May 16, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Latino Identities Month

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Civil right issues are still prominent in today’s society and recent legislation highlighting the Latino and Latino-American populations in Arizona have awakened many to this truth. U.S. citizens now face ramifications from these legal changes, which facilitate racial discrimination and encourage prejudice. Imagine walking through campus and suddenly being asked for proof of citizenship because of your race. What kind of anxiety would you feel if you did not have this documentation; if you were accused of being a criminal or treated as a second-class citizen? This is a dilemma that will be potentially facing many American citizens if we resign ourselves to apathy and regression.

We must strive to remind our community that our country from its inception has been nation of immigrants and these individuals have significantly contributed to the progression of our nation.  The preamble to the United States Constitution, written by our Founding Fathers who were also immigrants, calls for domestic tranquility and the blessings of liberty, both of which will be in jeopardy if prejudice and discrimination continue to be incorporated into institutions and the legal system. As we further explore the issues surrounding these topics, it will help us build a better understanding of Latino- American citizens as well as immigrants, and their contributions to society.

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September 22nd

Panel Discussion

Driving While…Well Any Color!

6 p.m., Lee Hall, 411

Individuals of all ethnicities have encountered prejudice or racism at some point in their lifetime, whether it is perceived or intentional. Join University of Mary Washington students as they discuss their personal experiences with such issues and how it has affected their lives and perceptions of other races. FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE AVAILABLE! For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at .

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September 24th

Latino Identities Month Keynote Performance

hereandnow Theatre Company & Teatro Nueva Alma present Sin Titulo

7 p.m., Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

Sin Título lunges deep into motives of the mind and spirit of young Latinos. Thrusting sights and sounds of Latino passions, this production offers inspiration to anyone who is searching for strength and peace within their culture. Bound to the beauty of their language and experiences audiences leave with a lasting poetic rhythm after experiencing a Teatro show.

The dilution caused by the casual cultural clumping of the growing number of Latinos in Southern California obscures true nationality. “We are not all Mexicans,” is a statement that has perhaps been said too often in a yielding manner. Argentines, Chileans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and the many other Latino nationalities should have an equally fervid voice. “Sin Título” delicately exposes the opposing differences that exist among this intensifying hybrid of Latino culture in America while still acknowledging…WE ARE ALL STILL AMERICANS.

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October 1st

“Soulmenco”

Featuring Ebony Tay and Carlos Revollar

8 p.m., The Underground

Experience “Soulmenco” with global soul guitarist and songstress Ebony Tay and world-renowned Flamenco guitarist, Carlos Revollar. Combining the passion-filled rhythms of the gypsy (Flamenco) with the soulful hymns of African slaves, this cool new twist on Flamenco will give you an exciting night of hands, feet, and guitar, while uniting elements of various cultures to enhance the true essence of one love through music. For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at .

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October 4th

A Day in the Life of an Immigrant

6-8 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center

Visiting a different country can be fun and exciting for a short-term traveler, especially when you know that you’ll soon return home to a familiar life. But for immigrants, they must quickly find a job, a place to live, and settle into a routine as they adapt to life in their new country where everything seems different. A Day in the Life of An Immigrant is an interactive experience where participants will gain first-hand insights into many of the struggles and challenges that recent immigrants face. This event is co-sponsored by LUCHA Ministries, Inc. For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at .

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October 5th

Pass the Test

6 p.m., Lee Hall 411

One of the most important tests an individual will take during their lifetime will be that to grant citizenship into the Unites States; however, the contents of this test are unknown to many nor are the several other steps of the naturalization process; a process that continues to remain a barrier for many immigrants to overcome. Please join the Latino Student Association and Professor Jessica Locke, Assistant Professor of Modern Foreign Languages, as they test your knowledge of this process and critical test! Do you have what it takes to pass the test? FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE AVAILABLE! For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at (540) 654-1044.

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October 6th

Resolved? A Melting Pot No More

7 p.m., Lee Hall 411

Recent changes to U.S. immigration reform policies have contributed to heated debates across the country, and while emotions run high and opinions vary, the once perceived “melting pot” is quickly becoming unwelcoming territory for a large population of U.S. citizens. Join the members of the UMW Debate Program debate U.S. immigration policy for the 21st century.For more information, please contact Dr. Timothy O’Donnell at todonnel@umw.edu.

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October 7th
The Story of Esperanza:
An African Woman in Colonial Mexico

7 p.m., Red Room, Woodard Campus Center
Dr. Joan C. Bristol is the author of a variety of books and articles and her new project explores the intersection of gender and racial ideologies in Colonial Spanish America. Event cosponsored by Women’s and Gender Studies and the Department of History and American Studies

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October 15th

Feria de UMW Festival

5 – 7 p.m., Ball Circle; (Rain Location: Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center)

UMW comes alive in celebration of Latino culture through dance, music, and food! Festivities include live entertainment, traditional Latino foods, and raffles with countless prizes. Games, crafts, and activities will round out this evening of fun! This program is geared toward promoting understanding, equality, and acceptance of Latino culture and heritage. For more information, contact umwlsa@gmail.com

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural
Center at ; Lee Hall, 211 or at www.umw.edu/multicultural

The UMW Web Site Overhaul Begins!

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The University has formed a new Web Advisory Committee, comprising representative students, faculty, and staff from all areas of the University.  The committee is co-chaired by George Farrar, Associate VP of University Relations, and myself, Cathy Finn-Derecki, University Webmaster.

The first meeting of the committee was held today, September 17. The committee discussed how the web site is being used now, with the goal in mind of developing “a compelling, unforgettable public Web presence that acts as a primary recruiting tool and helps position UMW as the top public liberal arts and sciences institution in the country.”

With that objective in mind, we took a look at the road ahead. This will be the first major overhaul of the site since 2006, and, as such, is a broad-reaching project. Needless to say, feedback from all areas of the University, via the members of this committee, will be sought as we move forward. If you’d like more information, read my blog about the committee’s progress as we move along, and maybe answer a poll there while you are at it!

In the interim, look for a fresher face on our home page in the coming weeks!

UMW: A Great Place to Work:

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Did you Know?

  • UMW’s “New Beginnings” will be celebrated at this Fall’s Service Award Luncheon on Tuesday, October 12, from 11:30-1:30 in the Great Hall.
  • 463 employees participated in departmental customer service training this last Spring and Summer in an effort to continuously improve our service– Way to go, UMW!
  • A Staff Advisory Council is currently being formed– elections begin this Fall!

Psychology Lecture, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16

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The lecture, “Hidden Wounds of War: Psychological Treatment of Returning Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. The talk will be given by Dianna Rowell, staff psychologist at the Veterans Administration  Health Care System, who has been named Graduate-in-Residence for UMW’s Department of Psychology.

Painting the Town

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UMW students will help color Fredericksburg streets with art at the first annual Fredericksburg Via Colori festival Friday, September 24 through Sunday, September 26.

The event features street drawings in the centuries-old tradition of volunteer artists creating large-scale pastel artwork on the pavement of city streets. UMW studio and art majors, under the direction of Distinguished Professor of Art Joe DiBella. will focus on several key figures in the history of art.

More than 70 artists will paint large squares on Sophia and Charlotte streets, including world-renowned street painter Curtis Goldstein, who has been featured on the CBS Early Show. Painting will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. on Sunday. Each square is sponsored by a business, organization or other entity and proceeds from the sponsorships will be used to support arts-based education in the community.

Via Colori also features performances by musicians, a children’s area, street vendors and roving entertainers. The event is free to the public.

Via Colori is co-sponsored by the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform at Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall during the Music Department’s Showcase concert on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The showcase is free and open to the public.

Via Colori was organized by the Fredericksburg Arts Commission, whose mission is to promote, expand and support the arts in the Fredericksburg region.

Food Policy Expert to Speak, Sept. 20

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Regina Birner, senior research fellow for the International Food Policy Research Institute, will speak on “How to make rural service provision gender-responsive? Insights from India, Ghana and Ethiopia” on Monday, September 20 at 4:30 p.m. in Trinkle Hall, Room 204.

Dr. Birner’s talk is the first in a seven-part public lecture series titled “Winners and Losers, Risks and Rewards: Seven Voices on Globalization, Development and Inequality”.  Sponsors for the event include:

Campus Academic Resources Committee, the CAS Dean, the departments of Political Science and International Affairs, Sociology and Anthropology, Geography, Classics, Philosophy and Religion, the programs for American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, the James Farmer Multicultural Center and the Leidecker Center for Asian Studies.  Read the news release.

21st Annual Fredericksburg Welsh Festival Next Weekend!

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The James Monroe Museum and the Welsh Society of Fredericksburg will host the annual Fredericksburg Welsh Festival this year on Saturday, September 25, 2010, from noon to 5 p.m. Come join us in the 900 block of Charles Street (in front of the museum) in downtown Fredericksburg to honor the Welsh ancestry of James Monroe – whose mother, Elizabeth Jones, was from Wales – with live Celtic music, crafts vendors, dancing, story-telling, poetry and infamous Welsh cookies! 

This year, festival-goers will enjoy traditional food of the British Isles catered by downtown’s Blarney Stone Irish Pub and will be treated to the lovely sounds of the Choir of the British School of Washington, D.C.

Joining the British School Choir on the main stage will be perennial fair favorites IONA, the Washington area’s premiere Pan-Celtic ensemble; songstress Jodee James; and local group Moch Pryderi.  

Entertainment in the Masonic Cemetery adjoining the museum will include the Dragon Lady, Jeanette Episcopo; professional story-teller Cindy Roser; amazing Welsh Speaker Bob Roser; and James Monroe himself! 

A donation of $4 for adults and $1 for children will be requested to defray the cost of entertainment. For more information, visit the festival website at www.welshfred.com, or call the museum at (540) 654-1043. 

The Welsh Festival is part of the University of Mary Washington’s Family Weekend and is partially supported by funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. 

Join us as we celebrate Wales and the heritage of James Monroe!

Learning Management System Review

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Our current version of Blackboard is due to be upgraded or replaced for the 2011-2012 academic year.

It is time to choose the next learning management system (LMS) to be used at UMW. To this end, the Provost and CIO have formed an LMS Review Committee to identify the learning management systems that best fulfill the unique requirements of the students and faculty at Mary Washington. The committee will be asking for your input all along the way.

The LMS adoption path begins by writing an RFP (request for proposals) in which bids are solicited from LMS vendors. The committee is in the process of writing that RFP and is requesting your input now.  Do you have ideas for an ideal LMS to be adopted for fall 2011? If so, please visit the LMS Adoption website at http://lms.umwblogs.org. There you will see an outline of the RFP draft document and a contact form to leave suggestions for the committee.

Also at the LMS Adoption website you will find a timeline for the entire process. During fall 2010, the committee will identify four potential LMS candidates to invite to campus for live demonstrations for faculty, staff, and students. These demonstrations will take place in late January 2011. After the demos, you will have opportunity to voice your opinion about which demonstrated LMS best meets your needs.  A recommended LMS will be chosen by February 21, 2011.

During the spring and summer of 2011 you will be able to learn about the new LMS and receive assistance in migrating your existing Blackboard course(s) to the new system. Installation and integration testing will occur in mid-spring 2001. By summer 2011 the system will be operational and a few courses will be piloted in the new system during summer. All courses will be offered in the new system fall 2011.

There is much to do between now and fall 2011. During this time, the LMS Review Committee will be communicating with you via their website. The committee needs your input to make an informed decision. Between now and September 24th, the committee is asking you to offer any suggestions about learning management system requirements so that they can fully convey your needs in the RFP document. Please consider visiting the LMS Adoption website at http://lmw.umwblogs.org before September 24 and submitting comments there.

In addition to the website you are  encouraged to talk with any members of the LMS Review Committee:

Teresa Coffman
Associate Professor of Education, College of Education
tcoffman@umw.edu
540-286-8094
Stafford Campus, North B247

Bob Gartland
System Administrator, Enterprise Application Infrastructure
rgartlan@umw.edu
540-286-8068
Stafford Campus, South 210E

Christie Glancy
Reference Librarian, Simpson Library
cglancy@umw.edu
540-654-1740
Simpson Library, 102

Steve Greenlaw
Professor of Economics; Director, Teaching Center, College of Arts and Sciences
sgreenla@umw.edu
540-654-1483
1004 College Avenue

Lynn Hamilton
Technology Academy Director, Division of Prof. Dev. & Regional Engagement
lhamilto@umw.edu
540-286-8011
Stafford Campus, South 144

Cheryl Hawkinson-Melkun
Assistant Professor, Communications; Director Stafford Writing Center, College of Business
540-286-8092
Stafford Campus, North B214

Helen Housley
Associate Professor, Theater and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences
hhousley@umw.edu
540-654-1983
duPont Hall, 330

Pam Lowery
Director, User Services
plowery@umw.edu
540-654-1357
George Washington Hall, B0025

Diane Madden
dmadden@umw.edu
Student, M.Ed. Program

Carol Martin
Senior Project Specialist
cmartin@umw.edu
540-654-1216
Centre Court

George Meadows
Associate Professor, College of Education
gmeadows@umw.edu
540-654-1350
Trinkle Hall, 215

Jerry Slezak, Co-Chair LMS Review Committee
Director, Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies
jslezak@umw.edu
540-654-2118
duPont Hall, Room 310

John St.Clair, Co-Chair LMS Review Committee
Director, Distance and Blended Learning
jstclair@umw.edu
540-286-8116
Stafford Campus, North B256

Justin Webb
Executive Director, Enterprise Application Systems
jwebb@umw.edu
540-654-1907
Stafford Campus, South 210

Xiaofeng Zhao
Assistant Professor, College of Business
xzhao@umw.edu
540-654-1519
Chandler Hall, 310

UMW Seeks to Affiliate with Omicron Delta Kappa

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In order to recognize leadership in various forms, UMW is investigating the creation of an Omicron Delta Kappa circle at Mary Washington and would welcome comments and interest from faculty and staff as the process takes shape.  “OΔK® was the first college honor society of a national scope to give recognition and honor for meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities and to encourage development of general campus citizenship” (odk.org).  If you are an ODK member, your support could be especially helpful in the developmental stages of the organization.

For more information, please contact Dr. Doug Searcy, vice president for Student Affairs, at dsearcy@umw.edu or  Christina Eggenberger, associate director of Student Activities and Community Services, at ceggenbe@umw.edu.