Dear UMW Community,
Welcome back! As we usher in a new year, we look forward to new opportunities, friendships, continuation of projects and goals, and more. And, a special welcome to our newest community members – faculty, staff, and students. We look forward to meeting you and trust that you will quickly find our community to be welcoming, warm, and vibrant.
We closed out the 2023 calendar year with some good news and celebration, both in our 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation, approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the accrediting body for our region, and for an outstanding faculty award at the state level. Associate Professor of Education Melissa Wells achieved the 2024 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV), which will be awarded in March.
As we look ahead in 2024, our physical campus continues to be a critical part of what makes UMW distinct and creates our college home, so it is a priority to ensure that our buildings and grounds support our academic and professional needs. While our campus was considerably quiet over winter break, much planning and work occurred in our facilities as we continued to work through and prepare for building repairs and maintenance in George Washington Hall, the Simpson Library, Monroe Hall, and others. On our Stafford Campus, we move closer toward the launch of the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW, while the Dahlgren Campus gears up for another spring semester of Innovation Challenges, convening competitions for middle school, high school, and collegiate teams. We are also hopeful for a successful legislative session this winter and are eager to learn of the final approved biennial state budget and how it impacts UMW.
In addition, UMW has formed a Comprehensive Campus and Building Planning Committee that will devise a 10-year plan for UMW, considering anticipated changes in academic and cultural evolution, as well as physical facility, resource, and ecological needs. We look forward to intentionally exploring how we can enhance our lovely campus and strengthen it for generations to come.
Events are already planned to welcome our next class of students, and the spring semester offers the opportunity to welcome newly admitted students at campus events and yield events, as well as introduce UMW to prospective students and families during Open Houses, campus tours, and more. The February 1st regular decision priority filing date for admission to UMW is quickly approaching, but there’s still time to Refer an Eagle using code “UMW63” which offers a free application via the Common App. And, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, UMW will offer a Tuition Promise. By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Pell-eligible Virginia students may qualify for full undergraduate tuition funding, providing options for more students to have access to a high-quality, affordable college experience. We are excited about what the future holds for UMW!
With the new semester already underway, please join me this month in participating in the many culturally rich annual events and one-of-a-kind programming, including the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series now in its third decade of exploring the diverse lives and achievements of remarkable people, as well as the James Farmer Multicultural Center Cultural Awareness Series, celebrating key, influential, and prominent persons and cultural events that have shaped our country. You may also want to mark your calendars for key events on the pathway to Life After Mary Washington, with the annual Intern Expo on Feb. 6 sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and several spring events leading up to the UMW Career & Internship Fair on March 21. Students, I encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity on campus to help you formulate your road map for the path ahead.
As the new semester kicks off, I hope you will participate in or re-engage through the many activities, events, athletic competitions, and more planned over the next few days and weeks. I wish you the best of success and accomplishment this semester and look forward to seeing you on campus.
Troy Paino