March 28, 2023

In-Person President’s Council on Sustainability Meeting, Feb. 13

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) will resume meeting in-person after several years of meeting virtually. The next meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 13, from noon to 1 p.m., in the Colonnade Room of the Cedric Rucker University Center. However, those wishing to attend virtually will have the opportunity to do so via Zoom.

PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. The council plans, discusses and helps coordinate ways to support sustainable-related activities at UMW. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend virtually, click on the Zoom link.

Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. For more information on the council and how to become involved, visit the Office of Sustainability web page.

Caffrey Publishes in ‘Business and Professional Communication Quarterly’

Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey recently published “Speaking to the Head and the Heart: Prioritizing Empathetic Communication in the Post-COVID Workplace” in Business and Professional Communication Quarterly. The article examines psychological safety, crisis leadership and the need to prioritize empathetic communication in a post-COVID workplace. Read the article.

President’s Council on Sustainability Resumes Meetings

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) resumed its monthly meetings this week. The council will continue to plan and discuss ways to support sustainable-related activities for the remainder of the academic year. PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend, click on the Zoom link.

Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. For more information on the council and how to become involved, visit the Office of Sustainability web page.

President’s Council on Sustainability Back in Action for Fall

The President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) has begun meeting this semester to plan and support sustainable-related activities for the fall and spring semesters. Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff and students, and reports both to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance and the provost, playing a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability. At its September meeting, the council discussed the formation of subcommittees on communication, outreach and engagement, sustainability landscaping, and zero waste sustainability. The entire campus community should be aware that UMW is participating in the Trick or Trash Program this semester to help reduce the amount of candy wrappers that end up in landfills each year. For more information on the program, please contact sustainability@umw.edu.

Additionally, Fossil Free Fredericksburg’s Walk, Pedal and Celebrate the Planet event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. This annual event is a great opportunity to bring sustainability awareness to the Fredericksburg community. Help spread the word as this event normally garners strong UMW student involvement.

PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community.

Kevin Caffrey Named October’s Excellent Eagle Employee

Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey

Congratulations to Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey! Kevin is USC’s Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of October. Below is what Professor of Geography Dawn Bowen had to say about Kevin:

“Kevin is quick to respond to an email, explain an issue, and devise a solution. He has been very helpful as I learn my new role of Chair of the CAS Curriculum Committee and has guided me through the Course Inventory Management System (CIM). He met with me in August to answer questions, does his best to understand when I can’t fully articulate the nature of the problem, and seems to have solutions as the tip of his fingertips. I sincerely enjoy working with Kevin and am confident that he will have much more to teach me as the semester progresses.”

Nominate your co-workers for the Excellent Eagle Employee award! It’s easy! Just complete the Excellent Eagle Employee Nomination Form on our website. Winners receive a reserved parking space for a month!

Questions? Contact Sarah Appleby, USC Recognition Committee Chair.

Caffrey Releases New CD

Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey released his latest CD, Alchemy, on Friday, July 29th. Consisting of all original music, the album combines elements of folk rock, progressive rock, and ambient music to create a unique collection of evocative and personal songs. He’ll be performing at WAR Craft Brewery/The Winery at Rapidan on August 27th and September 17th.

Caffrey Publishes in Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Kevin Caffrey, Senior Associate Registrar, recently published “How Transformational Leadership Can Help Native American Students” in the Journal of Educational Research and Practice. The article examines how higher education administrators can serve as transformational leaders to address the longstanding challenges and inequities that Native American students face in higher education. Read the article at https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/jerap/vol11/iss1/24/.

Virginia Clean Cities’ Sarah Stalcup-Jones to Speak at PCS Meeting, Nov. 18

The next meeting of the President’s Council on Sustainability (PCS) will be on Friday November 18, from 1 to 2 p.m. The guest speaker for this meeting will be Sarah Stalcup-Jones, Research and Heavy Duty Vehicle Programs Manager for Virginia Clean Cities (VCC). Sarah will be sharing an overview of VCC as well as her work on UMW’s fleet assessment projects and Drive Clean Rural. PCS meetings are held each month of the fall and spring semester and are open to employees, students and the public. Please consider attending and sharing this information with other members of the UMW and Fredericksburg community. To attend on the 18th, go to https://umw-sso.zoom.us/j/81635523370.

Caffrey to Perform at Hurley Convergence Center

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey will be performing a short set of music on Saturday night June 22nd at the Hurley Convergence Center as part of the Dance Matrix & Company’s 3rd Annual Performing Arts Festival. The festival is a 2-day event featuring a wide range of individual artists & groups scheduled to perform and teach community workshops. For more event information and artist profiles go to http://www.dancematrixcompany.com/. For more information on Caffrey’s music and his most recent projects, go to http://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/KevinCaffrey.

Office Sustainability Tip of the Week

Thanksgiving is only three weeks away, so we’d like to remind all staff and faculty to remember to shut off lights, computers, monitors, printers, copiers, etc. before you leave your offices when the Thanksgiving break officially begins on Wednesday, Nov. 21.   Also unplug items in your office such as coffee makers, microwaves, radios, etc. since these small appliances often waste energy when plugged in and not in use.

As you begin to think about your Thanksgiving plans, here’s a great article we found online about how you can have a “greener” Thanksgiving.  Some good tips include:

  • Purchasing only as much food as you need
  • Choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled
  • Buying locally grown food to support the local economy
  • Choosing organic food since it is produced without antibiotics and artificial hormones
  • Consider staying home vs. traveling.  If you do choose to travel, the article provides great advice on how to use less fuel and lower your emissions when making that long road trip.

We know you may not be thinking about holiday shopping yet, but Saturday, Nov. 24 is Small Business Saturday.  Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to support their local economy by patronizing brick and mortar businesses in your community.  Consider if items you plan on buying this holiday season can be purchased from locally owned “mom & pop” stores.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and safe holiday season!

Kevin Caffrey is the Senior Associate Registrar at UMW and serves as Staff Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Sustainability.  Formed in the fall of 2009, the PCS consists of faculty, staff, and students and reports both to the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance and the Provost, serving a critical role in shaping administrative goals and objectives relating to campus sustainability.  Their next meeting is Monday November 5th at 4:30PM in HCC 307.  Meetings generally last one hour and are open to employees, students, and the public.