Dear UMW Community,
It’s hard to believe that we’re near the end of the fall semester, with so much to be grateful for as we approach the Thanksgiving break. I have enjoyed the many opportunities to engage with our campus community, from meetings, athletic competitions, theatre performances, art exhibits, and more over the past several months. I continue to be impressed and amazed by your work and dedication.
This month of November, we experienced many moments of civic engagement, including Day on Democracy, with the support of UMW Votes, the Center for Community Engagement, and the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants. The UMW Pep Band set the stage as nearly 300 UMW students, many first-time voters, rode the Fredericksburg Trolley to cast their votes. We also celebrated the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans with Veterans Day events, including a morning flag-raising ceremony, a luncheon, an awards ceremony, and more on the Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Dahlgren campuses.
The Hurley Convergence Center marked a milestone 10 years this fall and is frequently cited by our students as one of the favorite study spots. I encourage students to utilize the resources and expertise in the Digital Knowledge Center and Speaking and Writing Center, including peer tutoring and peer academic consulting, through final projects and exams. Whether you need peer advice, a quiet place to complete your work, or access to the latest technology, you’ll find it in the HCC.
Our faculty experts have had quite a productive month and year as well. If you haven’t already heard, or heard the segments when they aired on Virginia Public Media (VPM), a dozen UMW faculty and staff were featured in the past year on “With Good Reason.” The weekly radio show, a project of Virginia Humanities, brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation.
The next class of UMW students is also hearing more about UMW, as our admissions recruitment season is in full swing. I encourage you to share the code “UMWFAM” with prospective students for an Admissions application waiver for the Common App. Plus, there’s still time to apply for graduate admissions to our MBA and M.Ed. programs. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on Dec. 1 for new and continuing students, and completing it early can be beneficial for all applicants. UMW’s Tuition Promise is also available a second year for Pell-eligible Virginia students, with FAFSA completion a crucial step in the admissions process for those who qualify.
Construction progress continues in nearly every area of campus. From current needs such as the roof reconstruction project in Monroe Hall, drain reworking in the Goolrick Pool project, and structural repairs to the Simpson Library stairwells, to steady progress on future facing projects, including the Accessibility Improvement Project and UMW’s new theatre, we are making great strides to improve our grounds and facilities for many decades.
We’ve also been working on a fundraising project for the UMW Soccer Complex and are excited to share that it reached a milestone of $400,000 this fall. It’s also seen plenty of big games this season. UMW men’s soccer won its third consecutive Coast-to-Coast Conference championship, marking the 13th title in program history. Ranked #1 in the nation, UMW is also making its 15th trip to the NCAA DIII Tournament all-time and will play Denison University in the third round at UMW this weekend. In addition, UMW women’s field hockey won the inaugural Collegiate Field Hockey Conference championship. Congratulations to these teams and kudos to all of our student-athletes who are mastering balancing the demands of the classroom and the field.
And, our theatre and music departments continue to perform and entertain as we enter the holiday season. Kelly and I thoroughly enjoyed a recent UMW theatre production in Klein Theatre of the musical comedy, Nunsense. If you haven’t had an opportunity to see the musical, it runs through this weekend. In addition, UMW Music is providing a wonderful variety of music events now through Dec. 7, including the Philharmonic Concerto Fall Concert on Nov. 24 and the Holiday Pops Concert on Dec. 6.
We continue the celebrations this semester with Celebration of Giving, an annual UMW event that offers an opportunity to personally honor and thank donors who directly support the UMW mission. This event also leads into Giving Tuesday on Dec. 3. This annual, global, philanthropic event encourages generosity through donations of funds, service, time, and more. I am most appreciative and grateful for the many ways each of you contributes to our campus community.
I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. Whether you travel, return home, or stay in the Fredericksburg area, I hope you make time for relaxing, reflecting, and refocusing.
Sincerely,
Troy Paino
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