August
26, 2016
As we
prepared to launch Marlin Days 2016 for our incoming students, I delivered my
second VWC State of the College Address on Tuesday
to a large audience of faculty, staff, and invited guests. The event was also webcast and is available for viewing. Dramatic changes for Virginia Wesleyan
College, referenced in the address, are also detailed on our website.
I was pleased to
introduce the Batten Honors College and the formation of three academic
schools: the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, the Joan P. Brock
School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and the Birdsong School of Social
Science. As I emphasized in the State of the College, we need to think creatively about attracting more students to
the College. We must invest in our core mission and values, for they will
sustain us in the busy, challenging years ahead. And we should always find ways
to honor our heritage and maximize our strengths, while sharpening our academic
and co-curricular programs to meet the needs, expectations, and ambitions of
our students.
Therefore, the academic initiatives announced
on Tuesday will energize this agenda, and position us for even greater success.
We will implement these
bold changes immediately, and it was a special honor to welcome to the Batten
Convocation Center the special friends of the College for whom these academic
components are named. We thank them for their outstanding leadership and
support over the years.
Last
week, I had dinner with Senator Mark Warner and then attended a Senatorial
Forum at the Founders Inn, hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. The
forum focused on the regional economy in Hampton Roads and our national
security. Senator Tim Kaine, the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the
United States, had been scheduled to attend, and sent his regards to the
audience.
My
outreach to the community continues. I visited the Norfolk Botanical Garden and
met with President and CEO Michael Desplaines and Vice President Cathy
Fitzgerald. My visit included a tour of their spectacular 175 acres of natural
beauty. It was refreshing to hold our faculty retreat in this attractive setting
on Monday.
On
August 15, I met with Skip Valet, Vice President and General Manager of WTKR-TV
News Channel 3, and the news director of the station, Ryan Minnaugh, to discuss
ways in which we might collaborate. In
addition, I was pleased to catch up with the President and Publisher of the Virginian-Pilot, Pat Richardson, and Pilot Editor Steve Gunn recently. My
monthly column on higher education topics appears in the paper. Kari Jacobs, President
and General Manager at WVEC-TV, was on campus recently for an introductory
meeting and discussion.
Vice
President for Enrollment David Waggoner, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Patrick Goold, and I visited with Head of School at Friends School of Virginia
Beach Linda Serrette for a collaborative discussion.
To
conclude an exciting week on our campus, we welcomed new students, first-time freshmen,
and transfer students to the College for the annual “Marlin Days” of
orientation and activities. This year’s incoming students appear highly
motivated, enthusiastic, and ready to jump into college life as our latest
Marlins. Classes begin Monday!
All in
all, it’s been a great week to be a
Marlin!
