VWU benefits from this membership in so many ways. The 27 members of Virginia Private Colleges have greater lobbying and purchasing power when we work together. The results of our collective power include the Virginia Private Colleges Benefits Consortium, an employee benefit plan with affordable medical, dental, vision and/or prescription drug benefit plans for Virginia Wesleyan employees and their eligible family members, and the continued lobbying for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program, a needed and beneficial way for students across the commonwealth—including those enrolled at Virginia Wesleyan—to afford their education at private colleges and universities.
Throughout the annual meeting, it became clear that in the turbulent, often uncertain, world of higher education, many realities remain constant. These include the need to build and maintain healthy enrollments and endowments, to teach well, and to give our efforts an honest and thorough assessment. We need to recruit the best students, faculty, and administrative staff that we can. A mainstay of Virginia Wesleyan's history is the devotion of all members of the campus community to academic, career, and life success for students. Our beautiful campus needs constant care, too, and the challenges of security and resource development in every area of the University are ongoing.
Although there are many recent developments and trends that bring uncertainty and demand vigilance—for VWU and other institutions—I am confident that with persistent effort on campus and through strong connections to colleagues in the higher education community and beyond, we will continue to find success.
