Category: What’s New @ UMW

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will include a keynote lecture, a film and discussion and a day of service.

Keynote Speaker: Marc Lamont Hill
Sponsored by the Office of the President
Wednesday, Jan. 18
4 p.m, Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

Activist, social critic, and scholar Marc Lamont Hill is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s most notable African-American leaders. An associate professor at Columbia University, he has emerged as an important voice in a new generation of public intellectuals. With a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, Hill has focused his research on the intersections of youth culture, identity, and educational processes.
In his inspirational keynote speech, Building Toward the Dream: Progress in the Age of Obama, Hill will address political activism and social change in today’s society. He will speak about the importance of honest communication about both the past and present to precipitate social progress. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known for his ability to connect with individuals and inspire them to work for social justice. Hill hopes to remind people of King’s legacy and encourage them to continue to work for social change.

Film and Discussion: King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Sponsored by Omicron Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Thursday, Jan. 19
6 p.m., Lee Hall, room 411

In the 2007 documentary King: Man of Peace in a Time of War, an archived interview with Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as interviews with Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, and others, gives an in-depth look at King’s dream of peace. During a time of unrest, when the Vietnam War and civil rights movement were at the forefront of the world’s mind, King still expressed hope and a strong belief that one day there would be peace. This influential documentary provides an intimate look into King’s life and thoughts; it is a tribute to the man whose strong will and pursuit of equality is still an inspiration.

MLK, Jr. Day of Service
Saturday, Jan. 21
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service. This year, the UMW MLK, Jr. Day of Service will focus on service projects that recognize Dr. King’s dedication to addressing social justice issues, such as poverty and public health. All members of the campus community are invited to participate in the UMW MLK, Jr. Day of Service. Honor Dr. King’s legacy by giving back and getting involved with the Fredericksburg community. Please register online at the James Farmer Multicultural Center website. Community service projects are available in three- or four-hour increments. To sign up, please download the following form and return it to our office in Lee 211, click this link to sign up online,  or contact the Office of Community Service at 540-654-1122.

The following information is provided by Human Resources and the UMW Weight Watchers at Work group:  

A quick Google search reveals that losing weight is the number one New Year’s resolution. Get a start on that resolution and join UMW friends who have already lost over 1,000 pounds! Read this testimonial from one of our members:

“There comes a time in one’s life when you are no longer comfortable in your own skin.  I got to that point last spring.  My clothes felt tight, I had trouble sleeping and my back and joints ached.  I was reluctant at first to join Weight Watchers.  After all, I wasn’t FAT and didn’t want to eat SPECIAL FOOD.  Plus, I wasn’t sure I would fit in.  I was wrong on all counts.  Weight Watchers is flexible and easy to follow.  The on-line tools make tracking what I ate a breeze.  I loved being able to enter my favorite recipes and restaurant entrees and find out how many points they are per serving – an eye opening experience!  I lost weight by making simple modifications  to my diet.  I didn’t have to buy special food or deprive myself of the foods I love.  The work support group provided encouragement , tips, and great camaraderie.  I really liked getting to know other people on campus.  The meeting time fit easily into my lunch hour and was very convenient.  I met my goal and enjoy the group so much I plan to keep coming.  I am truly grateful for this terrific benefit.”  (Catherine)

Weight Watchers is Ranked #1 Weight-Loss Diet by U.S. News & World Report. Inaugural rankings from U.S. News & World Report put Weight Watchers in the top slot for weight-loss diets. Read more here: http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=111661&sc=3046

The new Weight Watchers at Work session begins Wednesday, January 25. Join us and take advantage of special pricing for state employees. Check out a meeting for free; registration and information are available at these upcoming meetings:

Wednesday, January 11

Noon-12:30 p.m.

Red Room, Woodard Hall

Wednesday, January 18

Noon-12:30 p.m.

Red Room, Woodard Hall

Contact Pam Taggert (ptaggert@umw.edu) 654-1018 with any questions.

The University of Mary Washington is listed among Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2012.

The university ranks fifth among Virginia’s best values and 44th out of 100 four-year public institutions nationwide when comparing tuition costs, according to the February 2012 issue of Kiplinger’s. The list is available online at www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges.

The magazine selects the best values from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, ranking them on academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates, as well as on cost and financial aid.

For more information, read the full press release.

UMW, and UMW Blogs in particular, is being heralded in Richard Demillo’s new book Abelard to Apple: The Fate of American Colleges and Universities as a space of great educational ferment, to quote from George Leef’s review of the book here. In fact, Leef’s review not only examines more popular open education mainstays like MIT’s Open Courseware, but spends a bit of time discussing the role of networked culture in re-imagining the future of higher education:

Open courseware is not the only way online learning is going to change higher education. DeMillo observes that whereas the traditional college class involves the broadcasting of information from the professor to (doubtfully alert) students, blogs involve rich connection networks where students and instructors interact and share their questions and information.

In that regard, DeMillo points to a little-known school where there is great educational ferment: “At the University of Mary Washington, learning takes place in the digital spaces engineered by Jim Groom and his band of Edupunks. At UMW, learning takes place in blogs.”

And when highlighting the importance of a networked culture for the future of learning at institutions UMW is highlighted as a model. UMW Blogs provides more than open resources and lectures on the internet, it also enables the ability to interact and share ideas and resources that helps bridge the gap between institutions of higher learning and the web.

James Bacon, proprietor of the Bacon’s Rebellion blog that focuses on all things Virginia, not only gave UMW kudos in for its work with UMW Blogs in his post on the DeMillo book, but also points out what remains the most important lesson of UMW Blogs. The open publishing platform is not remarkable because it is single-handedly transforming higher education (such an assertion would be absurd), but rather it is how this platform embodies “the process of experimentation” that is still in its infancy when it comes to the future of higher education. To Mary Washington’s great credit, it has been on the bleeding edge of innovation in this regard for more than seven years.

Image credit:  Ethan Hein’s “Hyperbolic orthogonal dodecahedral honeycomb”

Plans are moving forward for the University of Mary Washington Foundation’s construction of a $14 million-plus select-service hotel in the second phase of the Eagle Village mixed-use development across U.S. 1 from the Fredericksburg campus of the University of Mary Washington. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012.

The five-story hotel, to be located between Giant Food and the Eagle Village Executive Offices, will feature 93 studio rooms or suites, several meeting and conference rooms for public use, and a 24-hour food and beverage service for guests. The 66,500-square-foot facility also will include an indoor pool and a fitness center. In addition, the building will house approximately 1,600 square feet of retail space, possibly a day spa, according to Jeff Rountree, CEO of the UMW Foundation and President, Eagle Property Holdings, LLC.

Construction will begin when demolition of the shopping center north of Giant is complete. The hotel is expected to open by fall 2013. Currently, the Foundation is negotiating the franchise agreement for the hotel brand, which will be announced once the agreement is finalized in early May.