• A message from Dean Keith Mellinger
• Beyond the Classroom Grants
• 2024 CAS Faculty Awards
• Refer-An-Eagle October 21-25, 2024
• Giving Tuesday December 3, 2024

Beyond the Classroom, the College of Arts and Sciences blog, includes posts about the latest UMW success stories. These posts explore the experiences of students who participate in research and creativity projects with faculty mentors, earn credits off campus, and take advantage of partner programs that lead to graduate and professional degrees. These are the stories of UMW students who take their liberal arts learning … beyond the classroom. Check out the latest posts.

UMW’s Stafford Campus has once again been named the best college campus in Stafford County. Landing in the “Best of Stafford 2024” list, the Stafford Campus is featured in the October/November issue of Stafford Magazine, along with the county’s other stand-outs.

The accompanying text touts campus-community connections, including professional development and specialized programs made possible through Continuing and Professional Studies. CPS offers programs for career advancement, professional certifications, educator development and personal enrichment. The Business Acumen Series and the Women’s Leadership Colloquium also are mentioned.

The following message is from UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement:

We are pleased to announce the return of the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants program for its second year. Applications are now open for donor-funded grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 for initiatives by University-recognized student organizations, faculty, and staff. These grants are for projects that will take place between May 2025 and May 2026. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025.

Please see a helpful one-pager and the Impact Grants page for requirements, evaluation criteria, FAQs, and the application. Please contact Executive Director of Development Beth Hunsinger ’01 with questions: ehunsing@umw.edu or 540-654-2068.

The following message is from the Associate Provost of Career and Workforce:

Dear Campus Community

As previously announced, the processes for submitting and approving internship contracts will be managed digitally in the University’s student career management system, Handshake. Starting with registration for Spring 2025, this change will allow us to fulfill institutional and state expectations to enhance efficiency and tracking of student internships. Therefore, paper-based internship contracts will no longer be used.

Students must login to Handshake to submit internship contracts; however, reviewers (i.e., Faculty Sponsors, Department Chairs, and Internship Site Supervisors) may approve contracts through an email prompt without logging in to the system. For step-by-step tutorials, please visit umw.edu/careercenter/internships.

Along with this change, the process for requesting internship evaluations has been integrated into the new contract process. The evaluation form for site supervisors has been enhanced to include questions related to the career readiness competencies outlined in our current Quality Enhancement Plan, Life After Mary Washington. We have also developed a similar evaluation form for students so that we may learn more about their internship experiences. Effective with Spring 2025 internships, Handshake will automatically send evaluation requests to site supervisors and students 21 business days prior to the end of the term and responses will be submitted directly to the system.

Students interested in internships may also apply for various internship grants through Dec. 2, 2024. Prospective applicants may find more information here: Internship Grants. Learn about upcoming opportunities as they open by following @umw_ccpd on Instagram.

Special thanks to Dr. Antoinette Jenkins for leading this effort and engaging all stakeholders in testing and design to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. If you have any questions, Dr. Jenkins can be reached at ajenkin5@umw.edu; 540-654-2104.

Hello Classified Employees and Administrative Professional Faculty,

After completing the first full pay period in the new MyTime system, we noticed the new Request Time Off type called Partial Day (Start/Stop) was causing editing complications for our employees and supervisors.

We can streamline this process and ease your editing by directing you to use of the Request type called Partial Day Bulk.

Please review the Quick Guide for guidance.

• Use of Partial Day Bulk will populate the Raw Totals column of the timesheet with leave taken.
• FLSA Exempt employees (those who can edit their timesheets) will continue to edit the timesheet when the Leave Request is approved for the Current pay period. See the section called Viewing and Editing Leave Requests on the Timesheet.
• FLSA Non-exempt employees’ timesheets should not requiring editing by their supervisor when using the Partial Day Bulk option.

Partial Day Bulk Example for FLSA Exempt Employee

The employee is using 4 hours of annual and has requested a partial day bulk leave request. The image below shows that the “To” time has not been adjusted to reflect the time that the employee stopped working. Notice how the total hours for the day is 12 hours.

The image below shows the timesheet after the “To” time was edited by the employee to be 11:30am. Notice the total hours for the day is now 8 hours.

Note: The Partial Day Start and Stop option has been removed from the Request Type.

Contact payroll@umw.edu for assistance.

Cowan Boulevard to Close for 3 Weeks beginning October 21stbetween Hospital Drive to Snowden Hills for Sewer Main Replacement

As reported in July, approximately 1,480 linear feet of sewer main is being replaced through the Belmont Apartments and under Cowan Boulevard, which includes the section that failed on New Year’s Eve 2023 and resulted in a Cowan Boulevard emergency closure in January of this year.  The City’s Public Works Department and its contractor, W.C. Spratt, have been working to replace the sewer main since late winter.  Replacement of this essential sewer infrastructure is now roughly 80% complete.

We are now heading into the last segment of this important project. Beginning Monday, October 21^st, Cowan Boulevard will be closed to all traffic, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in both directions between Hospital Drive and Snowden Hills Boulevard.  This temporary closure is for work to install the new sewer main crossing under Cowan Boulevard.   There are a number of underground utilities that the contractor will need to cross while installing the new sewer main, which necessitates the road segment being closed for approximately 3 weeks.   The traffic detour will utilize Hospital Drive, Mary Washington Boulevard, Fall Hill Avenue, and Carl D. Silver Parkway.  Please be alert in these areas and watch for traffic detour signs.

Residents are encouraged to visit FredericksburgVA.gov for updated information, and subscribe to “Public Works Newsflash” to receive updates about this project by text and email.

The following message is from the Office of the Provost:

UMW Campus Community,

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science and Biology Michael Bass.

Michael retired from UMW in 2018, having served Mary Washington for more than 45 years. He earned his Ph.D. in 1976 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and joined Mary Washington after a few years in research positions.

At Mary Washington, Michael was the driving force to build the environmental science program and was the first Chair of the new Department of Environmental Science and Geology (now Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences). He also partnered with the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County on a variety of projects concerned with monitoring water quality, stream bank erosion and the impact of construction projects on bodies of water such as Massaponax Creek and the Ni River. He also helped to design the retention ponds that are a notable feature of the Central Park development in Fredericksburg. He often involved his students in field-work, enabling them to present their findings at regional and national conferences.

Graduates recall his impact on their work and honored him with the Class of 1972 Dr. Michael Bass Scholarship to create opportunities for talented students with financial need to pursue undergraduate research in the sciences.  When the Dr. Michael Bass scholarship was established, donors wrote notes detailing how he influenced their careers and expressing their gratitude.  Many of his former students kept in touch with him through the years, and often came to visit when they were in town.

Service information is not available yet, and our condolences go to his family. We appreciate them letting campus know about Michael’s passing, so we can remember the many ways he brought scientific research to life.

Tim

Timothy M. O’Donnell
Provost
University of Mary Washington

Dear Colleagues,

The enrollment period for Tuition Reimbursement (courses outside of UMW)  for courses starting January 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025, is currently open and will end on November 1, 2024. Please note: the Cabinet agreed to expand the Tuition Reimbursement Program to include certificate programs.  However, any and all courses associated with the certificate program must be credit-bearing.

The complete policy and procedures are posted online; some important and key provisions are listed below. You may contact Denise Frye at dfrye2@umw.edu with any questions.

Program Purpose:

Eligible employees enrolled in a degree seeking program or enrolled in a credit-bearing certificate program at other accredited institutions of higher education will be provided with tuition reimbursement up to a specified amount for courses after completion of the course and submission of proof of grade.

Eligibility:

This policy applies to classified, wage, administrative professional faculty, and other non-faculty part-time employees. Graduate Assistants who are required to be enrolled in UMW graduate programs are not eligible for this program. Eligible employees must be continuously employed by the University for a minimum of one year prior to their application for reimbursement and job performance must be satisfactory or at the “contributor” level.  Tuition up to the approved amount will be reimbursed upon receipt of proof of completion of approved courses.  Employees who receive tuition reimbursement must remain employed at the University of Mary Washington during the term of the courses taken and for one year after receipt of tuition reimbursement for those courses(s) or be subject to terms for repayment as described in the written agreement.

Important Information to Know:

• A Tuition Reimbursement Request form is required to be submitted to Human Resources during open enrollment for courses starting January 2025 through June 2025. The link to the form is below and forms may be scanned to jhudgins@umw.edu or delivered to Human Resources, attention Janet Hudgins.
• The Finance office will notify the employee the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form has been approved within 2 weeks of the enrollment timeframe closing and request the following:

a) Proof of enrollment in a degree granting program

b) Schedule of the institution’s fees

c) Proof of payment

• The assistance awarded will then be reimbursed to the employee upon submission of evidence of course completion with a minimum grade of “C” or “PASS” if a Pass/Fail course.  Submission of grade must be within 30 days of semester end.  Reimbursement will be issued within 10 business days of grade submission to the Finance Office.

Thank you,

Denise M. Frye
Benefits Manager
Office of Human Resources
540-654-1210
dfrye2@umw.edu