News
UVA Announces Details of Plan for Virus Prevention, Detection and Response
The University of Virginia today announced plans for the safe return of students, faculty and staff to Grounds and for the safe operation of the fall academic semester – including mandatory virus testing for students. Read more.
Last Look at the Old Alderman Library
Although the iconic Rotunda was the University of Virginia’s first library, Wahoos of the past century got to know Alderman as UVA’s main library. The need for expansion of book acquisitions and research materials drove construction of the bigger building in 1937, funded in part by the Public Works Administration, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal relief programs. Read more.
Local Food Hub Expands Its 'Fresh Farmacy' Program with Assist from UVA
With an assist from the University of Virginia, Local Food Hub is expanding and retooling its “Fresh Farmacy” program to meet evolving community needs for access to fresh, healthy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, Fresh Farmacy makes locally sourced fruits and vegetables accessible to low-income health clinic patients who want to make lifestyle changes and have diet-related illnesses, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
'Can We Really Do This?' How UVA Health Transformed Its New Tower to Fight COVID
At dawn one bright April morning, dozens of construction workers, clad in bright yellow vests and stiff white masks, lined up to applaud those entering and leaving UVA Health at shift change, men and women on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a touching moment, made more poignant by what stood, gleaming in the morning light, behind the workers – a new, six-story inpatient hospital tower.
University Sets Up Volunteer Center for Community Response to Pandemic
In this time of pandemic and economic upheaval, community service agencies are stretched to the limit. Volunteers are needed more than ever for a widening range of services. And as the commonwealth celebrates Virginia Public Service Week, more citizens may be looking to help. As a response, the University of Virginia has established a virtual Volunteer Center to help connect UVA employees who wish to volunteer their time, skills and compassion with the needs of local service agencies that are working overtime to help community members cope. Read more.
UVA Health Enacting Changes in Response to COVID-19 Financial Impact
After considerable engagement with leadership at the highest levels, UVA Health is implementing a series of actions designed to mitigate the financial effects of COVID-19 and safeguard its ability to serve the community. “These decisions were reached only after a great deal of input from leaders across the organization, and are focused on actions we must take now to be able to fulfill our mission,” said Dr. Craig Kent, executive vice president for health affairs for the University of Virginia. Read more.
UVA Joins Effort to Revive Local Economy
The University of Virginia is participating in Project Rebound, a Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce-led effort to revive the local economy in a time of COVID-19 pandemic. Officially launched this week, the effort engages the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University to address the COVID-19 crisis and devise strategies to restore the local economy. Project Rebound plans to release its findings as a blueprint to help area businesses emerge from the current stay-at-home order.
What Will Fall at UVA Look Like? This Committee is Exploring Options
Will this fall be like any other at the University of Virginia? The short answer is no. UVA will provide an educational program for students, but figuring out the longer answer – just how different it will be – is the work of a committee created by President Jim Ryan. UVA must consider many factors influenced by a pandemic that has deeply affected higher education and the broader way of American life. Read more.
Emergency Assistance Fund Has Aided More Than 600
Since its launch almost three weeks ago, the UVA Emergency Assistance Fund has provided assistance to more than 600 furloughed contract workers and University of Virginia employees facing unexpected costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of about 50 UVA employees, including more than a dozen volunteers, have received and processed the hundreds of requests from fellow employees and workers for 11 UVA contractors, as well as University-associated organizations. Read more.
'Everybody is Fully Engaged': Pandemic Prompts Regional Cooperation
In mid-March, representatives from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia began working together behind the scenes on what has already proven to be a historic coordinated response to the coronavirus pandemic. As all involved quickly realized that addressing such an unprecedented situation would require an equally unprecedented level of regional collaboration. Read more.
Details on UVA Emergency Assistance Fund for Employees and Contracted Workers
The University of Virginia has released the details of a fund intended to help furloughed contract workers and UVA employees who are facing unexpected costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Jim Ryan announced the UVA Emergency Assistance Fund for Employees and Contracted Workers on Monday as a way to bridge the gap for those impacted after it was determined that state and federal benefits would not flow fast enough to prevent significant financial hardship. Read more.
Key Takeaways and Full Video from Thursday's Virtual Town Hall
Thursday, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan and his leadership team took to Zoom to provide updates and answer questions about the University’s COVID-19 response and future plans in a virtual town hall. Besides Ryan, speakers included Provost Liz Magill, Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Dr. K. Craig Kent.
UVA Dining Donates Perishable Foods to Area Charities
UVA Dining is donating perishable foods from its dining halls to local charities and food banks. In reaction to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the University of Virginia has suspended in-person courses and shifted to online learning. Since the vast majority of students are studying from home, most on-Grounds food service outlets are closed. Read more.
University Announces Affordable Housing Goal
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan announced today that UVA has established a goal to support the development of 1,000 to 1,500 affordable housing units in Charlottesville and Albemarle County over the next decade on land owned by the University and the UVA Foundation. “As an anchor institution, we feel a responsibility to be a good neighbor. One of the most pressing needs in our region is affordable housing, and we are looking forward to doing our part to help increase the supply,” said Ryan. Read more.
Tim Longo Named Associate Vice President for Safety and Security and Chief of Police
Former Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo has been named the University of Virginia’s associate vice president for safety and security and chief of police.Longo was named interim chief of police in October and soon thereafter took on the additional interim responsibilities of associate vice president for safety and security.
UVA Researchers: Does My Smartphone Know I Am Sick?
What if smartphones could alert you or your physician to a medical problem? Or even monitor your progress after you had suffered a concussion? A University of Virginia research team, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin Corp., is developing smartphone applications that can identify symptoms of infectious disease and traumatic brain injury by monitoring a user’s daily activities...
Princeton Review: UVA Near the Top in Return-On-Investment Ranking
The University of Virginia earned top marks in this year’s Princeton Review return-on-investment ranking as the No. 3 public university in the nation. Drawing from alumni survey data, collected through April 2019 and covering starting and mid-career salaries and career social impact, UVA came in after the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley. In the review’s combined return-on-investment ranking of public and private schools, UVA ranked 12th overall. The University is in good company; Princeton, Stanford and Yale universities are also on the top 12 list.
Information and Messages to the University Community Regarding Coronavirus
A dedicated page on the University's website has been created as a central repository for communications and information for the UVA community about Coronavirus, an ongoing global public health concern. Please visit this site for up-to-date information: https://news.virginia.edu/content/updates-university-community-regarding...
UVA Foundation Protects Morven Land Through Conversation Easement
More than 1,150 acres of land situated near the historic homes of three presidents in Albemarle County will be permanently protected by a conservation easement placed by the University of Virginia Foundation, UVA President Jim Ryan announced today. The rural property adjacent to the historic Morven Farm was acquired by the foundation in 2001 as part of a gift by the late John W. Kluge.
Meet Cooper, a Therapy Dog Working Alongside His Owner in UVA's Police Department
What do hot dogs, chicken and cheese have in common? These treats were the great motivators for Cooper, a miniature American shepherd who just graduated from doggie therapy school and is joining his owner, Community Service and Crime Prevention Sgt. Benjamin Rexrode, at the University of Virginia’s Police Department. Read more.
A Peek Behind the Fences: Inside Alderman Library's Renovations
Major renovation of the University of Virginia’s Alderman Library will continue throughout 2021 and 2022. Preparation got underway last January, and not long after the coronavirus pandemic closed the Grounds in March, the project began in earnest. The new and old stacks were demolished over the summer. Hard-hatted workers have stripped the building down to its bones, reinforcing parts of the structure as they bring it up to modern codes and standards. A more user-friendly and energy-efficient library is expected to reopen in 2023. Read more.
The Bigger Picture: Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Nears Finish Line
Today, we know only the first names of many of the workers who helped build and maintain the University of Virginia in its early days, because they were enslaved.
Brandon Avenue Student Housing, Softball Stadium Naming, and Sustainability News
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors on Friday reviewed plans outlining the next phase of student housing construction on Brandon Avenue, the name of the new softball stadium on Massie Road and an ambitious strategy to expand UVA’s sustainability efforts. Read more.
UVA Board of Visitors Approves Tuition Rates for 2020-21
The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted Friday to set tuition and fee rates for the 2020-21 academic year. The new rates reflect the University’s commitment to remaining one of the best values in higher education and meeting the multi-year objective of proposing a tuition increase at a rate of roughly inflation-plus-1%, using the Higher Education Price Index as the benchmark. Read more.
UVA, W&M to Partner on 10-Year Goal of Achieving Carbon Neutrality
The University of Virginia and William & Mary today announced plans to work together on sustainability and climate change initiatives, including a shared goal for each institution to be carbon neutral by 2030. The innovative partnership is part of UVA’s 2020-30 Sustainability Plan, which will be presented to the University’s Board of Visitors this week. If approved, it would set goals for UVA to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil-fuel-free by 2050. Read more.