Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

One week ago, we celebrated a bright moment in the history of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC),Virginia Wesleyan University, and the Hampton Roads community. For the first time in VCIC's 83-year history, the organization has established a satellite location, outside of its Richmond headquarters. A press conference was held on VWU's campus in Allen Village where the new office is located, commemorating this historic milestone. Read more here.

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With completion of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center four months away and construction beginning this week on the tree-lined, lighted pedestrian/bike path from the DeFord Gatehouse to the Goode Center, I am pleased to announce that the beautiful, broad outdoor terrace and pond on the front side of the building will be named the Susan Beverly Grand Terrace and Pond. As many of you know, Susan is a graduate from the Class of 1972 and a longtime educator who has served on the University's Board of Trustees for many years. We are pleased to designate the terrace and pond in Susan's honor in view of her longstanding commitment to, and support of, Virginia Wesleyan University.

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We welcomed to campus members of the Corporate Leaders Council last week for their Fall Business Roundtable. We shared exciting updates, discussed plans for the future, and enjoyed a presentation by Joshua Harrison '20, Chief Executive Officer of the Marlin Prestige Business Conference, which begins today. The Corporate Leaders Council is comprised of business leaders who align the University's vision and values in their management practices. Their personal and professional influence and support ensure that our students can participate in opportunities, such as internships, that will prepare them for meaningful lives and careers.

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Virginia Wesleyan was happy to host prospective students on campus over the last five days with the Batten Honors College Competition and our first Marlins Day Open House of the academic year. I appreciate the leadership of Vice President for Enrollment David Waggoner, Dean of the Batten Honors College Dr. Joyce Easter, Director of Enrollment for the Batten Honors College Denise Cunningham, as well as the many faculty, staff and student ambassadors whose hard work made this day so successful. We're already looking forward to the next BHC Competition on February 7-9 and Marlins Day on February 16.

ET CETERA

I always enjoy the monthly meetings of the Greater Norfolk Corporation Board of Directors. We met this month in the scenic conference room on the 20th floor of the Dominion Enterprises building overlooking downtown Norfolk. This month's agenda focused on a briefing by Chris Perry, CEO of Suburban Capital, of the new Glass Light Hotel & Gallery, and Norfolk's Inclusive Economic Development Strategy by George Homewood, Interim Director of Economic Development.

It was also nice to visit with Dr. Melvin T. Stith, Interim President of Norfolk State University. Dr. Stith was Vice Rector of the NSU Board of Visitors before agreeing to serve as the university's interim president while the Board delineates a plan to conduct a national search for a new president.

Special thanks to GNC President Chuck Phillips and Executive Vice President Barry Bishop for their leadership of the valuable community resource.

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Thanks to Old Dominion University President John Broderick, Vice President Alonzo Brandon, and Athletic Director Wood Selig, for the outstanding hospitality extended to cross town friends for the recent ODU/VWU basketball exhibition at the Ted Constant Center. We also thank Tim Knight, District Manager of Aramark Higher Education, for sponsoring the concession in the Group Suite.

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Our updated website went live last week. Special thanks to Stephanie Smaglo, Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications, and Michael Skipper, Webmaster, for their leadership on this project.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

We welcomed Shane Boyd to the Virginia Wesleyan family on November 1 as the new Director of Institutional Research. A native of the Coastal Virginia area, Shane received his bachelor's degree from James Madison University and his master's from Illinois State University.

On November 2, I enjoyed an informative discussion of energy and national security with Rick Perry, U.S. Secretary of Energy. Thanks to Bryan Stephens, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber, for inviting me along with 15 other business and government leaders to the discussion at The Main.

Trustee Emerita Joan Brock and Trustee Henry Watts joined a campus audience last week for a presentation by Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, "Developing and Sustaining Political Citizenship for Poor and Marginalized People...The Evelyn T. Butts Story." The presentation was sponsored by American Evolution 2019 Commemoration and Virginia Wesleyan University's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom.

We are pleased to welcome Sharon S. Goodwyn of Norfolk and Joseph R. Thomas of Virginia Beach who have been elected to the Board of Trustees of Virginia Wesleyan University. "We are honored to have these distinguished civic leaders as members of our Board of Trustees. Their leadership, experience, and expertise will be a tremendous asset to the University, its students, and alumni," said Chair of the Board David Kaufman. Read more here.

Virginia Wesleyan University will be recognized this month as the Outstanding Non-Profit in Fundraising at the National Philanthropy Day Luncheon, hosted by the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). I was proud to participate in a recorded interview last week that will be shown during the event on November 28 at the Hilton Norfolk The Main.

Bryson Mortensen, Director of Choral Music and Co-Chair of the Music Department at Virginia Wesleyan University, hosted Gary Girouard, Educational Services Manager at Steinway & Sons, on campus last week for a tour of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Bryson and Travis Malone, Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, will be traveling to New York this week to select the Steinway Concert Grand piano for the Goode Center. We are looking for to the Center opening in March 2019.

We were glad to welcome friends from the Virginia Arts Festival Kimberly Schuette, Associate Director of Programming, and Rob Cross, Executive Director, to campus recently. We discussed collaborative opportunities and toured the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Congratulations to Virginia Wesleyan University field hockey team members Julie Fassl, Cori Jackson, Emily Price, Elizabeth Roberto, and Skye Swain who were named All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) for their stellar performances during their 2018 season.

Congratulations to Amber Matalus of the Virginia Wesleyan University women's volleyball team on being named to the All-South Region First Team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Amber is the third player in VWU history to receive All-Region honors.

Kudos to Ricky Perrault of the Virginia Wesleyan University men's soccer team for earning All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) First Team honors. This is the fourth consecutive year Ricky has been selected for an All-Conference Team.

It was great to show off our magnificent Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center last week to Bruce Alperin, Associate Vice President of Marketing at Aramark Higher Education of Philadelphia. Bruce was in town for the Virginia Wesleyan University Corporate Leaders Council. He has worked with me on the development of comprehensive master plans during my presidencies at Wesley College and VWU.

For the sixth consecutive year, Virginia Wesleyan University was recognized by the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) with a Merit Award in the Society's Green Star Awards competition in the category for exceptional grounds maintenance. VWU is truly an inspiring place to live and learn. Special thanks to the entire Virginia Wesleyan grounds staff. Their efforts help us to present our campus in the best possible light, and we are grateful for the outstanding work they do.

I had an enjoyable dinner at Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center with colleagues attending a presidential discussion focused on connecting learning to community and civic engagement.

We welcomed candidates for the Batten Honors College competition last Thursday night with a social at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. We also welcomed our new Director of Enrollment for the Batten Honors College Denise Cunningham. She joins BHC with over 10 years of experience in enrollment management and college counseling. Denise and Joyce Easter, Dean of the Batten Honors College, make an excellent team.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY WEEKEND READING

"As Humanities Majors Decline, Colleges Try to Hype Up Their Programs," reports The Atlantic.
"Mental health diagnoses rising among college students." A range of common mental health conditions are being diagnosed more often in U.S. university students, according to a study that also finds students are more willing to seek help than in the past. Read more here.
"Self-Directed Learning and Augmented Reality: How to Teach Gen Z." A learning innovator, Jeffrey J. Selingo, shares a few approaches for engaging today's students. Read more in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
"Making a liberal arts education relevant again." Read more here.
I am pleased to share with you a new report, "Taking the Field: Intercollegiate Athletics on CIC Campuses." The report explores changes in Council of Independent Colleges member institutions' intercollegiate sports offerings over decades and the factors that are associated with their distinctive athletic profiles. The report was written by James C. Hearn, David Welch Suggs Jr., and Jennifer May-Trifiletti of the University of Georgia as part of CIC's Project on the Future of Independent Higher Education.
"Regulators green light offshore wind project near Virginia Beach." The State Corporation Commission issued a ruling Friday allowing Dominion Energy to proceed with building two wind turbines about 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Read more here.
From the other side of Lake Taylor: "Here's an update on Norfolk Public Schools' consolidation plans." Read more here.
"Virginia colleges issued more degrees than ever last year," reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.