The University of Mary Washington has announced that it intends to resume academic and residential operations on campus as scheduled on August 24, 2020.
In a message to the campus community, President Troy Paino wrote: “Given what we know at this moment, it is our hope and intention to resume our normal academic operations with the start of fall classes, and we remain committed to our residential college experience. That being said, we will be stringent about following federal and state guidelines to promote individual and public health.”
Paino praised faculty, staff and students, saying that the University “pivoted to remote learning extremely well with no forewarning” this past spring. He also encouraged the entire campus to continue its intensive efforts to identify and consider a broad range of contingencies and to develop alternative strategies to fulfill UMW’s core mission.
Affirming the enduring benefits of the educational experience UMW provides, Paino said, “One of the many advantages of a small school, in addition to the close relationships and individual focus on each student, is that it can be nimble enough to evolve quickly and to be nuanced in its approach to students’ needs.”
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In his campus email, Paino also announced that the Board of Visitors (BOV) Executive Committee voted to freeze tuition for all students for the fall semester. The March 11 BOV decision predated the school’s move to remote learning.
Paino noted the positivity and resilience he has witnessed, saying that “the UMW community has demonstrated that challenges only build our fortitude and position us for a brighter future.”
