University of Mary Washington faculty and staff gathered on what turned out to be the first day of classes on Wednesday, Jan. 17, following the MLK holiday and a snow day. President Troy Paino led the semi-annual assembly, starting the spring semester with renewed energy.
From the Dodd Auditorium stage in George Washington Hall, Paino defended the value of higher education, particularly in the liberal arts; recounted challenges and successes from the previous year; and spoke of plans for the future.
He spent much time over the University’s two-week holiday break, he said, reflecting on Mary Washington’s core role, especially in the context of current events, in the United States and across the globe.
“We are here to teach the art of living in a free society,” Paino said. “We are … teaching [students] how to think for themselves, how to argue for themselves … but we are also teaching them how to live in community, how to live amid difference and how to do it in a way where they don’t lose their humanity.”
The ability to express kindness, empathy and compassion is critical, said Paino, who encouraged faculty and staff to convey care for students’ physical and emotional well-being.
In that vein, Paino said, he’s proud that StoryCorps visited campus last fall to film several episodes of its One Small Step podcast, designed to bring people from different perspectives together to share stories and better understand their common humanity.
Perhaps most fundamentally, Paino expressed gratitude for the work that went into securing UMW’s 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation, confirmed last month by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which issued no recommendations.
“To go through this as cleanly as we did, really is a testament to this university and the work that you do every day,” Paino said.
He congratulated Associate Professor of Education Melissa Wells on her recent Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which he called a prestigious and competitive honor. He also noted UMW’s long history of public service, much of it originating with student work and the Center for Community Engagement, led by Director Sarah Dewees. Two examples of such work are recent graduate Meghan McLees, who won the 2023 Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award from the Virginia Governor’s office, and senior Nathan Francis, who was named to the Newman Civic Fellows 2023 cohort by Campus Compact.
Paino spoke of UMW’s recently announced Tuition Promise designed to close the gap in tuition funding for in-state students with financial need significant enough to qualify for Federal Pell Grants. “We hope that this opens some doors and some interest in our ongoing effort to attract even more Pell-eligible students who are academically capable here to Mary Washington.”
He also reiterated the record-breaking year for Mary Washington fundraising, with more than $21 million in gifts and pledges raised during the 2022-23 fiscal year, increased donor participation in multiple areas and 11 new scholarships formed this past fall. “People give because of the experiences they’ve had here and the relationships they’ve formed here,” he told faculty and staff, who could review the stories and successes of the prior year in the award-winning Year in Review, a 40-page publication available in print and online.
Mary Washington heads into the new year in a strong position in both enrollment and residency, said Paino, who pointed to one of UMW’s largest assets, in terms of acreage and appeal. The main undergraduate campus in Fredericksburg becomes students’ feels-like-home place, with campuses in Dahlgren and Stafford extending UMW’s partnerships and innovative programs. Now in addition to the daily upkeep, expertly managed by a dedicated crew in Landscape and Grounds, UMW will review and assess campuses and buildings through a comprehensive planning process.
“This is important but also very exciting work,” Paino said of the initiative, which he hopes to bring to the University’s Board of Visitors for feedback during summer and final approval in fall.
Pointing ahead to April events – Mary Wash Day, a 24-hour fundraising event, and ASPIRE Week, recognizing core community values – Paino previewed the full semester. “This is going to be an exciting year …,” he said. “Let’s seize this opportunity to show the world who we are, what our values are, what we care about and why we exist.”
