The Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence and the Plumeri Award for Athletics Leadership Excellence recognize and reward the outstanding faculty, coaches, and Athletics staff whose contributions and accomplishments help to define excellence at William & Mary. The application period for the 2027 awards is open through Friday, Oct. 9. 
The Entente Cordiale University Challenge, under the patronage of King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron, has selected William & Mary to participate as a partner university in the first cohort of U.S. universities to join its annual Franco-British student summit and competition commemorating the signing of the 1904 Entente Cordiale. The topic this year is Artificial Intelligence, Power, and Ethics. The competition consists of teams of three students from any discipline — undergraduate or graduate — that will form this fall to research, draft, and submit a 5,000-word paper in January 2027. The deadline to submit the topic is Saturday, Oct. 31. More information can be found at the Reves Center: Entente Cordiale Challenge 2026-2027 and via an info session on Zoom tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. Registration is required.
This fall’s strategic planning sessions will play back what the working groups have heard so far and explore emerging themes and recommendations. The first two sessions will focus on Research & Innovation (Oct. 13) and Academic Excellence (Oct. 14). The working groups’ findings will be shared in advance of each session. Please join us for a generative conversation.

Research & Innovation: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1-2:30 p.m. | School of Education, Matoaka Woods | Register

Academic Excellence: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 9-10:30 a.m. | School of Education, Matoaka Woods | Register
The Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative will host its annual fall conference on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the W&M School of Education. This year's focus is No Adverse Impact (NAI) – Strategies to Curb Growing Flood Losses. NAI is a legal concept to guide governmental permitting decisions. Speakers include Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources David Bulova ’91, Virginia Resilience Coordinator Caitlin Verdu ’14, and Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers Chad Berginnis. Registration is free for W&M faculty, staff, and students. For more information, visit the conference webpage or reach out to VCRC Assistant Director Cameron Bruce.
This week's shout-out goes to STLI for its outstanding support of teaching at William & Mary. From practical, evidence-informed teaching resources on topics ranging from Accessibility in Teaching to Universal Design for Learning, to individualized consultations, its new Peer Observation Program, and short courses, STLI provides outstanding support for instructors across the university. The team continues to foster thoughtful conversations through initiatives such as its Unbook Club, which explores course and assignment design strategies that promote academic integrity in the age of AI.

Top Five Things to Know