Community and Celebrations
Community is an action, and all of us have a vital part to play in fostering a thriving and inclusive community. Every year, Westhampton College hosts a variety of events to celebrate and support our students and communities in their fullness. We come together, in ways big and small, to honor and encourage each other.
Connecting Womxn of Color Conference
Proclamation
Ring Dance
Senior Celebration
Senior Student-Athlete Reception
Westhampton Deanery Events
The will Recognition Reception
Connecting Womxn of Color Conference
The Connecting Womxn of Color Conference fosters an open dialogue in which participants can think deeply and critically about current issues. This conference seeks to cultivate an outlet on campus focused on both intellectual and personal development in which women and gender-expansive individuals of color and their allies can have meaningful dialogues around issues important to them, inviting people from local universities and the greater Richmond community to share in and contribute to this diversity, equity, and inclusivity work. The conference intentionally focuses on networking in a welcoming environment in order to connect students with people that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to meet. This year's conference will be held on Friday, 20 October 2023 at the Jepson Alumni Center.
The term “womxn of color” is intended to transcend and embrace shades of color and to welcome and unite those of us who identify as women and gender expansive people of Arab/Middle-Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American/Caribbean/West Indies, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native/Indigenous descent. (Adapted from Women of Color Network, Inc.)
Proclamation
This ceremony brings together new and senior Westhampton students to emphasize the importance of the Honor Code and the Westhampton community. An alum returns to share their thoughts about their experience at the university and as a Westhampton student. The chair of the Honor Council speaks to the value and importance of the Honor Code, and each new student signs the pledge and is officially recognized as a member of the college community. In addition, all new students write letters to themselves, which contains their thoughts about arriving on campus, and their hopes and ideas about how they will grow, develop, and change during the coming years. At the same time, senior students have their letters returned to them, and, in a moment that is both touching and incredibly entertaining, two seniors read their letters to the entire community.
Proclamation 2023 will be held on Sunday, September 10 at 1p.m. and will include first-year and transfer students, and seniors.
Ring Dance
Ring Dance is a formal Westhampton College event, in which junior class students and their families and loved ones celebrate their academic and personal progress, in celebration of their accomplishments over the years at the University. The Westhampton deans introduce each student one by one, and congratulate them individually.
Senior Celebration
The Westhampton College Dean's Office and the University of Richmond Alumni Association sponsor an annual dinner for the senior class each spring, to celebrate their forthcoming graduation. Special awards, such as the Distinguished Leadership Awards, are given, based on nominations from the university community, including peers, faculty, and staff. Faculty and staff mentors are invited and their contributions to each student and the college community are acknowledged, and a Westhampton alum addresses the graduating class. Senior Celebration emerged out of the college's historical May Day events.
Senior Student-Athlete Reception
The Senior Student-Athlete Reception is an opportunity to honor the dedication and hard work of our student-athletes, who represent the University and Westhampton so powerfully and vitally during their college careers. It is a moment to come together to celebrate as a community their incredible talent, commitment, and school spirit. Each student-athlete also receives a special commemorative pendant or pin, designed just for our graduating student-athletes, by recent alum Liz Montague (’18), who was a Track & Field athlete and a Visual Media Arts Practice major during her time here. All are welcome. For questions, please contact Dean Kerry Albright Fankhauser kfankhau@richmond.edu
Westhampton Deanery Events
Westhampton hosts a series of informal community events throughout the year, held in the Deanery. Each semester we have a study break during exam week witg food and exciting bling. On Halloween, students and colleagues are invited to Trick-or-Treat at the deanery all day – costumes encouraged for all! On Valentine’s Day, students and colleagues are invited to come by for some Westhampton love (community, candy, chocolate, and more) and have the chance to write Valentine notes of gratitude to people in their lives, which we will deliver or mail. If you have any ideas or suggestions for community events, please let us know.
The will Recognition Reception
will hosts an annual Recognition Reception in the spring to celebrate the accomplishments of will students and to recognize their many contributions to our campus and community. Seniors invite faculty and staff mentors to this event and individually speak about the impact of the program in their lives. This event highlights will’s commitment to honing the leadership and analytical skills of its members by making deliberate connections across students’ academic and co-curricular work.