June 17, 2019
Good morning,
Many of you have asked about plans for the original fine arts building since the dedication of our new beautiful Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center this spring. Fundraising continues for improvements to the old fine arts building, with several lead gifts having been received in recent months. I am pleased to share that this week The Robert G. Cabell III and Maude Morgan Cabell Foundation of Richmond notified the University of a $300,000 matching grant opportunity. We are appreciative of The Cabell Foundation for its ongoing generosity, and invite your support toward helping us achieve the matching funds.
In related news, we are excited finally to break ground tomorrow on Coastal 61 at Oxford Village--an eight-building, 248-unit, housing complex to be constructed on VWU property across from the main entrance on Wesleyan Drive. Stay tuned for progress on this project!
ET CETERA
I spent three productive days last week attending the 67th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. It was a wonderful opportunity for the 15 presidents of the more selective private institutions in Virginia to gather with the 68 corporate directors of the VFIC Board. I was honored to be selected this year as one of two presidential representatives on the VFIC Executive Committee. During the meeting, we had an important discussion between college presidents and corporate leaders regarding VFIC long-range plans. I share with you two presentations from the meeting on the draft of the strategic plan and the Council of Independent Colleges "Making the Case for Private Higher Education: The Facts." To learn more about the VFIC, I encourage you to visit their website.
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Our hearts remain with all who were affected by the horrifying tragedy in Virginia Beach on May 31. Among the 12 lives lost was Robert Thomas "Bobby" Williams, Sr., a member of the Virginia Wesleyan Class of 1975 and a U.S. Navy veteran. Bobby worked for the City of Virginia Beach for 41 years, and assisted us with many campus projects in his role as Special Projects Coordinator in Public Utilities. Bobby's life will be celebrated this Saturday, June 22, at 11:00 a.m., at Great Bridge Baptist Church, 640 S. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, Virginia. Plans to honor his memory at VWU are forthcoming. Please join me in remembering Bobby and keeping his wife, Sharon, two children, Robert and Sarah, and many more loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.
AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS
We are passionate about fostering an inclusive culture at Virginia Wesleyan and wish everyone a Happy Pride Month! In celebration and support of all LGBT members of this nation, we are proudly flying a Pride flag on our campus, adjacent to the American flag and Virginia state flag in front of Godwin Hall.
I'm pleased to share that Virginia Wesleyan has been recognized for our leadership in the NASPA and Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project (CVP) Voter Friendly Campus Designation process. We have again been designated as a Voter Friendly Campus through December 2020. It remains a priority of Virginia Wesleyan to prepare students to be active, engaged citizens in our community and nation. Many thanks to VWU's Dr. Brian Kurisky, Director of Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Leadership and Service Learning, for leading the charge to build civic engagement programs on campus to support this and many related goals.
The annual meeting of the Downtown Norfolk Council was held with a cocktail party and dinner at the Decker Half Moone Center. It was an excellent evening and was especially meaningful as we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Downtown Norfolk with a variety of tributes! I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with many colleagues and good friends, including Eastern Virginia Medical School President Richard Homan.
Last week Dr. Maynard Schaus, Associate Provost, Dr. Paul Ewell, Director of the MBA Program, and I had a delightful meeting on campus with leadership from Envision Lead Grow (ELG) of Norfolk. ELG is doing meaningful work. The following day, Dr. Travis Malone, Dean of the Susan S. Goode School for Arts and Humanities, and I met with leaders of an impressive organization, Young Audiences of Virginia, Inc (YAV). We discussed partnership opportunities and the arts with Christine Everly, CEO of YAV, and Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, YAV Board of Directors President, followed by a tour of our beautiful new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. YAV's state headquarters are located in Coastal Virginia.
Congratulations to Hanna Hull of the Virginia Wesleyan University softball team on being named Fastpitch News' Pitcher of the Year for the 2019 season! This is her second consecutive year earning this honor as well as her second time making it on FPN's First Team All-America list. This year Hanna also earned the following accolades for her performance on and off the field: NFCA First Team All-America, ODAC's Pitcher of the Year, the All-South Region First Team, the All-America First Team, and Academic All-America status! Read more here.
There is still time to enroll in Summer Session courses. Let VWU help you get ahead or catch up. For more information, visit the Summer Session website.
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REFLECTIONS
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Have a great week!
Sincerely,
