Dear UMW Community,
Like many of you, I watched news of the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and the unfolding war in Israel and Gaza with great sadness. We condemn any violence that targets innocent civilians, and we grieve with those whose loved ones were killed, injured, or taken hostage.
As president of UMW, my primary focus is the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff affected by these tragic events in a troubled part of the world. This violence may seem distant and even unimaginable, but often comes close to home, based on individual experiences, family ties, friendships, and beliefs. Our students come through a variety of experiences and are impacted by conflicts around the world, and thus have differences of opinions. It is a university’s mission to engage in these varied perspectives, and to do so with respect, empathy, and civility, even when emotions run high.
It is also our mission to come together to support those most impacted in our community. To anyone who feels the need for additional support, please connect with the services below.
- Students seeking support can contact the Talley Center at (540) 654-1053, with many resources available online.
- UMW students also have on-demand, free access to mental health services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via TimelyCare, accessed online via a web browser or app. Go to timelycare.com/umw or download the TimelyCare app to access care, and note you’ll use “umw.edu” (not “mail.umw.edu”) as the end of your email address to log in.
- For faculty and staff, information about the Employee Assistance Program, which is available at no cost with state employee health insurance plans, may be accessed through the Human Resources website.
- In addition, if you have a concern about a student, you can Report a Concern using the online form.
- If anyone has any concerns about their safety, you can contact UMW Police: (540) 654-1025 (non-emergency); in an emergency – dial 4444 from any campus phone or dial (540) 654-4444 on your phone.
Troy