Dear UMW Community,
The end of the semester brings about celebrations and completions, from final exams and papers, to award ceremonies and honor society inductions, with Commencement as the culmination of our spring. We cannot wait to celebrate our graduates, and we look forward to the many ceremonies and annual traditions happening in the next few weeks.
Earlier this month, we celebrated the second annual ASPIRE Week and the 34th annual Multicultural Fair, as well as enjoyed StoryCorps’ One Small Step listening session which highlighted the conversations recorded in the fall. These events and the core values they are built upon bring us together as a community, encouraging us to understand and celebrate our differences, value relationships and inclusiveness, and support one another in living, learning, and growing.
We have already begun to acknowledge the many varied academic achievements of our faculty, staff, and students. UMW honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, America’s most prestigious academic honor society, Chi Alpha Sigma, recognizing student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition, and others have joined together to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and ingenuity of our students. The College of Business hosted its annual Case Competition, providing students an opportunity to present case proposals live for a panel of judges and compete for cash prizes. And, the 2024 Eagle Awards cast a spotlight on the outstanding accomplishments of faculty, staff, students, and student organizations whose contributions make such a significant impact at UMW.
The 2024 Scholarship Luncheon and Showcase honored student scholarship recipients, as well as supporters who have established private scholarships or have given or pledged significant funds to the University, boosting UMW’s fiscal year 2023 to the highest fundraising year to date with $21.3M in gifts and pledges. And, UMW’s seventh annual Mary Wash Day on April 4 was the most successful one yet. The remarkable generosity and unwavering UMW spirit of 2,243 donors resulted in a preliminary record-setting total of $828,677 for advancing the University’s mission, enhancing programs, and supporting students. In addition, we recently learned that UMW has been recognized through a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant for efforts to develop collaborative curricular designs empowering students to navigate an AI World. Congratulations to the faculty and staff leading these efforts on our campus in collaboration with universities in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).
Maintaining and improving our infrastructure is paramount – and it has proven to be challenging, requiring tremendous teamwork, scheduling changes, etc. The repair projects in George Washington Hall and Monroe Hall will continue this summer, and I am most grateful for everyone’s support as we work to restore these buildings that are so critical to our mission. The final phase of the underground utilities project, primarily in the lawn area between Mason and Randolph Halls, will commence and conclude this summer. And, maintenance and repair work continue on the poolin Goolrick Hall which is scheduled to reopen in the fall 2024 semester, welcoming back our fall sports and activities. Meanwhile, the UMW Comprehensive Campus and Building Planning Committee works on devising a comprehensive space and building plan for our campus for the next ten years.
Last week, Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly reconvened to review the proposed Virginia biennial budget. They will continue to negotiate up to and through a special session called for mid-May.
We have also started our work to review and refine UMW’s mission statement. Since UMW’s current mission statement was adopted by the Board of Visitors in 2010, much has changed in our country, the commonwealth, higher education, and at UMW. It is time to review the current statement to ensure that it reflects UMW accurately and distills the statement from nearly 300 words to approximately 30 thereby memorably capturing the essence of the University today. I’ve asked an eight-member group, chaired by Provost Tim O’Donnell, to lead this work. They’ve already reached out to faculty and staff councils, the alumni board, and SGA for feedback, and we’ll provide an opportunity for the campus to review and provide input as this process continues.
As we work to plan ahead for the next years, we are also working diligently to help students and families plan for the next academic year. Delays in the filing and reporting processes for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have created many uncertainties for our current and prospective students and families. Financial Aid staff, along with the Admissions Office, has been carefully tracking new details, answering frequently asked questions online, and getting ready to assist as soon as more information is available. Financial aid awards may start going out the first week of May, and as a result, UMW has extended the enrollment deadline for admitted first-year undergraduate students from May 1 to June 1.
The UMW Board of Visitors has also set tuition and fees for the 2024-25 academic year. Tuition will increase by 2% for undergraduate and graduate students. The auxiliary comprehensive fee at UMW will increase by 3%. This decision follows several years of keeping undergraduate in-state tuition flat, but a small increase, still below the rate of inflation, is needed to support state-mandated compensation actions for faculty and staff and the continued success of academic programs and the campus experience. For 2024-25, housing will increase by 5%, and dining will increase by 7%, as both of these areas must account for inflationary costs that impact goods, materials, and services. Starting this fall, UMW will offer a tuition promise for Pell-eligible Virginia students, closing any gap in tuition funding for in-state students who qualify for Federal Pell Grants. Pell-eligibility is determined when students and their families complete the FAFSA. We encourage students to complete the FAFSA if you have not done so already and to complete the scholarship application by May 15.
There is so much to look forward to as the end of the semester inches closer. Thursday will be the official re-opening of Ball Circle for Devil-Goat Day. This Friday, the last day of classes this semester, we celebrate the 18th annual UMW Undergraduate Research & Creativity Day Symposium. Please join me in supporting our students as they present the results of their scholarly research and creative endeavors from the past academic year, as well as thanking faculty and mentors who have aided these students throughout the process. So much time, determination, and collaboration, are exemplified in these works.
And, many thanks to our Facilities Services team that works tirelessly especially at this time of year to ensure that our campus and particularly Ball Circle look remarkable for Commencement on May 11, featuring our speaker, Major League Soccer (MLS) executive Mark McClure ’96, vice president, technical operations.
I wish you success as you prepare for final exams, complete culminating research projects, etc. and encourage you to take full advantage of the many resources on campus such as the Speaking and Writing Center, the Digital Knowledge Center, the Simpson Library, TimelyCare, the Gwen Hale Resource Center, and more.
I look forward to seeing you at Devil-Goat Day and Research and Creativity Day this week!
Troy Paino