Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

Our Facilities Management team has worked extra hard these last few weeks transitioning our beautiful campus from summer camps and conferences to the start of the fall semester.

In addition to their routine of keeping the campus beautiful, Facilities Management has had a hand in many recent improvements, including:

Painting and remodeling the Education Department in Pruden Hall

Adding new office space in Pruden Hall and adjacent to the Kellam Social Science Lab in Allen Village

Refreshing the O'Rourke Foyer in Clarke Hall

Completing upgrades to the four residence halls in Bray Village

Finishing the landscaping and installation of security bollards on The Trails at Wesleyan Woods

Modernizing the Athletics Suite and the adjacent Pearce Suite (more below)

Here are some additional updates from around campus:

MEMORIAL GARDEN AND FLAGPOLE AT BIRDSONG FIELD

Through the generosity of several donors, a memorial garden and lighted flagpole will be constructed adjacent to the Paphites Pavilion at Birdsong Field. Site preparation will be completed in the next few weeks with a full installation scheduled for September.

NEW COX COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACT

I am pleased to report that we have a new contract with Cox Communications to upgrade our telephone and internet bandwidth.

Under the new agreement, telecommunication will transition to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), moving away from traditional circuit transmissions. Polycom VVX 411 desk phones will feature internal and external caller ID and the ability to forward calls to desktops and laptops, as well as options for voicemail over email.

To accommodate the new VoIP system and our rapidly growing online presence, internet bandwidth will be tripled. For students, this means improved internet speed and a smoother streaming experience while viewing favorite content and gaming.

Special thanks to Chris Davis (Chief Information Officer), Keith Moore (Vice President for Student Affairs), and Jim Cooper (Vice President for Finance and Administration) for bringing this project to fruition.

MODERNIZATION OF THE INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS SUITE

Work was recently completed on modernization and upgrades to the Intercollegiate Athletics Suite on the second floor of the Jane P. Batten Student Center adjacent to Convocation Hall. Through private funding, the entire suite--which houses all coaches' offices and administrative support--has been upgraded. Unique features include full-size glassed highlight posters for each sport adjacent to the respective head coaches' offices, and a completely renovated foyer with a large collage from our individual and team national championships.

Improvements to the Jacklyn and Raymond D. Pearce Suite were also finalized three weeks ago. Vibrant images of campus life and the adjacent community adorn the walls, and new seating and complete multimedia allow for a conference-like setup.

The updates were funded by Mrs. Pearce and based on feedback from the campus community on utilizing the space for presentations, workshops, and meetings of a collaborative and interactive nature. An adjacent room to the Pearce Suite has also been renovated as a kitchenette and conference room serving the Athletic Department and the Pearce Suite. This room is named the Karen Yount-Merrell Conference Room in honor of the Pearces' niece.

VIRGINIA PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK

Virginia Wesleyan University was among the 23 institutions that hosted Virginia Private College Week July 22-27. Independent colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth hosted daily programs for rising juniors and seniors, transfer students, and their families. Over 100 prospective students and 200 families and guests attended the sessions at VWU.

Participating colleges offered students the opportunity to meet faculty and staff members, and to learn about the admission process, financial aid, and academic programs offered. The initiative was coordinated by the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.

TIDEWATER COLLEGIATE ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP EXTENDED

I am pleased to share that our partnership with Tidewater Collegiate Academy has been extended through 2023. TCA Founder Wendy Scott and her staff have been a welcome presence on our campus since the opening of the Blocker Youth Center in 2017. TCA has served as a laboratory school for our teacher education program, and Dr. Scott has been integrally involved in our Master of Arts in Education program.

PLEASE ENJOY THE TRAILS AT WESLEYAN WOODS

A reminder that The Loop and Lake Taylor trails on the south side of campus were recently cleared and surfaced. Our now-extensive trail system has been named "The Trails at Wesleyan Woods," and can be used for walking, hiking, jogging, and biking.

The Loop trail connects the Honors Village with Brock Village, and the Lake Taylor trail extends to the dock. Both can be accessed via the Honors Village parking lot, and directional signage will be added by the fall.

ET CETERA I am proud to share that Virginia Wesleyan basketball standout Jayla Harris, a 2019 graduate, has been recognized as a conference honoree for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

The Marlins' go-to offensive threat, Harris set VWU's new career-point record in 2019 at 1,931 (eclipsing the 1,910 points set by Amy Simpson in 1986). She also collected D3hoops.com Third Team All-America honors, ODAC Player of the Year honors, and the Marjorie Berkley Award, which is given to the top female scholar-athlete in the conference.

Conference-level nominations will be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which will choose the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in early September. From there they will determine the top three finalists in each division, and the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced in October.

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We were honored to serve as the host site for the annual USA Patriots Kids Camp last week at Broyles Field at TowneBank Park. Team members mentored 20 children who live with congenital limb loss or amputation from illness or injury, teaching them the fundamentals of playing ball sports. The USA Patriots (formerly known as the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team) paid all expenses for the 20 children and one guardian. Learn more about this wonderful initiative at usawwast.org.

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A number of you have asked about the now-vacant Hourigan Construction mobile office and storage containers in the Honors Village parking lot. With the completion of upgrades to the four residence halls in Bray Village, Hourigan wraps up nearly five years of work (18 projects) on our campus. Over the next month, Hourigan will disassemble the mobile office and supporting equipment and move it off site. The areas will then be restored to their original condition.

One Hourigan project remains--the stormwater piping from Smith Drive to the wetlands on the west side of campus. This project has been on and off for the past month due to an unexpected cross pipe that was struck during earth moving. It must be architecturally re-designed before completion of the overall project.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Enjoyable evening at Starving Artist Cafe with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Congresswoman Elaine Luria H'19, Robert Blondin, and State Delegate Kelly Fowler '03. All great friends of Virginia Wesleyan University.

Our own Kim Keene, Virginia Wesleyan Class of 1993, is the owner of the Starving Artist Cafe (Colley Avenue in Norfolk). Kim played basketball and majored in art while at VWU.

Talking education with Delegate Kelly Fowler '03, Delegate Stephen Heretick, and Noelle Gabriel, Chair of the Norfolk School Board.

Great story highlighting Mayanni McCourty's multiple undergraduate research experiences at VWU. The 2019 grad plans to attend graduate school to study atmospheric science.

Annie and I are loving life in Coastal Virginia. We spent a recent Sunday morning crabbing in our backyard (the Chesapeake Bay).

Enjoyed catching up with our TowneBank partners, Morgan Davis, President and CEO, and Ellen Keeter, Executive Vice President. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our plans for the Coastal 61 at Oxford Village residential project and to discuss our progress over the past four years.