Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

Last week I shared the first of a series of communications outlining our plan for reopening this August. These details follow Governor Northam's official announcement regarding Virginia higher education for the fall (view here) and the submission of a detailed plan to the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV).

I would again like to highlight these important changes to the academic calendar. Due to the unique circumstances, the start date for the fall semester has been moved up two days to Monday, August 24. Additional details are as follows:

Fall 2020 Semester

Classes begin Monday, August 24.
Classes will be held on Labor Day (September 7).
Fall Break (October 12-13) has been eliminated and classes WILL MEET on those days.
In-person classes will end on Friday, November 20, for Thanksgiving Break. All students will vacate the residence halls at that time and WILL NOT return to campus after Thanksgiving Break.
The semester WILL CONTINUE after Thanksgiving Break with remote instruction from November 30 through December 4.
Final examinations will take place in a remote format December 7-11.
The fall semester will end on December 11.

Move-In Information

Incoming residential students (First Years and transfers) will move in on Friday, August 21.

Marlin Nation Orientation for all new students will occur on August 22-23.
New Batten Honors College Fellows/Scholars will receive additional information soon in a separate email.

Returning students will move in on Sunday, August 23.

Other Important Information

Information regarding the format for January Term will be released in the near future.
Specific information regarding opening activities for the Batten Honors College, fall intercollegiate athletics, and other groups will be forthcoming.

This information is not fully comprehensive, and the Emergency Response Team continues to develop and implement policies and plans that will promote a safe environment for the entire VWU community this fall. The Office of Academic Affairs has plans to ensure that all classes are taught while maintaining safe social distancing. Professors have been working diligently and creatively to plan for a somewhat different, but still rigorous and engaging, fall semester. Campus Life and Operational Management has also developed plans that encompass every aspect of our student experience.

Throughout the summer, a series of email communications will outline the full details of the University's operational plans for fall. In addition to these emails, plans will be archived on the University's COVID-19 website (www.vwu.edu/coronavirus) for your easy reference.

Special thanks to Dr. Keith Moore, Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management, for leading the development of the document submitted to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). And my continued thanks to Dr. Moore; Dr. Maynard Schaus, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Jim Cooper, Vice President for Finance and Administration; and Jason Seward '05, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management, for their tireless leadership during the COVID-19 crisis. We look forward to our students' safe return in August. The full video message shared with campus last week can be found here.

# # #

The Administration and Finance Committee of the VWU Board of Trustees met recently to accept the downsized budget for the current fiscal year and to approve a recommended FY '21 budget to the full Board. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, I am pleased to share that both budgets are balanced.

Following the meeting, I hosted a series of discussions with the various University divisions to provide a candid analysis of where we are and where we are going. Special thanks to members of the President's Cabinet for facilitating the discussions.

ET CETERA

SCOTUS Allows DACA to Continue

In 2017, out of concern for how policy shifts would affect our students, I joined the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. We are an alliance of American college and university leaders dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact our students, campuses and communities. We support policies that create a welcoming environment for immigrant, undocumented and international students on our campuses.

Last fall, Virginia Wesleyan was proud to join 165 public and private higher education institutions from 32 states and the District of Columbia as signatories on an amicus brief for the Supreme Court case regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). On November 12, 2019, the Court began hearing oral arguments on a series of consolidated cases to determine whether the administration's rescission of DACA was lawful.

I am thrilled to report that last week the Supreme Court upheld DACA--handing a dramatic victory to immigration advocates and allowing continuation of the program that has permitted about 650,000 "Dreamers" to stay and work in the U.S. legally. Read more here.

ALL IN Commitment

On behalf of the University, I recently joined 160 college presidents in committing to full student voter registration and participation in all elections through the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN). ALL IN and its Higher Education Presidents Council launched this call to action for higher education presidents and chancellors as a way to fully engage students in our electoral process.

We are committed as a group to working with campus stakeholders to increase participation in 2020 and beyond. As an institutional leader, I value this opportunity to empower all eligible voters at Virginia Wesleyan to register and turnout to vote. A full list of ALL IN signatories can be found here.

Virginia Wesleyan Offering Free Online Continuing Education Classes

Thanks to WAVY TV 10 and reporter Jason Marks '98 for helping us spread the word about our free online continuing education courses. I encourage you to take advantage of these offerings or share them with a friend. Enroll by June 30 for 90-day access. Courses include:

Fundamentals of Supervision and Management
Keys to Effective Communication
Individual Excellence
Personal Finance
Managing Customer Service
Creating Web Pages
Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search
Creating WordPress Websites
Marketing Your Business on the Internet
Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring

The courses are among the hundreds of non-credit personal and professional development continuing education programs offered via VWU Global Campus, headed by Dean Paul Ewell.

#VAHigherEdTogether

VWU mascot Bob Marlin joined friends from across the commonwealth to express pride in our current and prospective students. Watch the full video here and look for him at 2:03.

Student-Athlete Achievements

Six Marlin student-athletes were named to the 2019-20 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-Academic Team for their combined performance both in the classroom and on the playing field. Kudos to Amber Matalus, Jacob Pilarski, Jenna Whitener, Destiny Kinka, Skyler Lattuca, and Hanna Hull. Read more here.

Three members of the Virginia Wesleyan softball team were named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) 2020 College Division All-State softball team. Congratulations to Jessica Goldyn, Hanna Hull, and Maria Weddle! Read more here.

Virginia Wesleyan graduate Josh Currier, Class of 2016, has been signed by the professional Archer Lacrosse Club from the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). We are so proud of our Marlin Family. Read more here.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Congratulations to Virginia Wesleyan housekeeper Brenda Moore who's retiring after 28 years of service to the University. We presented her with a special VWU captain's chair during a celebration luncheon at our Facilities Management office last week. Thank you, Brenda!

VWU's Dr. Benjamin Dobrin (Dean of the D. Henry Watts School) and Chris Stuart (Vice President, Top Guard Security) participated in an interview and discussion with VWU alumna Alisa Crider '10 and Doug Smith, both of the 757Alliance, on the challenges of reopening businesses from a Public Health and Public Perception standpoint. Enjoy the discussion at 757Recovery.com. Ben and Chris also presented to the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce recently which can be viewed here.

Progress on our TowneBank Arena continues. New signage was recently added and installation of the stands is currently underway (view photos).

Coastal 61 at Oxford Village is looking great across from our main entrance on Wesleyan Drive. View some of the latest photos of the new apartment community here.

The east/west roadway inside of Oxford Village has been named Coastal Point Drive. Heading north, University Avenue accesses Coastal Point Drive just beyond the first row of apartments.

Many have asked about accessing campus using the East Gate. For health, safety and security reasons, we'll not be using that access point for the foreseeable future. It will continue to be used by emergency vehicles.

Stay connected and updated through the latest issue of Virginia Wesleyan Alumni eNews.

Our newest issue of the Wesleyan Review is available. Read about the latest VWU news and events here.

STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES

Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine

The Pharos

REFLECTIONS

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

The Virginian-Pilot