Last week I attended the fall meeting of the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC) in Richmond. VFIC is headed by Dr. Tom Morris, a long-time colleague, former President of Emory & Henry College and former Virginia Secretary of Education.
As many of you know, Virginia Wesleyan College
is an active member of VFIC, a consortium of 15 traditional private liberal
arts colleges in Virginia. VFIC institutions educate over 22,000 undergraduate
students each year and are known for providing small classes, low
student-faculty ratios, personal attention to students, and a rigorous liberal
arts experience. I’m pleased to serve on the VFIC Board of Directors with14
other presidential colleagues and a number of businessmen/women from across the
Commonwealth.
Membership in VFIC benefits Virginia Wesleyan College in six distinctive ways:
- Scholarships -- Since 1952, VFIC has been raising money to strengthen the 15 leading independent colleges in the Commonwealth to ensure that access to independent higher education in Virginia is an affordable option for students from all backgrounds and levels of financial need. In 2014-15, Virginia Wesleyan received $ $137,457 in support from VFIC.
- CAREER15 -- This is a unique resource that connects students and graduates of VFIC members with human resources staff looking for potential interns and employees. It was created by the VFIC to expand the career opportunities of students from each of our 15 member colleges and to serve the workforce needs of our corporate partners. This recruiting network is focused on bringing together a small, special group of student job seekers with the hiring managers of top-tier, regional and national companies.
- Ethics Program -- Distinguished professionals serving as judges and moderators, faculty members, and students from across Virginia support the VFIC’s annual Ethics Bowl, testifying to the priority that each of these individuals places on personal ethics in the workplace, classroom, and all aspects of their lives. The Ethics Bowl program was conceptualized in 1997 by the VFIC Ethics Task Force, co-chaired by Roger Mudd, History Channel - Journalist (retired) and VFIC trustee, and Phillip Stone, President of Bridgewater College (1994-2010). The mission of the task force was to explore opportunities to involve students at the 15 VFIC colleges in the lively debate and consideration of applied ethics—real world dilemmas that affect people's lives in increasingly complex ways. While each VFIC institution had woven ethics into the curriculum and culture of their campuses, the intent was to strengthen the focus already in place. Each year Virginia Wesleyan students compete in the VFIC Ethics Bowl led by faculty coach, Dr. Kathy Merlock-Jackson, Professor of Communication.
- H. Hiter Harris, Jr. Award -- This award, which includes a stipend to support the faculty recipient’s scholarly research or professional development activities, was created in 2008 as an endowment in honor of the late Hiter Harris, Jr., a leading Virginia banker who was a member of the VFIC’s Board from 1973 – 1998.
- New Horizons -- This program is a strategic initiative with two objectives: (a) to help the 15 member colleges further diversify their student bodies, and (b) to expand college access and opportunity for students from lower-income, rural or minority families, or for students who would be the first in their family to attend college.
- Summer Undergraduate Research -- This program allows undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct supervised research with faculty mentors. Hands-on research is conducted in science-related areas with students receiving training in researching methods, analyzing data and creating written and oral presentations of their findings. This unique educational program provides students with an in-depth learning experience and the opportunity to co-author published articles relating to their research. In some cases, students will join their faculty mentor to make presentations at regional and national scientific seminars. As a result of this program, students gain advantages for the graduate school admissions process and set the stage for meaningful careers in the sciences.
While in Richmond last week, I participated in a discussion
with Dr. Morris, his staff, and our Board colleagues about VFIC programs and
new initiatives. We also heard an update of statewide issues from G. Gilmour
Minor III, Chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and
recognized two faculty members for exemplary performance: Dr. Gordon B. Steffey
of Randolph College received the H. Hiter Harris, Jr., Memorial Award for
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and Dr. Elizabeth Ackley-Holbrook of
Roanoke College received the Rising Star Award. Of course, our own Professor
of Philosophy, Dr. Larry Hultgren received this award in 2009, bringing honor
and distinction to Virginia Wesleyan College.
