunities for you to support causes you care about. As the campaign approaches, please consider donating to help us make a difference in our communities. Click here to learn more about the CVC!

A year-long, campus-wide digital accessibility initiative is beginning that will strengthen our digital presence and ensure our online spaces are welcoming and accessible to all. This collaborative effort is an opportunity to build on UMW’s leadership in digital innovation and student engagement as we align with new accessibility standards and regulations.

Please be aware of the requirements as training and implementation begin this fall. The scope of this work includes all of our websites and the systems we use daily such as umw.edu and Canvas and includes documents, digital tools and other electronic content. For example, all Word, PowerPoint, PDF and video files shared with students in Canvas or via email, and any other online methods, including our social media posts, must be compliant by the deadline of April 24, 2026.

What are the requirements?

ADA Title II now requires all state and local government entities, including the University of Mary Washington, to ensure their websites and mobile apps meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by April 24, 2026. The new rule aims to ensure that all people with disabilities have full and equal access to public entities’ services, programs, and activities available on mobile apps and websites.

WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) through the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). It provides a set of recommendations and standards to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Public entities must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 Level AA, as ruled in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In addition, VA HB 2541, signed into law in 2025, also addresses information and communication technology as it relates to digital accessibility, with updates and organizational changes to the Information Technology Access Act. It also has a deadline of April 24, 2026.

Why is this a priority?

We are proactively working toward achieving and maintaining these federal and state requirements as set in the standards, which will necessitate a campus-wide, coordinated effort across our web-based institutional spaces. Meeting these accessibility standards is about more than compliance—it’s about ensuring every community member and visitor to our website and online services can fully participate in the UMW experience. Accessible websites and materials improve usability for everyone.

What’s in progress?

This work is already underway. We made important strides during the pandemic through digital coursework and the leadership of Digital Learning Support, the Center for Teaching, and the Office of Disability Resources. These teams have helped implement best practices in online content creation.

We’ve also refined our University website templates as part of the recent redesign to better align with WCAG standards. Our new sites are built with accessibility in mind, and we’ll continue replacing outdated templates and offering training to web editors to implement the accessibility standards.

This initiative will be led by the Web Accessibility & VAHB2541 Work Group, chaired by Director of Compliance/Title IX Coordinator/ADA Coordinator Ruth Davison and Chief Information Officer Jonathan Piersol. Key personnel will be invited to support assessment, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.

We’ll be assessing and auditing existing content and any new content going into the spring semester. In limited circumstances, some kinds of web and mobile app content, primarily archived content and old documents, may be exempt. Anything active or newly created must be in compliance.

How do I learn more about next steps and implementation?

We’ll be sharing more opportunities to contribute to the assessment, ask questions, and learn best practices as the fall semester begins. Implementation guidelines and support—including labs and workshops—will be available during professional development days, with a focus on accessibility for documents, websites, audio/video content, and supplemental applications in use and being created for the spring semester.

Updates and information will be shared via the web accessibility website.

We appreciate your attention to this effort and commitment to these requirements for web accessibility.

It is time again to review existing telework agreements and make any needed changes. All employees (other than teaching faculty) who engage in any amount of telework must have a telework agreement in place. Existing telework agreements will be continued into this fiscal year as long as the supervisor submits a Telework Confirmation Form stating that no changes have been made. Supervisors should review all existing telework agreements and do the following:

• If the approved number of telework days has not changed from the previous agreement, supervisors should complete and sign the Telework Confirmation Form and return it to HR.
• If there is a change to the number of approved telework days, a new telework agreement must be submitted, per the guidelines below.
• New telework agreements must be approved by supervisors and turned in to HR before teleworking may begin.

For Classified employees, the link to a fillable version of the state’s standard agreement is below – please use this version of the form (rather than the version on DHRM’s website or any others that may come from the Commonwealth). Please see below for next steps.

Action Items for New or Updated Agreements:

• Classified Employees: Complete the new Classified Telework Agreement and name it based on the following: LastNameUMW1 or LastNameUMW2 or LastNameUMW3 – the numbers represent the number of telework days per week (use 3 for three or more days per week). Typing your name in the signature box on the form sufficiently documents your signature.
• AP Faculty or Wage Employees: Complete the Non-Classified Telework Agreement form and sign it.
• Email your completed form to the following simultaneously:
  • Your supervisor;
  • Your Cabinet Vice President;
  • Human Resources at Telework@umw.edu. Agreements for 2 or more telework days per week will be forwarded to the Secretary of Education’s office.

*If you do not know your employee ID, please contact Deborah Burton in HR (dburton@umw.edu).

• Supervisors and Cabinet: notify all parties immediately if a telework agreement is not approved or needs modification. Note – there is no signature line for supervisors on the State Classified form. Employees should copy their supervisors when the form is sent to HR. That email will serve as your approval unless you respond otherwise.

Please also visit the Telework Policy and Procedure webpage for helpful information and resources about telework and flexible work schedules.

Supervisors should retain a copy of their employees’ current telework agreements; please contact Deborah Burton in HR (dburton@umw.edu) if you need a copy of a current agreement, or if you have any questions.