Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

Recently, I attended the first-ever joint meeting of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC), the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools (AUMTS), and the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU). During the meeting at Emory University in Atlanta, I was elected President of NASCUMC for the upcoming year. As President, I will also serve as Chair of the 18-member NASCUMC Board of Directors. NASCUMC membership consists of the 117 schools, colleges and universities in the United States. Institutions are represented by the chief executive officer. Based in Nashville, NASCUMC includes 93 colleges and universities, 13 seminaries, 11 historically black institutions and several private secondary schools.

I am honored to serve as the voice of Methodist higher education during this critical time in the church's history. NASCUMC truly has a vital leadership role to play in serving our diverse and valued Methodist institutions. I will continue to advocate for inclusiveness throughout Methodist higher education as the UMC continues to struggle with church policy in relation to human sexuality-specifically toward those who identify as LGBTQ. It is an honor to act as the spokesperson for NASCUMC and Methodist higher education in regard to inclusiveness. Read more here about the meeting, the current state of the church, and reflections on the future.

In related news, months after the disappointing special United Methodist General Conference that has led us to this point, United States Methodist Annual Conference voters elected a vastly different slate of delegates to represent them in 2020. Read more here.

ET CETERA

A valued partner in the not-for-profit community, VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads has moved its entire operation to our campus. Previously provided with a suite as a branch office on campus, VHR will now become even more engaged with Virginia Wesleyan. We welcome Executive Director Stephanie Gorham and her team, and look forward to new opportunities to collaborate with this highly respected provider of services to area not-for-profit organizations.

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It is with pride I share that the Virginia Wesleyan community completed more than 20,066 hours of documented engagement across the globe throughout the 2018-19 academic year. My sincere thanks to each and every Marlin for their time, effort, heart, and service which make our communities infinitely stronger. If you have hours for the 2018-2019 academic year that you have not documented, but wish to do that, please email the Wesleyan Engaged office. Additionally, the 2019-2020 database is now available to report hours completed after July 1, 2019, and prior to June 30, 2020. More information can be found here.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Hofheimer Library has partnered with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) office at VWU to provide summer Lunch & Learn workshops to foster an inclusive campus community. A workshop on Microagression is being offered today, July 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Foley Classroom of the Hofheimer Library. Bring your lunch and join as Paula Bazemore, Hampton Roads VCIC Program Manager, leads an interactive session exploring the concept of microaggressions, and helping participants identify effective strategies to prevent and interrupt these indignities when they arise in the workplace.

The Virginian-Pilot published a nice feature on VWU Trustee and alumnus Gary Bonnewell '79! The Coastal Virginia native shares what inspires him, the greatest challenges he's faced, and the achievements he's most proud of (spoiler alert: the growth of Virginia Wesleyan University is one of them). Read more here.

Congratulations to these five Virginia Wesleyan softball team members on being tabbed All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) for their performances over the 2019 season: Hanna Hull (First Team and All-State Pitcher of the Year), Madison Glaubke (First Team), Carla Hall (Second Team), Julia Sinnett (Second Team), and Jessica Lindsay (Second Team honors)! Read more here.

To be more consistent with the nature of work the office does and with best practices, the Physical Plant has been renamed Facilities Management, effective immediately.

The Shafer Room restoration to its original intent as a Board Room is now complete! While its primary function will be for Board of Trustees meetings, it will be available for use for business and meeting functions. Stay tuned for more information on scheduling and use.

Mark your calendars for the fall semester On Deck speaker series! The full schedule and speaker details can be found on The Lighthouse page in the VWU Portal.

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REFLECTIONS

I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:

The Virginian-Pilot

Daily Press

Enrollment Manager

College Planning & Management