Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

The eleventh class of the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame has been selected. The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in March 2008 to honor those who have made a lasting impact on the University through outstanding achievement in athletics, special service to the athletic program, or significant contributions to athletics. Congratulations to the eleventh class: Scott H. Barlow '83, Norman Billups Jr. '81, Frederick Glen Pizzanello '85, Jackie Ochs-Gregory Texter '09, and the 2006 Women's Soccer Team! They will be inducted during a special ceremony on Saturday, February 9, 2019. Read more here.

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Last week, VWU's Educational Policies Commission (EPC) voted to approve a policy which will allow students from the Virginia's Community Colleges system with an associates' degree seamlessly transfer to Virginia Wesleyan. The students would need only to take a course, Seminar Three, under the new general studies program, effective fall 2019. All other general studies requirements would be satisfied by their associate's degree. We are pleased this will eliminate barriers for students and grow our relationship with our local and state community colleges.

This is a timely accomplishment as I'm pleased to share that we now have a Virginia Wesleyan University Enrollment and Advising Office on Tidewater Community College's (TCC) Virginia Beach campus. Each Wednesday, beginning this week, representatives from Virginia Wesleyan will be working onsite at TCC to assist students who are interested in transferring to our institution and discuss opportunities with them in person. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with TCC and our mutual desire to serve our home community of Virginia Beach. Last year, we announced the Virginia Beach College Success Scholarship to celebrate academic achievement and shared values benefiting our community. Special thanks to Michael Summers, Provost of TCC, for his continued support.

ET CETERA

I'm proud to share that Virginia Wesleyan University is prominently featured and celebrated in Dr. Madeleine Green's report, "In Search of Curricular Coherence," on the Teagle Foundation's report of curricular reform endeavors across the country. The Teagle Foundation partnered with Dr. Green, an expert in the field of higher education with "deep experience from her 35-year career at the American Council of Education," on this initiative. The mission of the Teagle Foundation is to advance liberal arts which the Foundation views as "fundamental to meaningful work, engaged citizenship, and a fulfilling life." To support their mission, the Foundation provides grants to those who are committed to honoring this vision. VWU received a Curriculum 4 (C4) Consortium grant which included three other private liberal arts colleges with whom we worked collectively to "create more coherent and intentional curriculum whose goals, pathways, and outcomes are clear to students and other constituencies." Read the report here.

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Last year, out of concern for how policy shift would affect our students, I joined the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. We are "an alliance of American college and university leaders dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact our students, campuses and communities. We support policies that create a welcoming environment for immigrant, undocumented and international students on our campuses."

The Alliance has since developed the Higher Education Immigration Policy Guide, specially created for members in coordination with partners at FWD.us with input from colleagues at NAFSA : Association of International Educators. The guide highlights current and proposed federal-level immigration policies impacting students and campuses, along with action steps and resources. The guide will be updated on a quarterly basis.

The Higher Education Immigration Policy Guide includes:

DACA
Public Charge (Comments Due by December 10, 2018)
Unlawful Presence for F, J, M nonimmigrants
Notice to Appear, Requests for Evidence, Notice of Intent to Deny
Actions to Consider Taking on Campus
Announced Intended Changes
Other Changes Impacting Higher Education

For more information, download the Policy Guide here. I hope you find this information useful.

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The 2018-19 basketball season has shaped up to be an exciting one! I extend special thanks to our game sponsors and food providers for the first half of the season's Hospitality Suite that entertains our Marlin Athletic Fund friends during half-time of the home men's games and between doubleheaders. Thank you to TowneBank, Astro DJ, Blue Marlin Basketball Camp, and Sentara for sponsoring. We also thank the Hospitality Suite food vendors for providing delicious refreshments: Sodexo, ShoreBreak Taphouse, Birdsong Peanuts, Jimmy John's, and Pepsi. Sponsors of future games will also include Rosenblum Plastic Surgery, the Virginia Athletic Council, American Funds/Capital Group, and BSN Sports. We deeply appreciate their support of Marlin Athletics. Go, Marlins!

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The fourth chapter is now available for the 2018-2019 series of President to President, a higher education thought leadership publication by university presidents for university presidents. My longtime friend and colleague Dr. Marylouise Fennell and I edit this series. In "The Case for Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities," Chatham University President David L. Finegold, D.Phil., examines the broad range of issues driving colleges and universities to implement and promote sustainability initiatives on campus. In addition, he shares his university's strategies for making a measurable impact in areas such as energy, agriculture, air quality, and more. Read more here.

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My longtime colleague Brian Mitchell, former President of Washington & Jefferson College and Bucknell University, writes of current concerns about recruiting international students to American campuses: "The current geopolitical environment clouds this specialized pool of applicants and, as we write in "Higher Education's International Student Quandary," highlights the financial uncertainty of many institutions. The political climate has caused a sizable drop in applications to U.S. schools, while the institutions in Canada, Europe, and Australia are seeing gains at the expense of their American counterparts."

In his weekly blog, he speaks to how colleges and universities fund their financial aid models--more specifically, on how declines in international student applications and enrollment affect institutions' financial stability. I thought you'd find it interesting and hope you enjoy the read.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

I encourage you to vote for our partners at the Norfolk Botanical Garden for USA Today's 10 Best. Please visit their website and click on the blue banner at the top of the page to vote.

Virginia Wesleyan University was recognized as the 2018 Outstanding Non-Profit in Fundraising, awarded for its philanthropic achievements by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Hampton Roads Chapter during the National Philanthropy Day Luncheon on November 28, 2018. Broad community, alumni and grant support has truly shaped a successful fundraising trend for VWU, and we thank all of our donors for their consistent and heartfelt investment of trust and personal resources. Read more and watch the video here.

The Downtown Norfolk Council hosted an informative breakfast meeting last week with an update on new initiatives by Mayor Kenny Alexander. The Mayor provided an overview of development downtown and the projects and initiatives that are taking place throughout the City of Norfolk. He has been a good friend of VWU and I was pleased to attend the event which was held at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center at Nauticus.

We were pleased to host on campus the newest member of Virginia Beach City Council, David Nygaard. We toured our campus facilities and discussed plans for the future.

Demolition began last weekend on the walkway and terrace surrounding Monumental Chapel and The Beacon at Virginia Wesleyan University. When completed, the area will be a beautifully landscaped entrance to the Chapel and a place for quiet reflection. We're seeing good progress on the new grandstand area behind home plate at the new Virginia Wesleyan University TowneBank Park/Broyles Field. You can see progress from center field in this picture. Crews finished the stands and press box, and the bullpens and batting cages will be added this week along with an artificial turf "ring" from third base to first base. The Auxiliary Building being constructed for the softball program is nearing completion. Construction began last week on the hammer/discus throw venue at the new Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center, and progress was made on the new Auxiliary Building at the Center. Despite a little snow and mixed rain last Wednesday, a crane put in place the new press box and observation deck at Birdsong Field.

The new "NBA style" lockers have arrived for installation in the men's and women's locker rooms in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Special thanks to the donor who made the gift to renovate and beautifully furnish these facilities.

I enjoyed visiting before last Wednesday's basketball doubleheader with University of Mary Washington head coach Marcus Kahn. Marcus was a stellar graduate student and assistant basketball coach at Wesley College during my tenure as President there. He has had amazing success as a head coach with the University of Mary Washington, Cabrini College, and University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg.

Special thanks to Jill Sturts, Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and the students from her "Rec 204" class as we co-hosted "Brunch With Santa"--for children and grandchildren of the Virginia Wesleyan University community.

Nice to meet our new online recruiter Craig McLeod. He joins Kelly Connors, Regional Field Manager of Online Programs, in providing a presence for Virginia Wesleyan University and VWU Online in the Hampton Roads community.

It was another enjoyable basketball afternoon at the Jane P. Batten Student Center as Virginia Wesleyan University advanced to 2-0 in the ODAC with an 87-77 win over Washington and Lee University last weekend. Special thanks to Blue Marlin Basketball Camp for sponsoring that game and to ShoreBreak Taphouse, Birdsong Peanuts, and Sodexo Catering for refreshments in the Friends of the Marlin Athletic Fund area.

It was great to visit with State Representative Kelly Convirs-Fowler (Virginia's 21st House of Delegates district) at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Kelly is a 2003 graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University. During the meeting, I also visited with John F. Reinhart, CEO of The Port of Virginia, and Mark Buzby, Maritime Administrator.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY WEEKEND READING

"What will it take to build an analytics-driven campus?" In a recent survey, only one percent of higher education leaders said they are not considering an analytics program. Learn how priorities, barriers to implementation, and level of investment vary by title and institution type here.
"With Amazon coming, Va. schools look to boost computer education." Virginia Tech promised to build a $1 billion, 1 million-square-foot technology-focused "Innovation Campus" if the company came to town, reports University Business. Read more here.
"The Higher-Education Legacy of George H.W. Bush." Read this article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
"Trump administration approves seismic tests that could harm thousands of Atlantic dolphins and whales." Read more in The Washington Post.
"Seniors Think What They've Learned Will Help Them Do Their Jobs. Do Employers Agree?" This article in the Chronicle of Higher Education Teaching Newsletter reports, "Another way students Another way students encounter real-world problems is through a group of experiences collectively called High-Impact Practices. They include internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research; their educational power is thought to come from their ability to present students with ill-defined problems that have consequential though often imperfect solutions. One of these practices, service learning, was the most popular, as it often is; 62 percent of seniors reported engaging in a service-learning project during college." Read more here.
"Since 2007, the amount of student loan debt held by the federal government has tripled, from about $500 billion to an estimated $1.5 trillion, according to the federal government's top education official. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos warned an audience in Atlanta that this is a national problem," reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Three industry leaders share details of Hampton Roads' economy's foundation." The military, tourism, and The Port of Virginia are the three economic engines of Hampton Roads, reports Inside Business. Read more here.
Six democratic senators wrote a letter to U.S. News & World Report asking that it give more weight in its annual college rankings to institutions that try to help students from underrepresented backgrounds.
"Virginia moves up to No. 4 on Forbes magazine's Best States for Business List." Virginia moved up from number five in last year's annual Best States for Business List. Read more in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The 2018 National Survey of Student Engagement found, among other things, that most college seniors are highly confident in their career and post-graduation plans.