Category: What’s New @ UMW

On Monday, March 18, President Richard V. Hurley and several faculty members spent several hours in “jail” on Campus Walk to raise money for Relay for Life. Hurley, along with Anand Rao, Dan Hubbard and Christina Eggenberger, participated in Relay for Life’s Jail and Bail event. The four sat in a makeshift “jail” until they posted “bail,” achieved through donations to Relay for Life.  During the same afternoon, David Rettinger and Janet Asper volunteered to be “pied” in the face by fellow faculty members and students.

In all, the event raised more than $1,700. The event kicked off Relay for Life Awareness Week at UMW. The week will continue on Thursday, March 21 with a Luminaria Ceremony in front of Monroe Hall at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony will honor, celebrate and remember those affected by cancer. Luminaria bags will be available for $10 that you can decorate and dedicate to those you would like to honor.

On Friday, March 22, the Relay for Life Planning Committee encourages students, faculty and staff to wear purple to raise awareness for Relay for Life.

This year’s Relay for Life at UMW will start at 6 p.m. on April 6 and will continue through 7 a.m. on April 7. If you would like to sign up, please visit: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY13SA?pg=entry&fr_id=48740.

For more information, please contact Katie Sue Van Valkenburg, faculty relations chair of the Relay for Life Planning Committee, at
umwrelayforlife@gmail.com.

Even though Fredericksburg saw light snowfall earlier this week, and with it still a possibility in the upcoming forecast, Spring officially arrived on March 20th.  While it may be a little early to toss your winter jacket to the back of the closet, it’s not too early to start thinking about Spring Cleaning.  This week’s tip focuses on considering a more sustainable approach to this seasonal cleaning pastime.

One important thing to remember when cleaning your office or your home is many popular cleaning detergents contain chemicals that are toxic to the environment.  When it comes down to it, we’re more or less just talking about cleaning normal surfaces.  You’ll find that there are many alternatives to the cleaning detergents that you may normally use.  Moreover, they will probably wind up being less expensive than what you spend on name brand products.  A great site that contains recipes for making your own cleaning detergents can be found at The Sustainable Solution.  Check out how with just some vinegar and water you can clean your windows and floors.  Also, you may want to consider also using natural fiber sponges or an old t-shirt or piece of cloth as opposed to paper towels.

Some other sustainable spring cleaning tips for your home or office:

• Use fresh flowers or an open box of baking soda as opposed to chemical air fresheners
• Hang a clothesline to dry clothes naturally
• Replace old bulbs with energy efficient LEDs or Energy Star bulbs
• Always recycle
• Donate instead of throwing away!

And when the warmer weather does finally arrive, remember at home to try and open windows and save air conditioning for those truly hot unbearable days.

If you have any suggestions for things we can all do differently each day to create more sustainable environments, please feel free to leave a comment or email me the idea to be featured in a future Tip of the Week.  The PCS Action Group members for the “Office Sustainability Tip of the Week” are Kevin Caffrey, Elizabeth Sanders, Robert Louzek, and Dre Anthes.

Last Week’s Tip: Meatless Mondays.

The university’s new Campus Center, which will occupy the current location of Chandler Hall, will require temporary relocations of faculty offices, classrooms and event space.

At the end of the spring 2013 semester, the psychology and business faculty will move out of Chandler to other locations – business faculty will relocate to the second floor of George Washington Hall and psychology faculty will move into the two newly renovated annexes in front of Westmoreland Hall and next to Custis Hall. The College of Business and Department of Psychology will have permanent homes in renovated Woodard Hall and renovated Mercer Hall, respectively. Renovations to both Woodard Hall and Mercer Hall will include substantial additions, like a courtyard area between the two buildings.

Staff should begin considering options in the upcoming months regarding relocation of events typically held in Chandler Hall and Woodard Hall.

We appreciate your flexibility and patience as we begin this transition. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Rick Pearce at rpearce@umw.edu.

Estimated Timelines:

April 2013 – annex renovations completed
May 2013 – faculty move to their temporary locations in George Washington Hall and the annexes
June 2013 – demolition and construction work will begin on Chandler Hall and the new Campus Center
June – August 2013 – early nondisruptive utility work may occur in the area of Woodard Hall and Mercer Hall
September – October 2013 – construction work will begin on Woodard Hall and Mercer Hall; Mercer Hall and parts of Woodard Hall, including the second floor and the Washroom, will go off-line in September
December 2014 – renovations and additions to Woodard Hall and Mercer Hall should be completed. Faculty will move into their new spaces once the work is finished.

The Staff Advisory Council (S.A.C.) has launched a school supply drive for local teachers. The drive will focus on small items often found in teachers’ classrooms.

“This is typically the time when school teachers run out of supplies that the students initially brought with them at the beginning of the year, and they must replenish them out of their own pockets,” said Priscilla Sullivan, S.A.C. activities chair.

The drive, which began on Monday, March 4, will continue through Thursday, March 28. Donation locations are at the Stafford campus North and South buildings; George Washington Hall’s third floor; the Trinkle Hall rotunda; Eagle Village fourth floor; and the Facilities lobby.

Sullivan hopes faculty and staff members will donate one or two items from the following list:

• Folders
• Notebook paper
• Printer paper
• Dry erase markers
• Post-its
• Markers
• Crayons
• Ziploc bags
• Tissues
• Hand sanitizer
• Pencils

For more information, contact Priscilla Sullivan at (540) 654-1376.

Don’t forget to save the dates for the upcoming spring fairs and events through the Office of Academic and Career Services. Please encourage your students to participate in these valuable events:

Spring Career Day

Thursday, March 21 — 3 to 6 p.m., Anderson Center

Career Day attracts local and regional employers who will be searching to fill full-time and internship positions. Organizations attending include representatives from corporations, federal and state government, and non-profit organizations. All students and alumni are welcome and are encouraged to arrive with resumes and dressed in business professional attire. To see a list of registered employees, please visit the Career Services website. Pre-registration for students is not required.

Tweets, Text, and Other Table Taboos: Why Manners Matter (Etiquette Dinner)

Thursday, March 28 — 6 p.m., Jepson Alumni Executive Center’s Rappahannock Grand Ballroom

Would you like to know how to conduct yourself professionally at a dinner?  Do you have questions such as:  Is small talk important? How do I interview over dinner? What should I order? Which fork do I use?

Spend an entertaining and informative dinner with President and Mrs. Hurley learning or honing your dinner and professional social skills.  You will enjoy a six-course meal and have a chance to ask experts your etiquette questions and take away skills that will serve you well for a lifetime.

Registration is required and space is limited for this event. Business attire is required. The cost will be one swipe of your meal card. Students without a meal plan please contact the Office of Academic and Career Services 540-654-1022. To register, please visit our website and complete the online registration form. The deadline to register is March 22, 2013.

Graduate School Fair

Thursday, April 4 — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Anderson Center

Interested in graduate programs in law, business, or health professions? Stop by the Anderson Center where more than 40 graduate and professional schools will be represented. For more information, please visit our website.