Category: What’s New @ UMW

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!

Did you Know?

• 21 UMW employees received bonuses in September (totalling $15,000) for achieving certifications, licensures, and degrees! CLD policy information found here: http://www.umw.edu/hr/policies_procedures/employee_recognition_for_c/default.php

• The green recognition WOW card gross value has increased to $35 (from $25)!  http://www.umw.edu/employeedevelopment/employee_recognition/umw_wow_card_program/default.php

• 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!

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.

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.

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.