Dialogue: November 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

November 30, 2020

Good Morning,

Last week, I joined with presidential colleagues from 59 other National Liberal Arts Colleges in partnership with the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center for the launch of the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA).

I am proud that Virginia Wesleyan University is one of the 60 inaugural members. VWU is ranked 24th in “Ethnic Diversity” among National Liberal Arts Colleges and is also recognized as a “Top Performer on Social Mobility” for 2020-2021, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Virginia Wesleyan is committed to building a campus culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity. We must always work and strive to deepen our understanding and sensitivity regarding all perspectives surrounding diversity. As a residential campus, we provide our students the ability to practice living, learning, and collaborating with others in an environment that is both challenging and supportive in all aspects. I believe the University’s active participation in the Alliance will help us progress in our goal.

Membership in the Alliance includes a variety of professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff and an online repository of resources and tools including downloadable equity-related rubrics, readings, case studies, videos, and slide decks, available 24/7 for every employee across all levels.

The Center’s National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) has been administered to more than 500,000 students at colleges and universities in every geographic region of the United States. The NACCC is a rigorous, expert-validated quantitative survey that measures belonging and inclusion, the frequency and depth of cross-racial interactions, students’ appraisals of institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion, and other related topics. As an Alliance member, VWU will not only benefit from the student survey, but will also be among the first to utilize the Center’s two workplace climate surveys, one for staff at all levels and another for faculty (including full-time, adjunct, and part-time instructors). This trio of campus climate surveys will work on a three-year rotational basis: the student survey in year one, the faculty survey in year two, and the staff survey in the third membership year. The Center will manage data collection and analysis.

Presidents of Alliance member colleges will meet quarterly to share strategies, seek advice, and identify ways to leverage the Alliance for collective impact on racial equity in higher education. In addition, presidents will occasionally come together to craft rapid responses to urgent racial issues confronting the nation. Alliance presidents will collaboratively determine what to do; what to say to their respective campus communities; and what they can communicate in one unified voice to policymakers, journalists, and other audiences.

ET CETERA

Dr. Craig Wansink, Joan P. and Macon F. Brock Jr. Director of the VWU Robert Nusbaum Center, chair of Religious Studies and senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, published an editorial, "Lessons from a surreal few weeks at Virginia Wesleyan," in The Virginian-Pilot last week. Dr. Wansink’s piece stresses the importance of meaningful dialogue surrounding politics, religion, gender, sexuality, and more. In his piece, Craig writes, “When I was young, people would say that you should never talk about politics or religion in polite company. That advice is like saying that married couples should not talk about finances or parenting. Talking about important issues can lead to trouble unless we are careful in how we discuss them and — maybe more importantly — how we disagree.”

Although our students are learning remotely until the end of January Term, Virginia Wesleyan University officials continue to monitor COVID-19, following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Our Coronavirus resource page will be updated for protocols and procedures related to our students’ return to campus for the spring semester.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

VWU Honored as Sustained Distinguished Performance River Star Business

VWU has been honored once again by the Elizabeth River Project as a Sustained Distinguished Performance River Star Business. We are proud of this achievement, as it underscores the special care and attention the University has devoted to environmental issues and impact dating back to the 1980s and culminating in the construction of the Greer Environmental Sciences Center and creation of the Batten Honors College. Beyond our national niche programs, the University boasts student organizations like Marlins Go Green and initiatives like the Marlin Meadows Community Garden that contribute to the overall sustainability efforts of our campus community.

Congratulations to Professor Steve Emmanuel

I am pleased to share that Steve Emmanuel, VWU Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, has been invited by the Smithsonian Associates Program to give a public lecture on his forthcoming book, Philosophy's Big Questions: Comparing Buddhist and Western Approaches. The book will be released on June 15, 2021.

Mark Your Calendars: VWU Winter Arts Showcase

The art, music, and theatre departments will share highlights of a semester’s work in a virtual Winter Arts Showcase on Friday, December 11, on the VWU Digital Broadcast Network. For more details and the showcase schedule, visit the Arts@VWU.

Consider VWU on “Giving Tuesday”

Tomorrow (December 1) is Giving Tuesday. Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday encourages people to give back to their community after a weekend often filled with shopping (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and CyberMonday). I hope you will consider making a gift to Virginia Wesleyan University in celebration of this global movement and in the spirit of the holiday season to come.

Chapter 4: “President to President” Series

The fourth chapter this year’s President to President thought leadership series is now available. In "Leading Through Crisis: Leveraging Goals to Build a Lasting Legacy," University of Miami President Julio Frenk, MD, Ph.D., explores how crises and other unforeseen events—such as those that have unfolded in 2020—create opportunities for leadership, community building, and leveraging an institution's strategic priorities. In this year's President to President series, titled "Fostering a Culture of Innovation," prominent higher education experts share how their institutions have innovated in response to the previously unimaginable challenges that have recently impacted higher education.

I am proud to serve as Executive Editor of this thought series along with Dr. Marylouise Fennell, Senior Counsel at the Council of Independent Colleges and a partner in the search firm of Hyatt-Fennell, LLC. This is our 16th year of leading the series.

Construction of new Kiln at Beverly Hall continues

Construction is well underway for the new kiln shop at Susan T. Beverly Hall (formerly the Fine Arts Building). We expect the entire project to be completed in January and ready for student use when the spring semester begins.

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:

University Business

Enrollment Manager

President to President

Friday, November 27, 2020

The Wesleyan Review

Catch up on the latest news in The Wesleyan Review: https://conta.cc/39q13F1

Monday, November 23, 2020

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

November 23, 2020

Good Morning,

Sadly, Governor Northam’s latest directive associated with the pandemic has forced another change to our 2020 Commencement plans. The directive limits gatherings to just 25 people, so our in-person Commencement ceremonies planned for December 5 and 6 will now be one virtual ceremony on Friday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m.

However, we want to give the Class of 2020 an opportunity to return to VWU to celebrate their accomplishments as best as we can. As such, we will be holding Graduate Recognition Hours on Saturday, December 5 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Graduates can register for a time slot to come to the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center with up to 5 guests to pick up their diploma, pose for a socially-distanced graduation photo with Vice President for Academic Affairs Maynard Schaus and me, and receive an exclusive Virginia Wesleyan alumni mask and Class of 2020 tassel as a gift from the Office of Alumni Relations.

For those graduates who are unable to join us, the University will be mailing diplomas at a later date. I ask our new graduates to update their information with the Office of Alumni Relations to confirm their current mailing address.

All graduation fees will be refunded on December 15.

We look forward to celebrating members of the Class of 2020 soon.

ET CETERA

Last week we shared a change in leadership in VWU Global Campus. For the interim period, Dr. Maynard Schaus, Vice President for Academic Affairs, will assume direct oversight responsibility for VWU Global Campus. However, I am pleased to share two other significant appointments as a part of this program.

Dr. David R. Black, a university president for nearly 30 years and Executive-in-Residence at VWU the last five years, will assume responsibility for the Lakeland University Japan and VWU Global (Japan) program. Recently retired from a three-year term as interim President of Lakeland University’s parent campus in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, he will provide leadership for the curriculum, marketing and enrollment teams at both institutions. During the past five years he has played a key role in a variety of initiatives at VWU including the establishment of the Batten Honors College, the Work and Learn Program, and the formation of the LUJ/VWU Global collaborative. In 2013 he retired after 15 years as President at Eastern University in Pennsylvania and was President of Lakeland from 1989 until 1998. He was the founder of the campus in Japan.

Dr. Michelle Vachris, a Professor of Management, Business, and Economics at Virginia Wesleyan University, will serve as Director of the Master of Business Administration program. Dr. Vachris earned a B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University. Before arriving at VWU, she taught economics at Christopher Newport University where she holds the rank of Professor Emerita. Dr. Vachris began her career as an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the International Price Program where she worked on export and import price indexes and purchasing power parities. She has since served as a consultant on international statistics for the BLS and the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Vachris is a past-president and Distinguished Fellow of the Virginia Association of Economists and co-editor of the Virginia Economic Journal. Her publications include articles and book chapters on public choice economics, teaching pedagogy and economics in literature.

As we transition to new leadership in this program, we remember that our campus community is one that is fostered on meaningful relationships that are built through respect, listening, and understanding. We must be led by individuals who cherish and nurture this. As we move forward, we will continue to strive to be an inclusive and caring community.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Trustee Chip Tsantes '83 Leads National Discussion

Trustee George “Chip” Tsantes '83, was a featured presenter at the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) webinar entitled “Assessing Cybersecurity to Protect Virtual Operations.” He joined Ken Knueven, managing director of AGB Consulting, and Mike Shultz, CEO of Cybernance Corporation, as keynotes for the program.

Chip is considered a cybersecurity expert, having worked in the industry since 1986. His specific areas of focus include security program management, threat and vulnerability management, privacy and data protection and identity and access management. He has served as Partner as Accenture, Chief Technology Officer at Intersections, Inc., and Principal in the Financial Service Office and Information Security Division at Ernst & Young. Since 2010, he has been in consulting and has played an integral role in the University’s prioritization of cybersecurity. Chip is regularly quoted and interviewed in the national media regarding information security.

Chip was the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient and has served as a member of the VWU Board of Trustees since 2009. I thank him for his support and continued guidance as more and more of our operations go online due to the pandemic.

Congratulations to Trustee Emeritus Henry Watts H'07

For his outstanding service and friendship to the University, I was delighted to present Dr. Henry Watts H'07 with a resolution from the Board of Trustees honoring him as a Trustee Emeritus last week. Henry has been a member of Virginia Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees since 1989, and most recently served on the Executive and Enrollment Committees as well as the Trustee representative to the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. He is a past Board Chair and Parliamentarian, and in 2007, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University.

Henry and his wife Eleanor have been exceedingly generous to Virginia Wesleyan with gifts to Marlin Athletics, University arts programs, the Robert Nusbaum Center, the Eleanor and Henry Watts Endowed Scholarship, and more. In recognition of their support, VWU dedicated the Eleanor and Henry Watts Grand Lobby and Gallery as part of the celebration of the new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center in March 2019 and named the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies, which houses undergraduate and graduate programs in the Departments of Business, Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Social Work, in his honor.

I thank Henry for his exemplary service to the Board of Trustees and look forward to his continued participation in his new role of Trustee Emeritus.

Athletic Hall of Fame

Last week I was proud to announce the members of the thirteenth class to be inducted into the VWU Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled to be held on February 27. Read more about these outstanding individuals here.

ODAC Announces Schedule for Spring 2021

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) has announced the new format for intercollegiate athletics for the spring 2021. The adjustment in format was necessitated by the pandemic. We look forward to the return of Marlin athletics in the new year.

Emory & Henry College to Leave the ODAC

Long-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Emory & Henry College announced this week their decision to leave the conference. Learn more.

VWU Athletics initiates “#HELPUSPLAY” fundraiser

In an effort to safely return to competition and defray the expenses associated with department wide COVID-19 testing, Virginia Wesleyan Athletics is launching the #HELPUSPLAY fundraising campaign. Aimed at mitigating the cost of testing as it relates to the NCAA's mandated return to play protocol, the #HELPUSPLAY campaign will assist in funding the cost of testing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Kiln Shop at Beverly Hall

Construction has begun for a new kiln shop at Susan T. Beverly Hall (formerly the Fine Arts Building). Located on the east side of the building in Bray Village, the upgrade is part of the renovation of Beverly Hall that started during the summer (pictured left). In the Hofheimer Theatre, workers began installing the new theatre-style flooring, similar to the flooring in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center (pictured center). The entrances to the building received new signage and paint (pictured right). The entire project is expected to be completed in January.

“Full House” at Coastal 61 at Oxford Village

I am pleased to share that all luxury apartments in the Coastal 61 at Oxford Village complex on the north end of campus have been leased. A public-private partnership between the University and The Franklin Johnston Group, Oxford Village contains 244 apartments, a clubhouse, and outdoor recreation and swimming pool area.

Construction is nearing completion on the final building in the complex and full occupancy will be completed by January. After two years of logistics and planning, ground was broken in the spring of 2019 and construction began the following month.

As we move to a remote format for the remainder of the term, I want to thank each and every member of the VWU campus community for the exceptional support and care you exhibited for your fellow Marlins this fall. What we have accomplished over the past 13 weeks is no small feat, and I am proud of your efforts.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we look forward to having our students back in the new year for a healthy spring semester.

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:

University Business

Enrollment Manager

President to President