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.

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.

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.