It's hard to believe it's Spring Break at Virginia Wesleyan! We've had a lively spring semester and last week was no exception. Tuesday, March 12, was a special day in Virginia Wesleyan's history as we celebrated the dedication of Tom and Betty Broyles Field at TowneBank Park. We were honored to host Bob Aston, Executive Chairman of TowneBank, for a ribbon-cutting and ceremonial first pitch. Following the dedication, our back-to-back national championship softball team took the field for two games vs. Averett where they secured back-to-back victories. Congratulations to our Marlins on an impressive home opener! View the full photo gallery here.
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I'm pleased to announce the establishment of the National Bonner Leaders Program at Virginia Wesleyan University. The program is an intensive, four-year community leadership opportunity that educates, equips, and inspires students to engage in our local community and beyond through a partnership with the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation.
Students must apply and meet certain criteria to be selected as a Bonner Leader at VWU. Selected students will be committed to serving the community by using their gifts and talents where needed. The six pillars--or common commitments of Bonner Leaders--are civic engagement, community building, diversity, international perspective, spiritual exploration, and social justice. Students in this program develop leadership skills by participating in meetings, training workshops, internships, and service. Upon graduation, Bonner Leaders will continue to seek ways in which they can enrich their communities through leadership of non-profits and/or direct service.
Kudos to Dr. Brian Kurisky, Director of Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Leadership and Service Learning, for his excellent work in bringing this distinctive program to VWU. Read more here.
ET CETERA
This Wednesday, 29 bright high school students from the Coastal Virginia area will represent 29 nations in scholarship competition--the Model NATO Challenge--on Virginia Wesleyan's campus. We are proud to host this important event for the fifth year in a row and of our partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-Allied Command Transformation (NATO-ACT). The Challenge is a simulation that tasks the student diplomats to respond to a real-life global crisis. Please join me in welcoming these students, their families, NATO officers, and other guests to campus this week.
VWU's involvement in the Challenge stems from the University's formal agreement with NATO-ACT, officially signed in 2013, which offers up to 25 International Student Grants to dependents of NATO-ACT employees stationed in Norfolk. In return, NATO-ACT offers their staff's expertise to the VWU community in the form of guest lectures, internship opportunities, experiences with NATO's Innovation Hub, and NATO simulation opportunities like the Model NATO Challenge. Read more here.
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Coverage continues on the vote by the United Methodist Church to prohibit LGBT clergy and same-sex marriages. As such, I granted a request for an interview with Inside Higher Ed regarding the disappointment Methodist higher education institutions are experiencing and the difficult questions we are faced with. I invite you to read the article "Dilemma for Methodist Colleges" in Inside Higher Ed.
AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS
As I shared in a previous Nota Bene, Dr. Chris Davis has been named as the new Chief Information Officer for Virginia Wesleyan. He will officially join the Marlin family in May. Read more about Chris here.
Crews are hard at work on the finishing touches around the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. The lettering was installed on the back wall of the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre. And perhaps you noticed these new banners on campus.
It was so nice to host on campus last week former Virginia Tech and NFL star Aaron Rouse. Aaron is now a Virginia Beach City Councilmember. We discussed campus updates, future developments, and opportunities for collaboration with the City.
Last Thursday, I enjoyed attending Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander's MEAC Tournament Celebration at The Granby Theater. It was great to catch up with Mary Miller, President and CEO of the Downtown Norfolk Council.
Virginia Wesleyan is proud to host a Military Family Education and Scholarship Fair--sponsored by Virginia Beach Scholarship Sharing and the Virginia Advisory Council on Military Education (VA-ACME)--in the Jane P. Batten Student Center on April 6 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Read more here.
The Annual Empty Bowls Charity Dinner was this past Friday, March 15, in Virginia Wesleyan's Boyd Dining Center. VWU is proud to have hosted this significant event for 20 of the 21 years it has been in existence in the Hampton Roads community. The Empty Bowls Project is held in communities across the nation to help raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger. Read more here.
STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY WEEKEND READING
- The 15-To-Finish Campaign: Putting The 'Four-Year' Back In Four-Year Degrees in Forbes. "Higher education's completion agenda features several policies designed to increase the number of students who complete college and earn a degree."
- The Mood Brightens: A Survey of Presidents in Inside Higher Ed reports: "College presidents overwhelmingly agree that Harvard University is justified in defending its use of affirmative action in admissions--but far fewer believe it will prevail in its lawsuit."
- "This makes four years in a row in which Virginia was either the best or second-best state for higher education. Schools in this state have a graduation rate of 71%, or second-highest in our study, and offer their students great long-term value. Our data shows that schools in Virginia offer a 20-year average return on investment of $417,711, or fourth-most in the study." reported Smart Asset. Smart Asset's ranking is calculated using five metrics--student-faculty ratios, average net price, graduation rate, in-state attendance rate and the 20-year return on investment. Read the full report here.
- Young adults reflect on Traditional Plan adoption in United Methodist News. Passage of the Traditional Plan by The United Methodist Church's top legislative body is either "in perfect harmony with the word of God" or "a time of grieving," depending on which young adult you ask.
- Moody's: Slow enrollment gains raise colleges' financial risk in a news brief by Education Dive. More institutions are adding graduate and online offerings as a way to stave off impending declines in the number of high school graduates.
REFLECTIONS
I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:
PRESIDENTIAL EVENTS
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Have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break!
