The University of Mary Washington celebrated the inauguration of Richard V. Hurley as its ninth president on Friday, September 30, at George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. Click here for a photo slideshow from the ceremony.
UMW Inaugurates Richard V. Hurley as Ninth President
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The University of Mary Washington celebrated the inauguration of Richard V. Hurley as its ninth president on Friday, September 30, at George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium.
The program included remarks from Virginia Secretary of Education Laura W. Fornash, President of the American Community Schools of Athens Stefanos Gialamas and President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Belle S. Wheelan.
During the installation ceremony, Hurley expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the university community’s support and encouragement, made all the more poignant by his unique path to the presidency.
His career in higher education, Hurley remarked, has not been a typical one, evident by his stint in a New Jersey power plant, his service in the Vietnam War and his decision as a 25-year-old gas station attendant to find a way to go to college.
“In light of that circuitous and sometimes misguided, or at least unguided, journey, to say that today is a memorable occasion for me would be an understatement,” said Hurley. “When I speak of the transformative power of education, I’m not just saying the words. I’m living them.”
Hurley spoke to the celebratory nature of the inaugural festivities for the university as a whole, noting they are a time to commemorate the rich history of the institution, reflect on the present university community’s accomplishments and prepare for a future of greatness.
“Our challenge for the future is not so much to create something new, as it is to preserve, enhance and build upon the best of what has already made Mary Washington so special,” said Hurley. He emphasized that UMW has a mission, not only to provide quality education, but also to foster well-rounded students, motivated faculty, dedicated staff and an invested community.
He reiterated his vision for the University of Mary Washington: To be the premier public liberal arts and sciences university in the nation.
Richard V. Hurley took office as the university’s ninth president on July 1, 2010. He has spent more than three decades in higher education, the past 11 years at Mary Washington. Here, his roles have included executive vice president and chief financial officer as well as acting president on two separate occasions.
During his time at Mary Washington, Hurley has made a significant impact on the university and on the community. In addition to serving as the institution’s chief financial officer, he has directed facilities and capital projects, public safety, human resources and business operations. He also has served as treasurer of the University of Mary Washington Foundation, where he was instrumental in developing the University’s first public-private partnership, Eagle Village.
Under Hurley’s leadership, UMW has undergone a substantial expansion of facilities that supports significant improvements to student life. A signature accomplishment is the recent completion of the William M. Anderson Convocation Center.
Hurley came to Mary Washington in 2000 from Longwood University, where he served as vice president for administration and finance for 15 years. Prior to his service at Longwood, he spent four years at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and earlier served at several colleges and universities.
Active in the Fredericksburg community, Hurley established the Town and Gown Committee; through his efforts, the university’s relationships with the community have been strengthened. He serves as a director of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the boards of the Rappahannock United Way, the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance and Virginia Partners Bank.
He holds degrees, diplomas and certificates from Harvard University, University of Kentucky, Central Michigan University and Richard Stockton College in New Jersey.
He reiterated his vision for the University of Mary Washington: To be the premier public liberal arts and sciences university in the nation.
Richard V. Hurley took office as the university’s ninth president on July 1, 2010. He has spent more than three decades in higher education, the past 11 years at Mary Washington. Here, his roles have included executive vice president and chief financial officer as well as acting president on two separate occasions.
During his time at Mary Washington, Hurley has made a significant impact on the university and on the community. In addition to serving as the institution’s chief financial officer, he has directed facilities and capital projects, public safety, human resources and business operations. He also has served as treasurer of the University of Mary Washington Foundation, where he was instrumental in developing the University’s first public-private partnership, Eagle Village.
Under Hurley’s leadership, UMW has undergone a substantial expansion of facilities that supports significant improvements to student life. A signature accomplishment is the recent completion of the William M. Anderson Convocation Center.
Hurley came to Mary Washington in 2000 from Longwood University, where he served as vice president for administration and finance for 15 years. Prior to his service at Longwood, he spent four years at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and earlier served at several colleges and universities.
Active in the Fredericksburg community, Hurley established the Town and Gown Committee; through his efforts, the university’s relationships with the community have been strengthened. He serves as a director of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the boards of the Rappahannock United Way, the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance and Virginia Partners Bank.
He holds degrees, diplomas and certificates from Harvard University, University of Kentucky, Central Michigan University and Richard Stockton College in New Jersey.
President Hurley Writes Op-Ed in Fredericksburg Newspaper
In celebration of Inauguration Week, President Richard V. Hurley wrote an op-ed that recently appeared in The Free Lance-Star. In the article, Hurley discusses the integral part that service plays to the campus community as well as the events leading up to his inauguration ceremony.
Inauguration Week Starts Monday
Monday, September 26 marks the beginning of inauguration week, themed “Engaging Minds. Serving the World,” to celebrate the inauguration of President Richard Hurley.
The week of festivities kicks off with “Partners in Prosperity for the Rappahannock Region,” an economic development conference for the business community. The conference, featuring Eugene P. Trani, former president of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, will take place Monday from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Stafford campus.
The week continues with Karl Rove’s presentation at the Fredericksburg Forum on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. Tickets for faculty, staff and students are $15, limit two, and are available at www.umw.edu/forum or (540) 654-1065.
Thursday will offer multiple activities, including the “Serving the World” service activity with Habitat for Humanity and two discussion sessions. The service activity, which will involve members of the UMW community building tables and a shed, will take place from 2 – 6 p.m. on Ball Circle and will include a barbeque. “Engaging Minds: The Legacy and Future of the Stafford Campus” will feature the accomplishments of graduates from the Stafford campus during a session from 6 – 8 p.m. in University Hall at the Stafford campus. From 5 – 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, “Engaging Minds: Teaching, Service Learning and Research” will include discussions about innovative teaching, undergraduate research and study abroad, and faculty-directed service learning activities.
The culmination of inauguration week is the Presidential Installation Ceremony on Friday. The ceremony is from 3 – 4:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium, followed by a reception. Tickets are required and may be reserved at http://inauguration.umw.edu/events/installation-ceremony.
On Saturday, nearly 100 student volunteers will participate in COAR’s “Into the Streets” day of service. COAR will pair volunteers with eight organizations throughout the Fredericksburg area, including Tree Fredericksburg, Habitat for Humanity and the Thurman Brisben Center as an extension of President Hurley’s call to service.
For a complete list of events and more information, visit the inauguration website at http://inauguration.umw.edu.
UMW to Mark Inauguration of Richard V. Hurley
The University of Mary Washington will celebrate the inauguration of Richard V. Hurley on Friday, September 30 with a week of festivities; including speakers, a formal installation ceremony and community service activities.
Hurley assumed the presidency of the University of Mary Washington on July 1, 2010, with the primary goal of making UMW the best public liberal arts university in the nation. His inauguration as the university’s ninth president will formalize his leadership, acknowledging and honoring his 11 years of dedication to Mary Washington and more than three decades in higher education.
The theme of Hurley’s inauguration, “Engaging Minds. Serving the World,” reinforces his strong belief in the importance of a stimulating educational environment and the value of a liberal arts education coupled with his support for the Mary Washington community’s dedication to public service.
UMW to Mark Inauguration of Richard V. Hurley
Fredericksburg, Va. – The University of Mary Washington will celebrate the inauguration of Richard V. Hurley on Friday, September 30 with a week of festivities; including speakers, a formal installation ceremony and community service activities.
Hurley assumed the presidency of the University of Mary Washington on July 1, 2010, with the primary goal of making UMW the best public liberal arts university in the nation. His inauguration as the university’s ninth president will formalize his leadership, acknowledging and honoring his 11 years of dedication to Mary Washington and more than three decades in higher education.
The theme of Hurley’s inauguration, “Engaging Minds. Serving the World,” reinforces his strong belief in the importance of a stimulating educational environment and the value of a liberal arts education coupled with his support for the Mary Washington community’s dedication to public service.
The events of the week are as follows:
• Monday, September 26 – “Partners in Prosperity for the Rappahannock Region,” an economic development conference for the business community. The conference, which will take place at the Stafford campus from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., will feature Eugene P. Trani, former president of Virginia Commonwealth University and author of “The Indispensible University: Higher Education, Economic Development, and the Knowledge Economy,” Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and a panel of local leading business persons representing diverse industries in Planning District 16. For more information, email regionalconference@umw.edu.
• Wednesday, September 28 – Fredericksburg Forum featuring Karl Rove, former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush and author of “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.” The lecture will take place at 8 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. Tickets are available for purchase at www.umw.edu/forum or (540) 654-1065.
• Thursday, September 29 – “Serving the World” service activity with Habitat for Humanity, including a barbeque. The event, which will involve members of the UMW community building tables and sheds, will take place from 2-6 p.m. on Ball Circle.
• Thursday, September 29 – “Engaging Minds: The Legacy and Future of the Stafford Campus,” will feature the accomplishments of graduates from the Stafford campus. The sessions will take place from 6-8 p.m. in University Hall at the Stafford campus.
• Thursday, September 29 – “Engaging Minds: Teaching, Service Learning and Research,” will include discussions about innovative teaching, undergraduate research and study abroad, and faculty-directed service learning activities. The sessions will take place from 5-7 p.m. in Lee Hall on the Fredericksburg campus.
• Friday, September 30 – The Presidential Installation Ceremony will take place from 3-4:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. A reception will follow. Tickets are required and may be reserved at inauguration.umw.edu/events/installation-ceremony.
• Saturday, October 1 – “Into the Streets” student service day will take place throughout the Rappahannock region from 1-5 p.m. Students will volunteer at projects throughout the Fredericksburg area.
Active in the Fredericksburg community, Hurley established the Town and Gown Committee. He serves as a director of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the board of the Rappahannock United Way, the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance and Virginia Partners Bank.
Prior to arriving at Mary Washington in 2000, Hurley served as vice president for administration and finance at Longwood University. He holds degrees, diplomas and certificates from Harvard University, University of Kentucky, Central Michigan University and Richard Stockton College in New Jersey.
For a complete list of events and more information, visit the inauguration website at http://inauguration.umw.edu.
UMW Names Pearce VP for Administration and Finance
President Richard V. Hurley today announced that Rick Pearce has been named vice president for administration and finance.
“Rick already has demonstrated his adept leadership as acting vice president for administration and finance during the past year,” according to Hurley’s announcement. “I have every confidence in his oversight of UMW’s financial well-being. Rick is a consummate professional whose expertise, management skills, and in-depth knowledge are an asset to the University.”
As the chief financial officer, he will continue to direct facilities and capital projects, public safety and community services, human resources, and business operations. He also serves as treasurer of the UMW Foundation. Rick has been at UMW since 1998, serving as assistant and associate vice president for business and finance. Before coming to Mary Washington, he was dean of administration and finance at Germanna Community College. He also is active in the Fredericksburg community, where he serves as president of the Fredericksburg Boys & Girls Club, treasurer of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, and a member of the Rappahannock Rotary. In addition, he is on the Finance Committee of the Rappahannock United Way.
Read the full news release.
Letter from President Hurley
Dear Colleagues:
I recently prepared for the Board of Visitors a progress report on my annual goals. As the report took shape, I was reminded of the significant progress we are making across the university to move the institution forward. The work accomplished to date by our faculty and staff in virtually all areas of the university is substantial. I want to recognize that work and express my sincere appreciation for the superlative effort. I especially want to highlight the accomplishment of our faculty to establish an entirely new university faculty governance structure. It appears that, in one short year, we indeed will accomplish a complete transformation from an institution with two separate and distinct colleges, each with its own faculty governance system, to a three-college university with a uniform faculty governance system. This work is historic and commendable. Of course, much is being accomplished in other areas and I want everyone to know those efforts also are recognized. The work is deeply appreciated and extremely important to our success as a university.
As president, I see clearly how the various initiatives underway contribute to the larger vision of becoming the best public liberal arts university in the country. I would like to share with you how I see all of your efforts moving us towards this goal of becoming the very best among this select group of public liberal arts institutions, most of which you may recognize as members of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).
Many of the goals we are pursuing are intended to raise the visibility and stature of the University, to make it the institution of choice for the very best students, and to ensure that those students who enroll at UMW have the highest quality experience here, persist to graduation, and embark on meaningful and productive lives. If we are successful, the results will include 1) increased admissions applications and improved selectivity, and 2) increased retention and graduation rates. Success here will be the first step in moving us closer to achieving the vision.
One tactic to achieve this goal is more effective marketing of the strengths of UMW. As you often have heard me say, we need to do more to “get our name out there”. Various strategies, including billboards, NPR sponsorships, license plate holders, sponsorship of the Richmond Forum, paid print ads, and regional engagement efforts , are examples of deliberate actions we have taken in this regard. Additionally, we should all take pride when announcements come out about UMW’s national ratings, faculty and staff accomplishments, or when we receive extensive media coverage for events like our celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides. Stating the obvious, the more people learn about us, the greater the chance that a prospective student will look seriously into our offerings and consider enrollment. This effort to promote and enhance our image is also why we have hired a professional firm to study our position in the marketplace and help focus the messaging we are using in student recruitment and to promote the University.
Other ongoing actions you have observed also relate directly to the goals mentioned above. For example, a committee has been working since last fall on a comprehensive alumni survey to gather systematic data on the career paths and accomplishments of our graduates. The survey results will yield data that can be used to demonstrate effectively the benefits of a Mary Washington education. I look forward to citing this information in speeches to prospective students and their parents, when talking to alumni to build pride in and support of their institution, and with legislators and other state officials.
The development of a distinctive Honors Program is likewise important and well underway. Such a program is needed in order for us to compete for top caliber students and to provide the best possible undergraduate experience to our students. Nearly all public and private institutions in Virginia have such programs. To be the best, we need to be attractive to the best and brightest students and an outstanding honors program will give us a competitive edge that we now lack.
Hiring additional staff in the International Programs office helps to ensure that our students have global opportunities and experiences that are equal to their counterparts at other high quality liberal arts institutions. It is strategically important to provide UMW students with the life-changing global experiences that studying abroad provides and to enrich our campus by increasing our international student diversity.
Our work in the areas of assessment and accreditation is essential from a practical perspective to meet all of the SACS requirements. More importantly, however, continuous and systemic assessment should become a way of life for all of us at Mary Washington as a component of institutional improvement. In order to realize the vision, we must constantly document and evaluate what we are doing, and make changes and enhancements based on what we learned through the assessment process.
A new university master plan is needed so that we can plan logically for the future facility needs of the institution. The overarching goal driving our decisions and priorities must be “what is in the best interests of students?” As a result, you have heard about our need for a new dining hall and student center and the importance of continuing to renovate residence halls and academic buildings. All of these facilities need to be high priority in order to attract the best and brightest students and to provide them with the highest quality experience.
Other examples of our strategic efforts are in areas related to diversity and inclusion. These efforts are designed to ensure that we are an institution that reflects society today and prepares our students for success in an increasingly diverse world. Our belief is that there is great educational value in being a diverse campus community. Moreover, our community’s respect and appreciation for diversity should serve us well as prospective students consider enrolling at UMW.
I could cite many other tasks that have been completed or are underway, but I believe that these highlights convey the point. The work being undertaken this year is designed to provide a strong foundational base from which to move to the next level of excellence and prominence for UMW.
In the end, the vision of becoming the best, public liberal arts university in the country will be achieved through the collective efforts of faculty and staff. And it begins with the attraction and retention of some of the nation’s best and brightest students. All of our efforts this year are meant to help us achieve this result and propel us toward the larger goal, sooner rather than later.
Richard V. Hurley
President
University of Mary Washington
1301 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 654-1301, fax (540) 654-1076
http://www.umw.edu
3% Bonus Approved
The Governor and General Assembly have approved a one-time bonus for all salaried employees, including part time classified employees. In addition, President Hurley has approved a one-time bonus for wage employees paid an hourly rate for hours worked.
Here are the specifics:
• Salaried full and part time employees who were employed June 30, 2010 and remain employed on December 1, 2010, will receive a one-time 3% bonus, which will be paid on December 1, 2010.
o All eligible employees will receive 3% before withholding. There is no option for variable amounts.
o Salaried employees are instructional, research, post-doctoral fellows, administrative and professional faculty, and classified staff.
o The bonus for salaried full and part time employees will be calculated using the employee’s annual salary that is creditable for retirement contribution (base salary plus special pay items) active as of December 1, 2010. Special pay actions are those included on the faculty appointment letter that are active as of December 1, 2010.
• Wage employees who were employed June 30, 2010 and remain employed on December 1, 2010, will receive a one-time bonus equal to 3% of their calendar year to date gross earnings for hours worked as of the period ending November 21, 2010. The wage employee bonus will be paid on December 15, 2010.
• Bonuses will be processed and taxed in accordance with state and federal guidelines. We are still awaiting concise guidance from the State on the taxing method to be used and will communicate this information once it is known.
• Bonus payments are subject to garnishment withholding. If you currently have a court ordered garnishment reducing your net pay, you may contact the Payroll Office with specific questions on how your bonus pay will be affected.
• Employees may contribute the bonus to their 403(b) or 457 supplemental retirement account (subject to calendar year maximum contribution limits). Please initiate this process with the Payroll Office no later than October 1, 2010.
• The bonus is considered a discretionary bonus and will not be included in overtime calculations.
Please contact the Offices of Human Resources or Payroll with any questions.
Spreading the News About UMW
A note from Rick Hurley:
Our University has received numerous accolades in regional and national publications this year, including most recently being named to PARADE magazine’s “College A-List” for the 2010-2011 academic year. Watch your mail box for a marketing piece that describes many of our rankings for quality and value. I encourage everyone to share this good news with professional colleagues, alumni and friends. If you would like additional copies to distribute, please contact Christie Pugh in University Relations, cpugh@umw.edu or 654-1055.
For an electronic version, click here.