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UMW Celebrates Construction of New Campus Center

September 25, 2013 by Brynn Boyer

The University of Mary Washington marked the beginning of construction of the new campus center in a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Sept. 20. The four-story building, in the footprint of the former Chandler Hall, will be located on Ball Circle with an entrance facing College Avenue.

UMW's new campus center is scheduled to open fall of 2015. (artist rendering)

SGA President Stephanie Preston thanked President Hurley and the Board of Visitors for recognizing the need for a central hub of student activity located in the heart of our campus. “This new space will bridge all aspects of student life,” she said. “It will combine all the student engagement resources that we require as leisure spaces. Everything that students need on a daily basis will be located under one roof.” Members of the Fredericksburg community were also on-hand for the ceremony, including City Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw. “UMW students and faculty contribute to the city in many ways,” she said. “We salute you for your excellent campus center, as it will be yet another link to the community.”

Groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of campus center construction..

The new campus center will create and enhance community space at UMW. When complete, the entry level will create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with ample seating and a working fireplace. The more than 104,000-square-foot building also will include a retail bookstore, a large ballroom, and numerous student offices and meeting spaces. In addition, the campus center will be the new home for the James Farmer Multicultural Center; the Center for Honor, Leadership and Service; and for student dining. “Mary Washington is a ‘home away from home’ for our students and we truly want to make it our ‘campus living room’ – a space that will be welcoming and comfortable for faculty, staff, students and visitors,” said Pamela J. White, rector of the Board of Visitors. The campus center is expected to open by fall of 2015. For updates on the construction, visit http://www.umw.edu/campuscenter/.

President Hurley spoke to crowd on Ball Circle.

UMW Debate Team to Face Off on Presidential War Powers

September 3, 2013 by Regina Weiss

The University of Mary Washington Debate Team has been invited to join five other highly ranked universities in a public debate on the issue of presidential war powers on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at George Washington University. The UMW Debate Team ranks among the nation’s top public universities. Mariah Young and Tom Pacheco will represent UMW at the prestigious debate, sponsored by the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) and University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Young is a junior double major in political science and journalism. Pacheco is a senior double major in political science and philosophy.

Tom Pacheco and Mariah Young will represent UMW in a presidential war powers debate.

The topic, Pacheco said, is “timely and interesting.” Tuesday’s debate is the first in a series of debates, and also will welcome U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who will give opening remarks. Former Virginia Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, director and CEO of the Miller Center, will moderate the debate. Pacheco and Young are debate veterans who are accustomed to facing off against credible competitors. The different format of this debate, however, poses a challenge for them. The debate will consist of two teams, each made up of three universities. UMW, GWU and University of Pittsburgh will face the U.S. Naval Academy, James Madison University, and Georgetown University. The focus of the debate is not to win, but to inform in an open format setting, according to Pacheco. He and Young will collaborate with the schools on their team while trying to enlighten the public. “We have a lot of research already prepared; it’s just a matter of adapting,” Pacheco said. “I think we’re prepared, but I think it’s natural to feel a little nervous speaking in front of a lot of politicians,” Young said. The debaters will affirm the ideas in the War Powers Consultation Act, created by the Miller Center’s War Powers Commission, with a goal of creating a clear policy that mandates conversation between the President and Congress to talk about when the U.S. can go to war. The debate is open to the public and should last about two hours. “It’s important that we have that much time to get our information across,” Young said. While the duo has only been back to campus for two weeks, their research on the topic has been ongoing. Tuesday’s debate topic connects to the overarching National Debate Tournament and CEDA 2013-2014 topic for UMW Debate Team and all U.S. debate teams. Each school has a vote in the selection process. Debate Coach Adrienne Brovero said the UMW team is “very honored” to participate in the debate. The UMW Debate Team has a history of debating major topics such as energy policy and U.S. policy following the Arab Spring, but this topic surpasses their past endeavors. “The opportunity to contribute to the larger ongoing debate about the president’s authority is especially unique for our students,” Brovero said. CEDA is an organization that helps govern the collegiate academic debate community. The Miller Center is a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy and political history.

UMW Bell Rings to Observe March on Washington Anniversary

August 27, 2013 by Marty Morrison

The University of Mary Washington observed the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington on Wednesday, August 28. The march and rally, which took place on August 28, 1963, brought together more than 200,000 people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and became known as a watershed moment for the civil rights movement.

People walk past a stone marking the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King made his 1963 speech on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial August 27, 2003 in Washington DC. The 40th anniversary of of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech will be marked on August 28. King made his speech during a rally at the memorial. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images/Courtesy of istockphoto)

People walk past a stone marking the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King made his 1963 speech on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial. The 50th anniversary of of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech was marked on August 28. King made his speech during a rally at the memorial. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images/Courtesy of istockphoto)

At 3 p.m., the bell tolled on the Fredericksburg campus, joining the nationwide “Let Freedom Ring” celebration. Throughout the day, students, faculty and staff recited excerpts from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” in a video that appeared on television screens across the campus. The anniversary march and presidential speech in Washington, D.C., was broadcast at the Underground on the Fredericksburg campus.

“The march was a momentous occasion during the civil rights movement, because it was attended by so many followed by the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” said Leah Cox, special assistant for diversity and inclusion. “This moment was further enhanced by Dr. King’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Fifty years later we are still working to achieve social justice for many groups with the issues that are now confronting our nation. It’s a renewal of our commitment to achieving equality.”

The UMW commemoration also honored the work of civil rights leader and former UMW Professor James L. Farmer Jr., who founded the Congress of Racial Equality. One of the “Big Four,” Farmer worked closely with King on nonviolent protests to eliminate racial inequality. On the day King delivered his famous speech, Farmer was in jail for “disturbing the peace” in Plaquemine, La. He sent his own speech to the March on Washington, which was read by a CORE aide: “We will not stop,” Farmer wrote, “until the dogs stop biting us in the South and the rats stop biting us in the North.”

Farmer taught the history of the civil rights movement to Mary Washington students for about a dozen years before his retirement in 1998. That year, President Bill Clinton awarded Farmer the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Community Leaders Dance to Raise Scholarship Funds

August 20, 2013 by Marty Morrison

The inaugural “Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars,” held at the University of Mary Washington on August 17, raised more than $65,000 to endow a UMW Performing Arts in the Community Scholarship for regional students who excel in music, theatre or dance.

Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars [see the SlideDeck]

An audience of more than 500 watched as nine leaders in the Fredericksburg community performed ballroom dances with professional dancers from Strictly Ballroom Dance Studio of Fredericksburg. A panel of judges provided comments and presented the top awards. Ellen Killough, chief executive officer with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, earned “Best-in-Show” for her Mambo, performed with Michael Scott, co-owner of Strictly Ballroom. She also received recognition for the “Most Amazing Move.” Mary Katherine Greenlaw, mayor of the City of Fredericksburg, who danced a QuickStep with Michael Scott, received the People’s Choice Award, given at a Champagne reception following the performances. Greenlaw also received honors for “Fanciest Footwork.” Despite their long, hard work in preparation for the event, the evening’s celebrities were unanimous in their praise of the event. “Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars will certainly go down as one of my best personal experiences ever,” said William B. Young, chief executive officer for Virginia Partners Bank, who received a “Best Costume” award for his performance of the Hustle. UMW President Richard V. Hurley, who received the “Best Posture” award for his Rumba routine, said the fundraising event will be an annual one. “Everyone thought it was one of the best events Fredericksburg has ever seen,” he said. Other winners announced by the judges were:

Melanie Kay-Wyatt, principal of Walker-Grant Middle School, “Most Spirited” for the Salsa
J. Martin Bass, retired attorney and judge, “Most Entertaining” for the Cha Cha
Fred M. Rankin III, president and chief executive officer of Mary Washington Healthcare, “Most Rhythmical” for the Swing
Susan G. Spears, president of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, “Most Flair” for the Samba
Richmond McDaniel, senior vice president for C.B. Richard Ellis, “Most Dramatic” for the Tango.

Kevin Bartram, director of the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra, and Penny Wack, a disc jockey at country music radio station Thunder 104.5, hosted the evening. Judges were Dori Eglevsky, community volunteer; Patrick A’Hearn, artistic director of the Riverside Center; and Corey Von Ginkel, member of the National Dance Council of America. Caressa Cameron-Jackson, Miss America 2010, was unable to participate due to deaths in the family. Lias Biever, director of Donor Services with The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, who attended the event, described the evening as “wildly entertaining.” “I am so impressed by the courage and sheer personality of the local leaders involved,” she said. “The reception was a great party. It was a super event all around.”

UMW Freshmen Build Digital Identities Through Innovative Project

August 13, 2013 by Brynn Boyer

This fall, incoming freshmen at the University of Mary Washington will have the opportunity to create their digital identities through the Domain of One’s Own initiative.

The Domain of One's Own initiative allows students and faculty to experiment with domains and web hosting.

The pioneering project provides free, personal domain names and web hosting to help students take responsibility for their online identities, as well as explore the implications of what it might mean for them to take control of their work and manage their own portfolios. Domain of One’s Own reinforces UMW as a leader in higher education, according to Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies Jim Groom, since it is evidence that emerging technologies are central to the university’s student and faculty experience, not afterthoughts. “Domain of One’s Own is an opportunity to build on a tradition we have had for the past 10 years to build the Web into the curriculum,” said Groom, whom the Chronicle of Higher Education named one of a dozen top tech innovators in 2012. “UMW is one of the first [colleges and universities] to think about this in a central way. Mary Washington is suggesting and doing something radically different. We are building the Web into the fabric of how we teach and learn here.” Domain of One’s Own started as a pilot project in 2012, with more than 400 students and 30 faculty participating. It is the brainchild of Groom and his colleagues in the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies. The initiative has two main goals, Instructional Technology Specialist Tim Owens explained, with the first focused on the value of archives and portfolios for students’ future professional and academic endeavors. “The other side of it is that it is valuable for students just to inhabit the Web and understand how the Web works,” he said. “It’s important for us to have those conversations with students about how stuff happens on the Web and how they can control it.”

Haley Campbell '13 has used her domain as a portfolio and academic blog.

Haley Campbell ’13 has used her http://aetherbunny.com/ domain as everything from a portfolio to an academic blog to a place to experiment with online editing tools. “A lot of people take the Internet for granted,” Campbell said. “They know they have to use it, but they don’t necessarily think about how they’re using it. [Domain of One’s Own] encourages critical thinking about those tools.” The initiative has created a buzz on and off campus, including in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Wired, The Web Host Industry Review and The Center for Digital Education. The idea for the initiative started when the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies’ staff received their own domains and web spaces in 2004. “Two years later, after we saw how it empowered us in so many ways, we informally banded around this idea of ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we could give this to every student?’” said Martha Burtis, special projects coordinator. “It really evolved over about 10 years to where we are now.” For Burtis, Domain of One’s Own isn’t just about technology, it’s about transforming students through meaningful interactions. “That kind of empowerment is huge in terms of what we can do for our students,” she said.

UMW Among Best Colleges, According to Princeton Review

August 5, 2013 by Brynn Boyer

The University of Mary Washington has been named to The Princeton Review’s 2014 edition of “The Best 378 Colleges.” The Princeton Review is a New York City-based education services company that annually publishes guidebooks ranking colleges, business and law schools.

The annual college guide includes detailed profiles of the colleges with school rating scores in eight categories, including admissions selectivity, academics and quality of life. In its profile, The Princeton Review says UMW students applaud the small student body and class sizes for fostering close interactions with faculty members. “Students believe UMW is ‘a hidden jewel that delivers on a historical campus’ and say courses are ‘engaging and intellectually stimulating,’” according to UMW’s profile. “Overall, students agree, ‘Mary Washington is all about getting a well-rounded education while becoming a part of a great community’ and point out that ‘professors are included in that as well.’”

Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and three colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the book. “We base our selections primarily on data we obtain in our annual institutional data surveys,” said Robert Franek, author of “The Best 378 Colleges” and Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher. “We also take into account input we get from our staff, our 35-member National College Counselor Advisory Board, our personal visits to schools, and the wide range of feedback we get from our surveys of students attending these schools. It is their opinions that college applicants often value the most, particularly on (or in the absence of) campus visits. We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.” The full list is available at www.PrincetonReview.com.

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News release prepared by: Brynn Boyer

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