Category: What’s New @ UMW

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.

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

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.

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.

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