Thank you to all who have reached out in response to the comments I shared on the United Methodist Called General Conference in my March President's Letter. The feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive to Virginia Wesleyan's affirmation as an inclusive community. Additionally, I'm pleased to report that we had an informative and engaging conversation at last Friday's Faculty Assembly meeting on the topic. The response is a true testament to a larger sense of inclusiveness which gives me a great deal of hope as we face the future.
For further coverage and insight, I invite you to read "We are not happy with the church," from my interview last Friday with The Virginian-Pilot which garnered a front page placement.
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As I shared in last week's Nota Bene, the Board of Trustees held their winter meeting on February 20. As part of the agenda, the Board heard reports and approved actions from the Committees on Trusteeship, Audit, Investment, Finance and Administration, Academic Affairs, Advancement, Student Affairs, and Enrollment. I'm proud to share that approval of recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure was granted by the Board.
As has been my past practice, I did not report on this action until the recipients were officially notified. Thank you to the Faculty Committee on Advancement and Tenure for their diligent work in this process and congratulations to the following faculty on their hard-earned achievements.
Advancement from Assistant to Associate Professor and Conferral of Tenure:
- Dr. Eric Johnson (Biology)
- Dr. William McConnell (Education)
- Dr. William Pruitt (Criminal Justice)
- Dr. Jason Squinobal (Music)
Advancement from Associate to Full Professor:
- Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne (Communication)
Advancement from Librarian I (Instructor Librarian) to Librarian II (Assistant Librarian):
- Ms. Sherry Matis
ET CETERA
Congratulations to Louis Haddad, President/Chief Executive Officer of Armada Hoffler Properties and husband of VWU trustee Mary Haddad, on his election to the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame. He will be recognized on March 28 at a dinner and awards ceremony at Hilton Norfolk The Main.
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Kudos to Brian Kurisky, Director of Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Leadership and Service Learning, for his hard work on behalf of Virginia Wesleyan in the Voter Friendly Campus designation process. I'm proud to announce his efforts resulted in VWU being designated as a "Voter Friendly Campus" for the 2019-2020 time period. Our institution is part of a select group of campuses from around the country that participated and received the designation. The Voter Friendly Campus initiative is led by national nonpartisan organizations, Campus Vote Project and NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Dr. Kurisky led the charge in setting goals in a statement of interest, forming a coalition, drafting an action plan, executing that plan, and evaluating our efforts and setting new goals for the future.
I commend Dr. Kurisky and all of the Virginia Wesleyan community for our work in breaking down barriers and empowering students with the information and tools they need to participate in the political process, putting the civic mission of higher education into action.
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I recently attended my first meeting of the Leadership Board of Virginia Campus Compact, hosted by University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino. University presidents serving on the Leadership Board with me are Dr. Paino, James Madison University President Jonathan Alger, and Averett University President Tiffany Franks. Overall, the Leadership Board represents more than 30 public and private universities in Virginia. The Campus Compact for Virginia supports civic engagement and democratic renewal through its diverse network of colleges and universities.
For four years I served as the statewide chair of Campus Compact in West Virginia and I strongly believe in the mission and purpose of Campus Compact. This organization will play a critical role in support of the many civic engagement and service learning initiatives Dr. Brian Kurisky, Director of Wesleyan Engaged, is pursuing on behalf of VWU. Visit the national Campus Compact website to learn more.
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As most of you are aware, I've edited a national college and university president's thought series for nearly 15 years. The newest chapter of this year's President to President thought leadership series is "Creating Pathways to Opportunity and Service," by Campbell University President J. Bradley Creed, Ph.D. In this chapter, Dr. Creed examines how public perceptions regarding the value and purpose of higher education are changing and illustrates how institutions can align programs to the needs of students, the community, and the surrounding region.
To encourage thoughtful discussion around this topic, colleague and friend Jim Jenkins, CEO Universities, North America East Sodexo, recently published a blog article on Sodexo Insights titled "Colleges' Missions are Key to Regaining Confidence in Higher Education," which further explores how a mission-driven approach to higher education can help institutions succeed while ensuring students and communities thrive.
I invite you to participate in this ongoing conversation by reading the latest chapter of President to President, visiting the Sodexo Insights blog, and adding to the discussion there.
AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS
Special thanks to Norfolk Botanical Garden for installing signage on campus to identify native plants throughout our 145,000-square-foot living landscape surrounding the Greer Environmental Sciences Center. The landscape, which is managed and cared for by NBG, is inspired by the ecosystems of the Eastern Shore and contains nearly 60 different plant species. We are grateful for the fantastic partnership VWU shares with NBG.
Congratulations to Virginia Wesleyan University students named to the Fall 2018 President's List-earning a 4.0 GPA last semester! We honored their achievements during a special reception in the Atrium of the Greer Environmental Sciences Center on February 25. View the photo gallery from the event which includes pictures of all the honorees who were recognized.
This semester's leadership team for the student-led Marlin Prestige Business Conference is very impressive. I met last week with Chief Executive Officer Alaira Groomes, Chief of Staff Allison Churchman, Chief Information Officer Shae Geary, Head of Human Resources Skyler Lattuca, Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Johnson, Chief Operations Officer Taylor Wilhelm, and Chief Finance Officer Meghan Wood.
How nice it was to visit with a loyal friend to Virginia Wesleyan, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, at her office in Town Center recently.
We had an engaging and productive winter meeting with the Virginia Wesleyan Alumni Council last week. I'm grateful for our members-both near and far-for their dedication and service to their alma mater which is a true testament to the strength of the VWU community. Pictured here are those who joined the meeting in-person. Many thanks to those who joined us remotely via video conferencing...your commitment is much appreciated!
field trip with Godwin Hall staff where I shared with them the latest progress of our nearly-completed Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Crews from Virginia Paving finished work last week on the new pedestrian/bike path leading from Godwin Hall Lawn to Smith Drive.
A great time was had last Thursday evening at the VWU Alumni Gathering at O'Connor Brewing Co. in Norfolk. I enjoyed catching up with many alumni and friends, including alumna Stephanie Hricenak '05.
STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY WEEKEND READING
- Six Emerging Trends You Need to Know About in The Chronicle of Higher Education: Some developments--in admissions, business models, college rankings, and more--are still just emerging.
- Giving to higher ed will slow in 2019, Moody's predicts in Education Dive: The Moody's report touches on several data points and themes that run through discussions about higher education finance, including demographic enrollment challenges, decreased public funding and competition for donors.
REFLECTIONS
I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:
PRESIDENTIAL EVENTS
I invite you to stay updated on these activities here.
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Have a great week!
