It was wonderful to welcome our talented Board of Trustees to campus last week for their fall meeting. This was the first meeting since John Malbon became Chair, as part of a rotation process of the chair's position that occurs every three years. We thank both John and Immediate Past Board Chair David Kaufman for their outstanding leadership. The Board remains in excellent hands. We are fortunate to have a supportive and actively engaged group of business and civic leaders stewarding our University.
Highlights of the meeting included an announcement of the naming of The Malbon Center for Technology in honor of John. The center has a physical home on campus in Pruden Hall and a virtual presence in all areas of VWU Online. We give special thanks to John for his strategic leadership of our technology initiatives and his longtime service to VWU.
Chief Information Officer Dr. Chris Davis gave a presentation on technology initiatives with an overview of recent updates, VWU Online, Esports, goals, and our vision for the future. He thanked Mr. Malbon and supporters for making many of these updates possible. Chris discussed the significant impact these initiatives have on our student recruitment and retention, financial management, academic innovation, and student experience and success.
We viewed a CNN "Go There" Special on the rising sea levels and erosion of Tangier Island in Virginia. VWU sophomore Cameron Evans, a Tangier Island native, is featured in the video, and he joined us with Jason Seward '05 (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs) to discuss the pressing issue, share his experience, and answer questions.
There was a special dedication of the new Board of Trustees Suite. This was the first meeting in the recently renovated space. The updated suite was part of a three-phase-plan. Thanks to support from private donors, the University updated the Board of Trustees Suite, the President's Dining Room, and Founders Foyer during the spring and summer. As I shared recently, the next phase includes planned renovations to the cafeteria, East/West dining rooms, the Marlin Grille, and the addition of a convenience store.
During the Business Session, the Board reviewed and approved various policy and regulatory requirements pertaining to the operation of the University. Trustees also heard reports from the committees on Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Administration and Finance, Advancement, and Enrollment.
Affordability and accessibility continue to be a major focus for VWU. The Board voted to freeze tuition for the third year in a row. The tuition freezes have been in effect for 2018-19, 2019-20, and now 2020-21.
After an extensive Request For Proposal (RFP) process to determine a future Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) for the University, the Board voted on the firm Commonfund. OCIO is a term used to describe general asset management services provided by an asset manager on a discretionary basis. The RFP process was extensive and included three firms who submitted thorough proposals, presented on campus to our Board Investment Committee, Vice President for Finance and Administration Jim Cooper, and me. The proposals were shared with the full Board for review. The Board opted to engage in the RFP process to be sure we have the best representation possible. The support for the incumbent, Commonfund, was unanimous. They have outperformed benchmark and ensured good returns, and we continue to have a very strong working relationship with a good team to rely on.
We capped off the meeting by vising the Marlin Esports Arena for a demonstration and tour of the new facility.
ET CETERA
"Thanks for TAG"
As we advance in the semester, we are reminded of the importance of accessibility and affordability for our students. One of the most important avenues to these goals is the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program. This vital program is a needed and beneficial way for students across the Commonwealth of Virginia--including those enrolled at Virginia Wesleyan--to afford their educations at private colleges and universities.
Although generous institutional aid through scholarships helps to offset cost of attendance, the VTAG program has, since 1972, provided additional, critical financial support. According to the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), in 2019-20, approximately 22,000 Virginia residents will receive a non-need based tuition grant of $3,400 for undergraduate education. At Virginia Wesleyan, approximately 900 students have received $2.4 million in TAG support for the fall term. That's a significant percentage of VWU students, and an essential investment in their future. Clearly the TAG program is, and should remain, a valued component of students' financial-aid opportunities.
Currently, a "Thanks for TAG" campaign is underway at VWU as a way for students, parents, and alumni to communicate to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and members of the General Assembly how vital the VTAG program is to them, their institution, and their community. Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Seward and I enjoyed visiting with these students at the VTAG Advocacy Center in the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
To learn more about this essential program and how to take action, visit www.cicv.org. Virginia Wesleyan University is grateful on its students' behalf for this important investment in their future success.
Passing of Former Governor Gerald Baliles
Let us pause to remember the life of Virginia's 65th Governor, Gerald "Jerry" Baliles. He was known for being the "transportation governor," an environmental advocate--leading efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and made significant contributions to higher education access throughout his life. In particular, he was a champion of private colleges and strong supporter of the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program. Jerry visited our campus multiple times and was a friend to Virginia Wesleyan. I first met Jerry in the 1980's when I was serving as Vice President at Lincoln Memorial University. I found him to be intelligent, compassionate, and of the highest integrity.
I'd like to share a special message from University Archivist Stephen Mansfield: "As the new governor, he spoke at our 25th anniversary celebration in Summer 1986. In his address he lauded the array of major programs the young Virginia Wesleyan had developed, noting that, 'In fact, the only program you do not offer is one on how to build roads,' a tongue-in-cheek reference to the challenges his highway-funding effort would be facing. In 1989 he served as our commencement speaker. Then in spring 2006 we found ourselves without a May commencement speaker, the Governor agreed to serve on short notice. He was the only Virginia Wesleyan commencement speaker to return for a second time until David Goode did so. His leadership of the Miller Center near the conclusion of his life was an affirmation of his stature as one of the Commonwealth's more scholarly governors. His deep interest in environmental issues would also serve as a link to VWU's passion." A thank you to Dr. Mansfield for continuing to share the story of our friends and University.
Let us pause to remember the life of Virginia's 65th Governor, Gerald "Jerry" Baliles. He was known for being the "transportation governor," an environmental advocate--leading efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and made significant contributions to higher education access throughout his life. In particular, he was a champion of private colleges and strong supporter of the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program. Jerry visited our campus multiple times and was a friend to Virginia Wesleyan. I first met Jerry in the 1980's when I was serving as Vice President at Lincoln Memorial University. I found him to be intelligent, compassionate, and of the highest integrity.
I'd like to share a special message from University Archivist Stephen Mansfield: "As the new governor, he spoke at our 25th anniversary celebration in Summer 1986. In his address he lauded the array of major programs the young Virginia Wesleyan had developed, noting that, 'In fact, the only program you do not offer is one on how to build roads,' a tongue-in-cheek reference to the challenges his highway-funding effort would be facing. In 1989 he served as our commencement speaker. Then in spring 2006 we found ourselves without a May commencement speaker, the Governor agreed to serve on short notice. He was the only Virginia Wesleyan commencement speaker to return for a second time until David Goode did so. His leadership of the Miller Center near the conclusion of his life was an affirmation of his stature as one of the Commonwealth's more scholarly governors. His deep interest in environmental issues would also serve as a link to VWU's passion." A thank you to Dr. Mansfield for continuing to share the story of our friends and University.
This Week: Climate Symposium
Virginia Wesleyan University and The Gunn Group are co-hosting "Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change," on our campus from 1:30-4:00 p.m. in the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. National and local climate change experts and Virginia Wesleyan students will share their knowledge and experiences through a combination of panel discussions and Q&A periods. Additionally, the event will include a Green Career and Volunteer Fair, featuring representatives from Lynnhaven River Now, Elizabeth River Project, Sierra Club, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the United States Coast Guard, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Oceans 2022, and the Marlins Go Green student organization.
Faculty/Staff Campaign Results
Thursday marked the end of our 2019 Faculty and Staff Campaign, The Future Is Here. I am delighted to report that our full-time faculty and staff members showed that they believe in the future of Virginia Wesleyan with preliminary results showing 72% of the campus participating in this month-long campaign, exceeding our participation goal. This year's campaign raised over $42,000 for various priorities across the University from 164 donors. A noteworthy accolade from the campaign is that we had 100% participation from our alumni working full-time on campus. We can be grateful to have such an engaged community of alumni, faculty and staff supporting the University through their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. I look forward to thanking these participating faculty and staff members with a campaign celebration on Thursday, December 5.
AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS
The 21st annual Family Volunteer Day, hosted by VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads, will be held on Virginia Wesleyan's campus Saturday, November 23, from 9 a.m.-noon. We are proud to support our VHR partners and look forward to this national day of service when 500 local volunteers of all ages will work together to complete projects that benefit nine area nonprofit organizations. During this one-day effort volunteers create various baskets and supplies that benefit the communities served by the following nonprofits: Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, Kennedy's Angel Gowns, LGBT Life Center, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation, Veteran's HomeFront, Virginia Beach SPCA, and YWCA of South Hampton Roads. Through sponsorship from local businesses, these projects are completed at no cost to the benefiting nonprofits. Learn more here.
Construction is progressing well on Coastal 61 at Oxford Village on the northern end of campus. Learn more here at Coastal61.com.
We enjoyed a productive meeting on campus with our partners from the Chrysler Museum of Art. Among the many features of our relationship and collaboration efforts are the classes offered by VWU in the beautiful Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler--a unique experience for our students.
It was great to visit with our partners and friends at Chesapeake Bay Academy. Located on the eastern side of the campus, CBA is celebrating 30 years as the only K-12 independent school in Southeastern Virginia dedicated to empowering children who learn differently. We are proud to have dual and concurrent enrollment programs with CBA.
We had an enjoyable visit with Michael Desplaines, President and CEO of Norfolk Botanical Garden. Virginia Wesleyan and NBG have been educational partners over the last two years, including the care and management of our many gardens and Arboretum.
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REFLECTIONS
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