The UMW Purchasing Department has launched their “green” purchasing webpage devoted to promoting sustainability. The page lists various projects that the university is currently implementing to reduce costs and allow for a healthier environment. Also listed are eco-friendly practices that members of the university are encouraged to follow and green purchasing planning guidelines. The mission is to purchase materials that will decrease our ecological footprint on the Earth. Click on this link http://www.umw.edu/purchasing/green/default.php to check out the new site and find information on how the university is working to fulfill its sustainability goals.
Survey Closes Friday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.
Dear UMW faculty, staff, students, and alumni:
The University of Mary Washington is undertaking an important process to update, refine, and reaffirm our reputation, with particular attention to how the University is perceived both externally and internally. I encourage you to participate by giving us your candid and confidential responses to a few important questions.
This process will help us enhance UMW’s visibility regionally and nationally; motivate community members and individuals to become involved and offer financial support; and ensure that the public understands what we stand for, what we offer, and why they should associate themselves with us.
The first step in preparation for a comprehensive reputation enhancement effort is to assess – and update when necessary – the messages we use when talking about the University. We need to define what makes us unique and special. This step is critical, and I need your help to make it successful.
It will take only a few minutes of your time to complete this survey. Please respond by February 4 to ensure that we include your thoughts. We’ve also established a web page at which you may track the project’s progress and add additional input to share in UMW Blogs.
Your confidential comments are critical in articulating UMW’s unique and compelling identity. Over the coming weeks, our entire community will have the opportunity to contribute thoughts and ideas. Once these messages are developed, we will be able to speak with a unified voice about the qualities that make the University of Mary Washington distinctive. This is one step on the path to becoming the best public liberal arts university in the nation.
Later this spring, those of you who are alumni will receive a separate survey that will help us gain a better understanding of who UMW graduates are. Not only will this help us know you better, it will allow us to celebrate and publicize your successes.
I urge you to complete this survey now. Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please contact Director of Communication George Farrar or Director of Marketing Sabrina Brown.
Sincerely,
Rick Hurley
President
Plenty of buzz about Burns
The UMW Bookstore still has a few copies of Jennifer Burns’ Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right in stock. UMW Faculty & Staff receive 20% discount.
IT Announces Organizational Changes Affecting User Services
In an effort to improve Information Technologies support and service delivery to our campus community, and to once again offer IT related training courses, the Information Technologies division has reorganized User Services into two separate departments: IT Support Services and IT Training and Communication.
The new department of IT Training and Communication will be directed by Pam Lowery who will head up our renewed training efforts and an overhaul of the IT website. More information regarding training opportunities will be announced in the coming months.
We are pleased to have Jerry Slezak, formerly the Director of the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies, join us as Director of IT Support Services. As director, Jerry will provide oversight and management of the IT Help Desk operations, desktop support, lab and classroom technology support, the coordination of computer replacement initiatives, and other related functions.
For more information about the IT organization please visit: http://www.umw.edu/doit/organization/default.php.
Donations Welcome for Topher Bill Auction
The Department of Psychology is once again holding our annual Topher Bill Scholarship Auction. This year the auction will be on-line! This will change how we do business. We still would like your donations, and we’d appreciate your participation in our auction after it begins.
Any big items we auction will have to be picked up from us by the buyer. We will still pick items up from the seller. The delivery of any baked goods will be decided upon by the buyer and the seller. The dates of any outings (ballgames, picnics) or dinners will be decided upon by the buyer and the seller, as usual. The psychology department will mail gift certificates and small items. When the auction goes online, we will indicate in the item description whether the item can be shipped or not.
We hope that by going online, we will increase our participation in the auction, so please consider a donation! We can auction anything, just like in our past auctions. If you prefer, you may make a donation directly to the Topher Bill Memorial Scholarship Fund by sending a check payable to the UMW Foundation and noting that it is for the Psychology Topher Bill Scholarship.
Please plan to check us out online and bid on items at the auction! Once the auction is up and running, probably by the end of February, we will send out the web address.
Attached is the donation form which can be completed and returned via email, campus mail or regular mail to Jean Bennett (jbennett@umw.edu).
If you have any questions please contact Jean (540-654-1054) or me (540-654-1559).
Thanks for your help!
Debra Cowart Steckler, Chair, Department of Psychology
The UMW Bookstore now has copies of Prof. Nasr’s Newly Published “Islam in the Modern World.”
New book discusses “The Challenged world of Traditional Islam.”
The world’s fastest-growing religion is also the most misunderstood in the west. In Islam in the Modern World, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the world’s leading experts on Islamic thought, explains why traditional Islam exists in tension with modern Western culture while at the same time it is also opposed by many currents of Islamic “fundamentalism.” Nasr explains all the major points of tension—politics, philosophy, education, art, the role of women, and more—for traditional Isla, rooted in the Qur’an and the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, differs from both modernism and Islam’s extremist factions.
–Back Cover/Published by Harper One
Monday, January 24, 2011
Great Lives; The Free Lance-Star
The University of Mary Washington‘s ‘Great Lives’ lecture series continues this week with a discussion on Tuesday of “Peanuts” cartoonist and observer of the human condition Charles Schulz, given by M. Thomas Inge, a professor of humanities at Randolph-Macon College and the editor of “My Life With Charlie Brown.” An op-ed column by Mr. Inge appears today on Page D3.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/012011/01232011/600289
Multicultural Fair 2011
The Multicultural Fair will be held on Saturday, April 9th from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. throughout the UMW campus community. The James Farmer Multicultural Center encourages everyone to attend or participate. Participation opportunities include, vending, performing, volunteering, or modeling in the Fashion Show.
If you are interested in any of the opportunities please visit the event’s website at http://www.umw.edu/multicultural/multicultural_fair/default.php or contact LaNita Weisenberger at lweisenb@umw.edu or (540) 654 – 1044.
Black History Month
BLACK HISTORY IS…
Celebrate and Educate
Black History Month celebrates the journey that African Americans have traveled over time. Their path has been filled with struggles and acts of perseverance. We come together this month to honor, celebrate, and educate everyone about the movements and achievements that have transformed society. The James Farmer Multicultural Center, the Black History Month committee, and the Black Student Association (BSA) invite you to reflect on this journey and join us in celebrating all the progress that has been made. We continue to hope that, as a people and a society, we will further strive to achieve a nation where social justice and equal opportunity become a reality for all Americans.
*Cuisines of Black Cultures, Seacobeck Hall
Cost: one meal-plan meal or $7.75 for lunch, $9.90 for dinner (plus tax)
Feb. 7 – dinner; Feb. 21 – lunch, Select Mondays in February
Campus Dining Services will celebrate Black History Month by featuring
dishes from African, Caribbean, Creole, and Southern soul cuisines.
*My Journey: African-American Stories
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
An open-panel discussion of the journey of several African-American
UMW and Fredericksburg community members who will relate
personal experiences in their professions. Refreshments provided.
*Celebration Keynote Performance: Saul Williams
Friday, Feb. 4, 2011
7 p.m., Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
Experience the lyrical force of Saul Williams’ spoken word art. Williams
is a former Grand Slam Champion and HBO Def Poetry Jam performer
who explores social consciousness through his poetry.
*Eric Etheridge – Breach of Peace: Portraits of
the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders
Monday, Feb. 7, 2011
7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Reception to follow.
Etheridge is the author, journalist, and photographer behind Breach
of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders, a “then-and-now”
memoir of individuals who took part in the Freedom Rides of 1961.
Part of the James Farmer Visiting Professor Lecturer Series,
in collaboration with Freedom Riders 50th Anniversary Commemoration.
*“The Negro Zone” Discussion
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Panel members will discuss this short, satirical film that addresses
stereotypes African-American men face in the United States. Refreshments
provided. Co-sponsored by Brothers of a New Direction (BOND) and BSA.
*Comedy Performance featuring Jordan Carlos
Friday, Feb. 11, 2011
8 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Jordan Carlos is a Brooklyn-based comic raised in suburban North
Dallas where he was the only black kid in class and at all the bar mitzvahs.
He has appeared as Stephen Colbert’s black friend, “Alan,” on the Colbert
Report and performed on Comedy Central’s Live at Goth. Sponsored by
GIANTProductions.
*Step Show
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011
6:30 p.m. – doors open, 7 p.m. – show begins
Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
Cost: $7; $5 with UMW ID
Join an array of the most talented area step teams performing in this high
energy, entertaining competition. Co-sponsored by Women of Color, BOND,
and the Fredericksburg Area Boys and Girls Club.
*Candido: Hands of Fire
Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Ivan Acosta directed Candido: Hands of Fire, a documentary about a well-known
Afro-Cuban percussionist, Candido Camero. The audience will be
treated to a viewing of this documentary followed by a discussion led by
Mr. Acosta. Co-sponsored by the departments of Modern Foreign Languages
and English.
*HIV/AIDS in the Black Community: A Panel Discussion
Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and
that disparity continues to grow. Sponsored jointly by BSA, People for the
Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities (PRISM), and Fredericksburg’s
Home of Miracles and Embraces (H.O.M.E).
*A Night of Jazz: Performance and Discussion
Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011
8 p.m., The Underground, Lee Hall
Join Doug Gately for a discussion of jazz music in the African-American
community and enjoy a performance by the UMW Faculty Jazz Sextet. Co-sponsored by the UMW Department of Music.
*Gospelfest
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011
6 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Enjoy an evening of gospel music and spiritual uplift with choirs, singing
groups, and praise dance teams as they display their musical talents.
*Coming Out? African-American Culture and Sexuality
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011
6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
A candid discussion about stereotypes surrounding black homophobia and
non-heterosexual lifestyles. Co-sponsored by BSA and PRISM.
*Gay Rights versus Civil Rights
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011
7 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
Involved in the struggle for both GLBT and civil rights equality,
Fredericksburg musician and activist Gaye Adegbalola presents a unique
and personal interpretation. Sponsored by PRISM.
Islamic Cultural Week 2011
“Stereotypical Islam: Dispelling the Myths, Labels, and Prejudices Surrounding Islamic Culture “
There is no poster child for Islam. It is a religion and culture that is constructed of a diverse community that cannot be defined by media images and the acts of extremists. In truth, Islam is a peaceful and open religion; one that is often typecast based on the false myths, labels, and prejudices created by various forms of media. The Islamic Student Association and James Farmer Multicultural Center aim to educate the members of the campus and greater community about the truths of Islamic culture and increase the acceptance levels of not only the members of the Islamic community, but all individuals who have suffered from intolerance.
Are you a Terrorist?
Film and Discussion • Monday, January 24
Lee Hall, Room 411; 5 p.m.
Please join the Islamic Student Association for the viewing of The Road to Guantanamo Bay. This film is a docudrama about “The Tipton Three,” three British men who were held in Guantanamo Bay by the United States government for two years. The film features interviews and archival footage to tell the story of possible abuse by the government in the name of fear. The film will be followed by a discussion about the actions that took place during the years these men were imprisoned and whether prejudices toward Islamic culture influenced these actions.
Muslims and Miniskirts: What you Don’t Know about Islamic Fashion
Fashion Show • Tuesday, January 25
Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center; 7 p.m.
Fashion in Islamic culture is certainly not confined to niqabs and kufis. It is just as diverse as the culture itself; filled with elements of self expression, wonderful colors, and a variety that ultimately dispels the stereotypical images media provide of the men and women of Islam. Members of the UMW community will model various fashions to highlight how different and actually modern the clothing and culture of Islam can be.
Henna Night
Wednesday, January 26
Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center; 5 p.m.
The art of Henna is often thought of as being a part of Islamic religion, but in fact it is part of its culture. The decorative body art has been in existence longer than Islam and is celebrated by individuals from around the world. Please join the Islamic Student Association as they address the history of Henna in combination with providing individuals the opportunity to express themselves utilizing this form of body art.
Islamic Cultural Banquet
Cultural Awareness Series Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Liyakat Takim
Thursday, January 27
Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center; 6 p.m.
The Islamic Cultural Banquet offers traditional foods, fellowship, and a keynote lecture from Dr. Liyakat Takim. Dr. Takim is the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. He has written over 70 scholarly works on Islam in America, both pre- and post-9/11.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
For more information, contact James Farmer Multicultural Center, 540/654-1044, Lee Hall, Room 211 | www.umw.edu/multicultural