The holidays can bring joy—but also stress, loneliness and pressure. Your mental health matters. See the More Info tab below for strategies to support your mental health during the holidays. Our Employee Assistance Program, Health Advocate, is available 24/7 for confidential help (866)-799-2728.

If you elected Hospital Indemnity, Accident or Critical Illness, you have a wellness health assessment benefit included with these coverages. You can receive a $50 or $75 cash benefit every year if you or your covered family members complete a single covered exam, screening or immunization. If you have more than one of these coverages, you can receive the cash benefit for the same wellness assessment benefit more than once. Examples of health assessments include annual physical exams, dental preventive exams, eye exams and many more. Submit a claim by logging into your account using the More Info button below.

Do you have an innovation you’d like to bring to society? An invention or idea with commercial potential? Check out our Tech Transfer website, find resources, and sign up to meet (via Zoom) with the Vice Provost for Research and our tech transfer partners at L2C to discuss early-stage inventions, innovation and the next steps in your entrepreneurship journey at Villanova. Use the More Info button below to learn more about how Villanova can support you.

In the spirit of Veritas, Unitas and Caritas, please join us for the Staff Faith Dialogue Lunch on Thursday, Dec. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. in Dougherty West Lounge. All are welcome, and we will have a dialogue of sharing while enjoying a delicious lunch. The theme will be A Dialogue of Sharing: “WINTERING” reflections on embracing the wisdom of the season. Please use the More Info button below to register.

December ushers in a wide array of experiences. The sun rises each morning, but the darkness descends earlier and earlier each day. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 7–9 p.m., join us at St. Thomas of Villanova Church for Holy Darkness, Blessed Night. This concert program brings together a group of musicians engaging Augustinian values to explore the complex relationship and lived experience of personal darkness and light during a season of celebration and joy. The event is free and open to the public, and all are welcome. ACS approved.

Please join Hispanic/Latine Ministry in celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, on Sunday, Dec. 7. A Mass in Spanish will be held in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church at 3 p.m., followed by a procession to the Grotto with Mariachi, and a cena (dinner with Mexican food and music) in Dougherty Hall, East Lounge. All are welcome!

Please join procurement on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 10:30 a.m. for NOVApay training. This is a live session that will review invoices. Click More Info below for the Procurement Training Resources page with the Teams link.

If you supervise staff at Villanova and are curious about all of the ways HR can support you in your role, this training is a great introduction to the major functions in our office—from benefits to employee relations to talent management and everything in between. Join us Friday, Dec. 5, from 1:30–4 p.m. in the Villanova Center, Suite 100. Only 20 seats are available for this session, and you can register using the More Info button below.

The McNulty Institute presents "Ignite Change: Advance Your Leadership," a daylong leadership development workshop for Villanova staff identifying as women or non-binary. This interactive workshop will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Inn at Villanova. The day will explore your unique context, work-life issues, communications and negotiations, leadership values and skill development. This workshop is free of charge, and breakfast and lunch are provided. Space is limited. Please use the More Info button below to register.

Curious about how AI is reshaping the world and influencing everyday life? Looking for a clearer, grounded understanding of the tools behind it? Villanova’s Artificial Intelligence Foundations course, offered through the College of Professional Studies, is six weeks long, 100% online, and designed as an accessible, hands-on introduction to AI concepts and responsible use. You’ll gain practical, transferable skills that make AI feel approachable and usable. Upcoming start dates include Jan. 12, Feb. 9, and March 9. Click the More Info button below to learn more and enroll. Villanova staff may use Tuition Remission to cover the full cost of this course.

This past September, Apple released the latest operating system upgrade for Mac devices called macOS "Tahoe” 26. University Technology Services had temporarily disabled the ability to install this update on Villanova-managed Macs to ensure compatibility with core University applications. Upon successful testing, the upgrade is now available for installation. Thank you for your patience while we conducted our testing.

On Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m., University Technology Services will perform routine maintenance for the Operational Data Store (ODS). During this time, ODS and Cognos will be unavailable. This planned maintenance supports Villanova’s commitment to secure and high-performing data systems. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Service Desk.

200 years ago, activists took to the streets of St. Petersburg vowing to replace Russia's autocracy with a constitutional monarchy. The tsar ultimately subdued the attempted coup and paved the way for another century of heavy-handed authoritarian rule. What has been the legacy for Russian history and society? For liberty versus autocracy? These questions and more will be addressed in this roundtable discussion on Russian history, featuring Dr. Ludmilla Trigos, author of The Decembrist Myth in Russian Culture; Dr. Lynne Hartnett, chair of the History Department, and Dr. Oksana Mykhed of Villanova University. Join us on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 4:30 p.m. in Driscoll Hall, Room 240, for this engaging conversation.

The Department of Biology invites the campus community to a seminar featuring Dr. Hangjun Ke from Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Ke will present “One is All: The Mitochondrion in Malaria Parasite” on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m. in Mendel Hall, Room 154. Following the talk, join us for a wine and cheese reception in Mendel 103.

Join Villanova's Russian Area Studies community in welcoming award-winning Ukrainian documentary filmmaker Andrei Zagdansky for a discussion about his acclaimed film Michail and Daniel, a meditative and observational masterpiece on the heroism of a Jewish-Ukrainian artist raising a deaf and mute son with cerebral palsy. This event will take place on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2:30 p.m. in Bartley Hall, Room 036. Preview the film for free in advance by clicking the More Info button below and using the password: daniel.

Join us on Friday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. in Tolentine 215 for our PBS Department’s colloquium “Facilitating Autonomy in Children—Why, How, and What Gets in the Way.” Dr. Grolnick's research investigates motivational development in children and adolescents. She explores how parenting, including autonomy support, control, involvement, and structure, predicts children's autonomous motivation, competence, and adjustment. She is also focusing on factors that help or hinder parents’ abilities to provide parenting resources to their children, and has developed a parenting intervention based on this work.

The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing is excited to welcome Molly McCarthy, MBA, BSN, RN-NI, the former US CNO of Microsoft and current Howley Family Visiting Professor in Healthcare, as she shares her insights on the latest advancements in healthcare technology. This in-person event is open to all members of the campus community. Faculty, students and staff from every college are encouraged to attend! Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the intersection of healthcare and innovation on Monday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Driscoll Auditorium 132. Lunch is not provided. The presentation will be recorded.

In winter, weather and road conditions can become tough to manage. First, make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Clean headlights and taillights weekly. Check the windshield washer level regularly. Inflate each tire five pounds above factory-recommended pressures. When driving, keep plenty of space between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. If the road looks wet, assume it’s icy. Learn to use anti-lock brakes correctly and turn IN to skids. Stock your vehicle with emergency supplies: first aid kit, sand, small shovel, flashlight, blanket and snacks. Be prepared in case you get stuck in snow or ice.