Join us every Friday at 5 p.m. for a FREE Group Fitness Class! Each Class is With a New Instructor & Class Format Each Week! Follow us at @umwcampusrec to learn about all class offerings! Register for classes and buy a pass at campusrec.umw.edu
UMW Claims Strong Showing in Two Sets of National Rankings
University of Mary Washington earned top spots this week in two national college rankings, ‘Washington Monthly’ and ‘The Princeton Review.’
The University of Mary Washington took top spots in a pair of prestigious national college rankings, each released this week.
Encouraging college students to be active citizens, Washington Monthly’s 2021 College Rankings cite schools’ ability to promote social mobility, research and service. “We rate schools based on what they do for the country,” states the website for the publication, which included UMW in not one but two categories: Best Master’s Universities and Best Bang for the Buck.
Washington Monthly, which judges schools on their commitment to contributing to the greater good, recognized UMW for providing marketable degrees at affordable prices. The Princeton Review’s college rankings, based on feedback from actual students, placed Mary Washington in the top 14 percent of the nation’s thousands of four-year colleges and universities. Read more.
Common Experience Encourages Critical Thinking, Connections
“We don’t need most of the fast-thinking system processes that were used thousands of years ago to survive,” said first-year student Bridget Zagrobelny (right), who learned from the PBS episode that autopilot thinking in modern life often results in mistakes and poor decisions. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Bridget Zagrobelny has heard that first impressions matter. But the University of Mary Washington freshman decided on a different strategy for making friends in college.
“We’re prone to judging others too quickly,” she said, “so it’s important to tap the brakes in our brains when we meet new people.”
She gained that insight after watching Living on Autopilot, an episode from the PBS Hacking Your Mind series exploring the mental processes at play in rational versus quick decision making, as part of this year’s Common Experience. Launched in 2015, this shared academic milestone gives incoming UMW first-year students the chance to engage in critical thinking and college-level discussions with professors, staff and peers as soon as they arrive on campus.
“We hope to challenge them to think about the material in new ways, learn about themselves and connect with their classmates,” said Assistant Professor of Biology April Wynn. As the First-Year Experience director, she oversees a variety of initiatives, including first-year seminars, living and learning communities, and peer mentorships, all designed to help freshmen successfully transition to life at Mary Washington. Read more.
Fall Safe Zone programs
The UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. At the end of each workshop, participants have the opportunity to become a Safe Zone ally for our campus. Safe Zone allies are individuals who will:
- Be understanding, supportive, and trustworthy if LGBTQ+ individuals need help, advice, or just someone to talk to.
- Not tolerate homophobic, transphobic, and heterosexist comments and actions and will address them in an educational and informative manner.
- Have received training and can provide information regarding on- or off-campus resources.
We offer several types of Safe Zone programs every semester for faculty and staff. All faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend these workshops, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff.
- We will be offering a basic training on Tuesday, September 14 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus.
- We will be offering an advanced training on Wednesday, September 22 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention.
- We will be holding a two-part book club for Faculty and Staff on Tuesday, September 28 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, October 5 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). We will be reading Megan Rapinoe’s memoir titled “One Life.” Megan Rapinoe is a star for the United States Women’s National Soccer team and a vocal activist for a range of issues, including LGBTQ+ inclusion, racial justice, and equal pay. We will offer a free book to the first 12 people to sign-up. Participants are expected to attend both book club sessions because this is a two-part discussion.
If you would like to attend one or all of these events, please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu. Registration is required to attend. Please also keep in mind that all participants are expected to wear a mask and to wear that mask correctly throughout the entire Safe Zone program. If you do not comply with this policy, then you will be asked to leave.
Please stop by the Safe Zone table in the lobby of the University Center on Monday, August 30 from 11:00-1:00 or Tuesday, August 31 from 12:30-2:00. We will have helpful resources and awesome swag to give out. If you have questions about the Safe Zone program, please reach out to Dr. Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu or check out our website bit.ly/UMWsafezone.
If your office, department, or students would like to schedule a training, then please email Laura. If you would like more information about Safe Zone at UMW, to see the list of allies on our campus, or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit our website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone. Also, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram @umwsafezone.
MARY TALKS: “How to Feel: the Science and Meaning of Touch”
Join us ONLINE for the first Mary Talk of the 2021-22 academic year!
In these times of the internet and digital communication, some say we are out of touch. Many people fear that we are trapped inside our screens, becoming less in tune with our bodies and losing our connection to the physical world. But the sense of touch has been undervalued since long before the days of digital isolation.
Because of deeply rooted beliefs that favor the cerebral over the corporeal, touch is maligned as dirty or sentimental, in contrast with other forms of communication and perception. In this Mary Talk, journalism professor Sushma Subramanian will explore the scientific, physical, emotional, and cultural aspects of touch, reconnecting us to what is arguably our most important sense.
Wednesday, September 8
7:30-9:00 p.m. (EDT)
Online (via Zoom)
To watch the Talk online, register here. You then will receive a link to the streaming video, which can be watched live or at a later time. You also will have the opportunity to submit questions to be asked of the speaker at the end of the Talk.
We look forward to seeing you online!
Campus Recreation Fitness Classes, Beach Volleyball and Personal Training
UMW Group Fitness Classes Schedule Fall 2021: Classes are back in swing! Take some time for yourself and register for a fitness class with some of our amazing Group Fitness Instructors! On Fridays, we offer Happy Hour. Happy Hour classes differ each week, so check our social media for announcements! Register at campusrec.umw.edu
IM Beach Volleyball: Starts 9/12/2021 from 7:00-9:00 PM. Open to all IM pass holders. IM passes are $25. Participate in playing at our beach volleyball season for a chance to win an IM Champion T-Shirt and a Freddy’s Promo Card! No experience is needed to join! Registration is now open at campusrec.umw.edu.
UMW certified personal trainers create safe and customized fitness programs and provide you with the attention you deserve. If you’re looking for professional assistance in moving towards your fitness goals, then hiring a personal trainer is a step in the right direction! To sign up visit campusrec.umw.edu. Click “Log In” in the top right corner of the webpage. Once you’re logged in, on the home page, click the “Personal Training” icon. Then, select the training package of your choice. Finally, follow the steps to make your payment on an external site! You must submit your payment and continue through until the Successful Payment Confirmation page pops
Need a yoga break?
Join our Faculty & Staff Yoga sessions every Tuesday at 12 pm in Studio 4! Registration costs $40. Register at campusrec.umw.edu.
Join our Faculty & Staff Yoga sessions every Tuesday at 12 pm in Studio 4! Registration costs $40. Register at campusrec.umw.edu.
‘Food Management’ features UMW’s 1301 Hen House ghost kitchen
College Chef Showcase: Chicken tender ghost kitchen a big win at University of Mary Washington (Food Management)
1301 Hen House is UMW’s new ghost kitchen.
Chef David Schneider, Sodexo GM of University Dining at UMW, conjured up the idea the school’s first ghost kitchen, 1301 Hen House, in response to the changes and challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Fall 2021 message to all employees
Dear Colleagues:
Eighteen months ago, none of us would have believed that we would still be challenged by a pandemic in fall 2021. Over these many months, we have struggled, at times, to identify the best path forward when faced with hundreds of inflection points and often competing expectations. To guide our efforts, President Paino charged us with making decisions that placed the health and well-being of our employees and students foremost among our priorities.
Even with that guidance, many choices weren’t as clear-cut as they may have seemed. This continues to be especially true when the COVID-19 situation changes rapidly and unexpectedly as it has over the past several weeks. There is no doubt that we are all concerned about what this means for us and our families. We should, however, take great comfort in our collective success navigating the pandemic over the last year.
As we approach the first day of classes, we build upon our record of success established last year with the knowledge that more than 90% of our students and employees are vaccinated. This unusually high level of attainment, complemented by required testing for those who are unvaccinated and an indoor mask mandate, means that the risk is likely lower at UMW than virtually any other place we go in our daily lives.
Even so, some employees have heightened concerns about underlying health conditions of family members or themselves. To support those employees, the Office of Human Resources has established a process by which individuals may request accommodations to include temporary provisions for telework and on-line instruction. Such requests can be made now or at any point in the semester.
In addition, we have received several questions over the last few weeks and realized that it would be helpful to address some of the most frequently asked ones. You can find the FAQs here.
Early next week President Paino will send a welcome email to all students. His communication also helps manage expectations for the semester given the challenges ahead and reminds them that we are depending on them to help keep our faculty, staff, each other – and by extension, our loved ones – protected.
Undoubtedly, all of us feel some trepidation around returning, yet we know that our mission to serve students must continue. We will remind students that the University will keep monitoring COVID-19 conditions and, in conjunction with state and local public health and health care officials, be prepared to undertake additional restrictions or modifications to our operations.
Finally, thank you for your care, compassion, and grace for each other. We should all strive to support and protect all members of our community. Please be assured that the decisions we reach are made in the sincere belief that they are in the best interest of our community.
With thanks to you,
Lisa Bowling, VP for Advancement and University Relations
Kimberley Buster-Williams, VP for Enrollment Management
Dave Fleming, Assistant Dean of Residence Life and COVID Monitoring and Tracing Coordinator
Juliette Landphair, VP for Student Affairs
Jeff McClurken, Chief of Staff and COVID Director
Tim O’Donnell, Interim Provost
Paul Messplay, VP for Administration and Finance & CFO
Beth Williams, Executive Director of HR
Move-In Day Welcomes ‘Excellent’ Class to Mary Washington
The University of Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg campus was abuzz yesterday for Move-In Day, with members of the Class of 2025 arriving from near and far. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Under fickle skies – one minute sun, the next minute a downpour – members of the University of Mary Washington’s Class of 2025 streamed onto campus yesterday.
Move-In Day 2021 brought first-year students to Fredericksburg from near and far, all with high hopes for a full freshman experience. After more than a year of online learning, due to COVID-19, the undergrads breathed life back into campus. Masks, now required indoors with the Delta variant’s surge, couldn’t hide the nervous excitement of moving into new rooms, meeting suitemates … and putting together those tricky beds.
Robbie Willcox of Annandale, Virginia, used a bright orange mallet to wrestle her bed into shape, while her father scrolled through his phone for assembly directions. Willcox, whose brother, Michael, is a sophomore assigned to Eagle Landing, was sold on the school after attending UMW Theatre performances. “They were pretty impressive,” she said. “Coupled with a great community and really nice campus, Mary Washington seemed like the obvious choice.”
Like Willcox, many members of UMW’s incoming class hail from Virginia. But 14 percent come from other locales, making the trek from Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey, and also from farther afield – Washington and Wisconsin, Missouri and Montana, Colorado and California. Students also flew in from foreign countries as far away as South Africa, India and Ethiopia, but also from Ireland, Honduras and United Kingdom, even the South Pacific country of Fiji and Nepal in South Asia. Nearly 30 percent of the incoming class self-identifies as racially and ethnically diverse. Read more.