December 5, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

University Seeking Feedback

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There have been many changes in UMW campus life due to COVID-19 and the resulting increase in virtual learning and teleworking. To better serve the UMW community, University Dining would like to learn whether the faculty and staff are aware of the current dining options (especially those that are designed exclusively for the faculty and staff); whether these options are being used; and whether there are new or different options that might better meet dining needs and expectations.

Members of UMW’s faculty and staff are invited to complete the online feedback form in order to give their views on these and any other aspects of University Dining services. For additional information contact Rose Benedict, University Dining Marketing Manager, at rbenedic@umw.edu.

University Dining Reopens

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All University Dining locations will be open and serving students, faculty and staff as of Monday, February 1st. As was the case last fall, all service will be carry-out only, but a few new options will make it easier to get food without waiting in long lines.

Grubhub orders for Top of the UC meals no longer have to be placed one day in advance. Lunch orders are accepted until 8 a.m. and dinner orders are accepted until 2 p.m. each day. You may place orders up to 24 hours in advance, select your desired service time, and pick up your meal in Chandler Ballroom, avoiding any lines at the Top of the UC.

Eagle Meals to Go, featuring hot meals, packaged and ready for a quick pick-up, will debut in the Eagle’s Nest Market on Monday. The menu includes Mashed Potato Bowls, Mac & Cheese Bowls, and Entrée Plates, with selections changing weekly. The debut week menu includes Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Bacon,  Mashed Potatoes with Popcorn Chicken, and a Rotisserie Chicken entrée plate with mashed potatoes, gravy, and seasonal vegetables.

Discounted Meals for Faculty & Staff at the Nest: Members of the faculty and staff can now get “4,5,6 Meals” at the Eagle’s Nest. These options include the “Eagle Meals to Go” items, Bodacious Burgers, and Value Meals (special combos normally reserved just for students with meal plans). Details about this new offer and other dining tips for members of UMW’s faculty and staff are on the University Dining web site through the new Faculty and Staff Dining Tips tab. TIPS

For additional information contact University Dining Marketing Manager Rose Benedict, rbenedic@umw.edu or 540-654-2169.

Stop Hunger Food Drive

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Campus Dining, the UMW Athletic Department, and the President’s Staff Advisory Council are again sponsoring the annual Stop Hunger Food Drive to benefit the Eagle Resource Closet and Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. The drive will officially launch on Monday, November 2nd and conclude on Thursday, November 12th. Non-perishable food donations may be placed in collection bins located at the Eagle’s Nest in Woodard Hall, the Office of Advancement at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, and at the Dining Concierge desk on the second floor of the University Center. Additional campus collection sites are still being determined and will be listed on the Campus Dining web site when they are confirmed.

The UMW athletes will be accepting food and monetary donations next week at the Dining Concierge Desk in the University Center between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. They will also have discount-priced food items available that can be purchased and then donated to the drive.

New this year! In cooperation with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank,  a “UMW Athletics and Dining Virtual Food Drive” option has been created. Visitors to this site can choose to purchase various food packages for the food bank or make general monetary donations, using a credit card, and all of the donations will count toward our campus Stop Hunger Food Drive. To visit the virtual food drive site go to https://tinyurl.com/y3fddrfz

For additional information about any aspect of the Stop Hunger Food Drive please contact Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu or 540-654-2169.

 

Campus Dining Update

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The Top of the UC and all campus retail dining locations are now open to all members of the UMW faculty and staff. Some things have changed in order to ensure safe social distancing. To make more room at the Eagle’s Nest, Hissho Sushi has moved to the Underground at Lee Hall. All food service is now “take-out” only, and pathways with floor decals indicating where to stand for safe social distancing are in place at each restaurant.

The new campus Grubhub app can be used to order food ahead so it’s ready for pick-up when you arrive. Top of the UC menu items are available on Grubhub, too. However, those food orders need to be placed by 7 p.m. the day prior to pick-up. (Please disregard the prompt that says your order will be ready in 3 minutes! Grubhub is unable to remove that embedded prompt.) Top of the UC orders may be picked up on the first floor of the University Center near the Chandler Ballroom.

Even though there is currently no “dine in” option, there will still be several festive meals offered at the Top of the UC in the coming weeks.

October 19 – Rainbow Cake & Sherbet at dinner to honor GSMA week

October 20 – Oktoberfest Dinner with Sauerbraten, Brats, Latkes and Pork Schnitzel to celebrate the season.

October 23 – Kick-Off for the Stop Hunger Food Drive

October 28 – Asian Cultural Heritage Lunch to honor UMW’s Asian Cultural Celebration week

October 29 – Pumpkin Carving contest winners announced and free hot cider and caramel apples served outside the University Center

November 5 – Jewish Heritage Dinner to honor UMW’s Jewish Cultural Celebration week.

There will also be several free “pop up” events from time to time, like the coffee bar and cake pops that were served in late September. Those who join the Campus Dining UMWFoodies group will get text messages when these events “pop up”! To join the group text UMWFoodies (followed by a space) to 82257.

For further information or questions about Campus Dining services or events, contact Dining@UMW.edu, call 540-654-2169, or visit the Campus Dining website at UMW.SodexoMyWay.com.

Benedict Interviewed in Forbes about Feeding On-Campus Students During a Pandemic

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UMW Dining Marketing Coordinator Rose Benedict was recently interviewed by Forbes in an article entitled, “Will Coronavirus Improve Customer Service?” Benedict spoke about the ways UMW Dining is accommodating self-quarantined students, as well as those not in quarantine, living on campus during the pandemic:

 For example, the University of Mary Washington’s dining service has completely rethought the way it feeds students. The dining team now delivers food directly to self-quarantined students in the dorms. “We’re still on the line at lunch time and dinner time to serve the students who are still residing on campus, and who are not self-quarantined,” says Rose Benedict, a unit marketing coordinator at the University of Mary Washington Dining Services. “But since we are following the social distancing protocols, students are not permitted to eat in our dining room and must get all of their meals to go.” Read more.

Change in Dining Service

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Due to the limited number of people now using dining services, and in keeping with the University and government directives regarding social distancing, Campus Dining Services will transition to providing one single serving time as of Saturday, March 28th. As of Saturday meal service will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the Chandler Ballroom. A full hot dinner meal will be available to “grab & go,” and guests will also be given cold boxed meals to use for breakfast and lunch on the following day. Guests coming to dinner on Friday, March 27th at the Top of the UC may get carry-out breakfast and lunch meals to use on Saturday.

An updated dining schedule can be accessed by going to UMW.SodexoMyWay.com and clicking on the Dining Update tab. For additional information contact Dining@UMW.edu.

Panera Opens at UMW’s University Center

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The UMW community and local residents can now enjoy Panera Bread at Mary Washington, thanks to the popular eatery’s new University Center location.

The UMW community and local residents can now enjoy Panera Bread at Mary Washington, thanks to the popular eatery’s new University Center location.

Starting this week, UMW students are enjoying broccoli and cheddar soup, Fuji apple salad and an appetizing array of baked goods fresh from the oven – without ever leaving campus.

Mary Washington’s long-awaited Panera Bread location on the second floor of the University Center opened Monday, now serving students and other members of the campus community, as well as local residents. The space formerly housed Qdoba and Jamba Juice.

“The opening has been great,” said Rose Benedict, Campus Dining’s marketing coordinator. “The students have been wonderful and patient as our new crew is learning the ropes, and everyone is loving the food.” Read more.

Panera Bread Opens at UMW

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Campus Dining is pleased to announce that Panera Bread will open in the University Center on Monday, January 13. This new venue will offer most of Panera Bread’s standard menu, and all ingredients will be 100% “clean” – no artificial flavors, colors or additives. We know you are going to love the quality and variety of our menu items.

The Campus Dining team has been working hard over the winter break to finish construction of the restaurant and hire and train staff in time to open for service at the start of the spring semester. There are more than 30 people on UMW’s Panera Bread team, and most of them are new to our Campus Dining operation. New internet and point of sale technical systems and equipment are also being introduced in this operation, so we ask for your patience as our staff completes their training and we work out any “bugs” in the technical systems.

Serving hours at Panera Bread will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Menus and nutritional information will be available by January 13 on the Dining website: UMW.SodexoMyWay.com. For additional information contact Campus Dining at 540-654-2165 or e-mail Dining@UMW.edu.

Faculty & Staff Dining Room Closing

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The Faculty and Staff Dining Room at the Top of the University Center will close for the winter break following lunch service on Thursday, December 12th. The main dining room at the Top of the UC will be open regular hours through dinner on Friday, December 13th.  A continental breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 14th, after which the dining room will be closed until early January.

Details on the resumption of service at the Top of the UC will be posted on the Campus Dining web site (UMW.SodexoMyWay.com) during the first week of January. Most Campus Dining offices will be closed between December 20th and January 2nd. For additional information contact Dining@UMW.edu or call Rose Benedict at 540-654-2169.

Thank You to Stop Hunger Food Drive Supporters

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To all of our valued Stop Hunger Food Drive supporters:

I am really excited to share with you the results of our recently completed Stop Hunger Food Drive!  The total amount of food collected was 8,054 pounds! This is simply spectacular, and we want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this a success.

A huge “thank you” to all of the UMW athletes who tabled in front of the Giant Food Store and solicited donations in our surrounding neighborhoods, and especially to Maddie Taghorn for coordinating everything so perfectly!

We also want to thank the Staff Advisory Council, Giant Food, and the New City Fellowship Church for your wonderful support.

All of the food is being distributed to the Eagle Resource Closet and to the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. We received a call from the Food Bank today expressing their deep appreciation for our donations, and saying they really needed this help right now.

Again, our thanks to everyone for supporting the drive, and we look forward to doing this again, and even better, next year!

 

Rose Benedict
University of Mary Washington Dining Services