May 21, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Mary Washington Earns Spot Among Princeton Review’s ‘Best Colleges’

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The University of Mary Washington has once again been named among the nation’s best by The Princeton Review’s annual publication, The Best 385 Colleges. The 2020 edition of the leading college guide, which debuted today, profiles only about 13 percent of the nation’s 3,000 four-year colleges.

In it, students gave UMW high marks in both campus life and academics, praising Mary Washington for providing the “strategies and tools necessary to think critically and succeed in the workforce” and “professors [who] go the extra mile to help students.” They also bragged about the research opportunities, dedication to community service, school spirit and quality of life they found on campus.

Read more. 

Center for Community Engagement Fall Update

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Greetings from the Center for Community Engagement – Happy August!

As summer 2019 winds down, and our thoughts turn to the next academic year, we want to let you know about some upcoming events and opportunities – here at the CCE, and in the community around us.

Fred Chats! Want to learn more about our area, in an informal setting with engaging hosts? Come join us for our inaugural “Fred Chat.” The first one will feature leaders from the George Washington Regional Commission, talking with us about what it means to live in a region and some of the important features of our region. Bring a lunch and join us on Tuesday August 13th at noon, in the Colonnade Room in the UC.  We hope to host a chat every month – and would welcome your suggestions on topics & speakers. Join us for the first of our Fred Chats!

Launch: We are hosting a formal launch of the Center on September 9 and would love for you to join us. Our featured event is a talk by Dr. Andrew Seligsohn, the President of Campus Compact. Campus Compact supports higher education institutions across the nation as we work to increase collaborative relationships with our communities, and support our students to commit to lives of active citizenship. His talk with be at 4pm in the Chandler Ballroom in the UC, followed by a reception and an open house in the CCE Suite (Suite 320, University Center).

Volunteer Opportunities: Looking for opportunities for yourself or others to engage in the community? We have begun posting opportunities online, through the “MyUMW portal” at the top left of the UMW homepage. Visit our Opportunity Board on the Center for Community Engagement MyUMW page: https://umw.presence.io/organization/center-for-community-engagement (NOTE, you may need to open this link in a Chrome browser). Or visit the COAR website to learn about COAR programs: https://sandcommeng.wpengine.com/community-outreach-and-resources-coar/

Voter Registration: Want to check your voter registration status or register to vote? Want students to come to your class to talk about civic engagement and voter registration? Send an email to sdewees@umw.edu and she can help you find the resources you need.

Time off for Service: Of particular interest to staff – Did you know that UMW gives all full-time employees up to 16 hours of paid leave to participate in volunteer activities? We have a little info, and a link to the policy here on our website.

Of particular interest to faculty: Please keep an eye out for a community engagement-focused community of practice running this fall – Community Engaged Teaching for Beginners – the call will come from Caitie Finlayson and the Teaching Center. Not a beginner? Want to share ideas and experiences? Holler back, and let’s set up some problem solving/solution celebrating brown bags this year!

Also upcoming: COAR’s Into the Streets community volunteering event on Saturday September 28th; and the roll out of a new campus civic engagement initiative, UMW Votes, throughout the fall.

Do you have any questions, issues or comments? We would love to hear from you. Please contact Leslie Martin at lmartin@umw.edu or Sarah Dewees at sdewees@umw.edu.

President’s Council on Wellness

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Welcome to another academic year! The President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW) is excited to share weekly installments in EagleEye! Each week find highlighted events and news related to Wellness at UMW to help you stay happy and healthy. We would like to introduce you to the Wellness Wheel and the six dimensions of wellness at UMW. Throughout the year, we will be highlighting each dimension on wellness and examples of activities that fall under each dimension along with campus events that relate to wellness.

We are currently recruiting faculty, staff, and students to serve on PCOW. If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete the form below.

https://forms.gle/LkidFz653Ljjq4Vv7

Like our Facebook page “UMW Wellness” and follow our Instagram (@umw_wellness) to stay up-to-date.

UMW Grant to Help Students Recover From Substance Addiction

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The University of Mary Washington has received a $50,000 grant for a unique program that helps students in various stages of recovery from alcohol and substance abuse and addiction.

The “Expanding Collegiate Recovery in Virginia” grant, awarded this summer by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), will fund growth for UMW’s Eagles in Recovery program. Though a number of colleges claim substance-free housing, the program puts UMW among only a handful in Virginia – and relatively few across the country – to offer support services for students recovering from substance addiction.

Read more. 

Announcing Giving Day 2020

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Announcing Giving Day 2020

Save the date: Mary Washington’s 4th Annual Giving Day will be held Thursday, March 19, 2020. Mary Wash Giving Day, also known as #MaryWashDay, is a 24-hour online event in which alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends of UMW come together to make gifts to areas across the University. It’s an opportunity for you to raise funds to support departmental priorities.

Sign-up for #MaryWashDay 2020 is now open!

If your department or campus organization would like to participate in Mary Wash Giving Day 2020, please fill out this short form by September 3.  We will hold an initial mandatory meeting for all participating groups on Thursday, September 26. In an attempt to accommodate differing schedules, we will offer this meeting at two different times: 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., both in the Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium.

During this kickoff meeting, we will go over all of the new guidelines for Giving Day 2020 and distribute the Giving Day 2020 informational packet. In an effort to streamline, this packet will contain all of the guidelines, due dates, and information needed to make Giving Day 2020 a success. After this initial meeting, other optional workshops will be held throughout the year to help participants prepare for the big day.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Shelby Orlando:  sorlando@umw.edu x1361, or Beth Hunsinger: ehunsing@umw.edu x2068.

We are excited to work with everyone who will be participating in #MaryWashDay 2020!

UMW Supporters Make It Happen

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The final results are in for fiscal year 2019. All together 7,358 UMW alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, students, and businesses made a grand total of $9.4 million in gifts and pledges.

But, that’s not all. See this infographic from the Office of Advancement for more amazing facts about philanthropy and engagement from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. THANK YOU for your continued support!

Vote Fredericksburg “Best Small Town” in Southern Living Magazine

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Southern Living has announced its nominations for the “South’s Best 2020,” and Fredericksburg, Virginia, is up for “Best Small Town.” Williamsburg and Fredericksburg were the only Virginia locations nominated for Best Small Town. Beaufort, North Carolina, was voted Southern Living’s Best of the South in 2019.

Cast your vote and share your hometown passion for Fredericksburg by visiting  https://www.southernliving.com/southsbestvote. Vote now!  #SouthsBest #SouthernLiving

Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW: Gatsby at the Library

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The Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW’s next networking event will be held on Thursday, September 12 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at The Central Rappahannock Regional Library Administrative Center.

Gatsby at the Library

Muddle, stir and shake! Step into a Gatsby cocktail party. Suzi Anker from Anker Mobile Bartending will masterfully create three different Gatsby-era cocktails for guests to taste. Anker has tended bars in six different states across the country, from Denali, Alaska to Boston, Massachusetts. Cocktails will be paired with tasty bites from Italian Station in downtown Fredericksburg.

We hope to see you there. It’s bound to be the bee’s knees!

Cost per person: $15. Includes cocktail tasting and paired bites.

Register Today

All UMW Assembly, Friday, August 16

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Dear UMW Faculty and Staff,

President Paino invites all UMW faculty and staff to attend the All UMW Assembly on Friday, Aug. 16 from 9 to 10 a.m. in Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall. If you are unable to attend the assembly, please note that it will be recorded and made available on the UMW website.

Office of the President