October 7, 2015
I attended the Virginia
Governor’s Higher Education Presidents’ Summit,
hosted by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe
last Sunday and Monday. Sixteen college presidents with strong commitments to
community service came from across the Commonwealth of Virginia to gather at
the College of William & Mary to discuss opportunities to expand student
engagement in national service.
According to Dorothy McAuliffe, "National service provides a pathway for
solving challenges in local communities, deepening appreciation for
citizenship, and developing valuable workforce training opportunities. I am proud that these Virginia colleges and universities
are working to encourage more students to consider the talents and skills they
can develop through service.”
The Summit was inspired by the Aspen Institute’s
Franklin Project. The Franklin Project envisions a specific new program that is
a “cultural expectation, a common opportunity, and a civic rite of passage for
every young American,” according to the project’s website. “Sometime
between the ages of 18 and 28, the young person would do a fully paid, full-time
year of service in one of an array of areas, including health, poverty,
conservation, or education,” the website says. “These young people will not
only do good work and solve problems, but they will also become better
young Americans.”
Highlights of the Summit included:
- Remarks by Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe; Virginia Secretary of Education Anne Holton; CEO of the public policy development firm Civic Enterprises and former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, John Bridgeland; and CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Wendy Spencer.
- A variety of sessions including a presidents’ panel moderated by Secretary Holton and a report on the development of the Institute on the Future of National Service in Virginia at JMU.
- Best practices in college-community engagement. Participants generated ideas that will serve as the foundation for new community service programs across Virginia and beyond.
- Plans for the group to re-convene at James Madison University in February.
I always enjoy collaboration with my presidential
colleagues on topics like this because it inspires "big ideas" for
the mutual benefit of our students and our communities. As Secretary Holton
stated so well, “Engendering in our students and graduates a passion for
service and a dedication to civic engagement is absolutely critical for
personal, academic and professional growth.” I couldn't agree more.
Service
has been an important aspect of campus life at Virginia Wesleyan for
many years. The success of our community service program and
opportunities to expand the program have been an important part of our
vision
for the future. I was pleased to hear our SACS visiting team acknowledge
the
strength of the program and express encouragement for integrating it
into our
iconic “Wesleyan Experience.”
Our community service program under
the able leadership of Diane Hotaling is, I believe, a well-kept secret that is
a very special part of our United Methodist tradition and mission. I encourage
you to contact Diane (dhotaling@vwc.edu or 757.455.3216
