Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

April 5, 2021

Good morning,

The renovation and expansion of the entire first floor of Godwin Hall into the David L. Kaufman Center for Enrollment provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the good future of the institution through a well-run comprehensive enrollment model put in place in 2015 with the assistance of The Dysart Group of Charlotte. Led by Heather Campbell, a VWU grad and our Vice President for Enrollment, the enrollment center is responsible for recruiting a new class of first-year traditional students each year along with transfer students, Evening and Weekend students, VWU Online, our graduate programs, and our non-credit and lifelong learning programs.

With the new set-up, traditional recruitment, transfer, Batten Honors College, graduate, early enrollment, VWU Global Campus, and financial aid are clustered together for a model of efficiency. The renovation has afforded the opportunity for all of these critical functions to come together in a single location to focus on their singular purpose: to attract and recruit future Marlins.

With the relocation of the Barclays Sheaks Gallery to a larger, more accessible space in Hofheimer Library, the Kaufman Center has been reorganized and remodeled. Now when prospective students and their families first come into Godwin Hall, they are greeted by an attractive and comfortable welcome area. The location is easily accessible in the heart of campus with designated parking and a short walking distance from academic buildings, the Jane P. Batten Student Center, and our athletic complexes.

With the Center for Enrollment’s new group meeting room, outreach center, and ample space for Work & Learn Program students and Student Ambassadors--along with all of VWU Global on the east side plus Financial Aid--our enrollment team can foster communication and teamwork for the many facets and functions of the center, giving new Marlins the best customer experience.

The center is named for long-time Trustee David Kaufman. David has privately funded many aspects of campus life including the Opus student-work initiative which has now become the Work & Learn Program. He has been a tremendous ally and supporter of Virginia Wesleyan, and we are delighted to recognize his many contributions in this way.

Special thanks to leadership in this critical area, including (pictured from left) Vice President Campbell; Brooke Novkovic, Director of Enrollment, Batten Honors College; Larry Belcher, Director of Enrollment, VWU Global Campus; and Tom Murray, Coordinator of Enrollment Outreach.

My long-time colleague Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University, coined a phrase for ASU that I believe reflects our enrollment philosophy at VWU. “We’re not about who we exclude, but who we include, and how we assure their success.” With a student body that is 43 percent from underrepresented populations and 28 percent first generation, it is imperative that our model focuses on accessibility and affordability.

Addressing our trends, affordability remains a top priority. Virginia Wesleyan offers a multi-faceted plan of affordability that combines the fourth consecutive year of freezing tuition costs for the 2021-22 academic year, the highly selective Batten Honors College, an expanded Work & Learn Program for student employment, a concurrent enrollment program and Fair Transfer Guarantee agreement with Tidewater Community College (and most other Virginia community colleges), affordable out-of-semester 12-month course options, and a fifth-year tuition guarantee.

Additionally, Virginia Wesleyan University and Tidewater Community College have been good neighbors serving Coastal Virginia and Virginia Beach for many years. In recognition of the relationship, Virginia Wesleyan has established a Virginia Beach College Success Scholarship program intended to celebrate academic success and shared hometown values for TCC-VB graduates.

We have actively worked with our representatives in Richmond to increase funding to the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) program and advocated to the federal government for an increase in Pell Grant funding for students with the most need. But as the pandemic persists, and we are still facing a continued decline in eligible college-aged students and rising operational costs, maintaining affordability is top priority and concern of the University.

We are committed to making Virginia Wesleyan an affordable choice and this is evidenced through four years in a row of tuition freezes. Additionally, we have aimed to become more of a 12-month academic enterprise by providing low-cost January Term and Summer Session options, seamless transfer for area community college students, and establishing our Work & Learn Program. We will continue our efforts to make our education affordable and are already working to expand the Work & Learn Program to meet the needs of a greater number of students. Simultaneously, we have improved communication with students and made it easier for them to pay their bills and access financial-aid packages online via the donor-funded Portal.

Clearly at VWU, with a variety of options, a Virginia Wesleyan education is affordable. VWU offers a private college education at a public college cost. This is just another reason why we are Coastal Virginia’s Premier University of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In a small ceremony in Godwin Hall on Friday morning, we declared April 5-9 as “NCAA Division III Week at Virginia Wesleyan University,” joining other Division III institutions in promoting and celebrating the philosophy of the division and our student-athletes. Virginia Wesleyan University is a proud member of the NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

In this volatile time in NCAA Division I athletics, it is noteworthy that Division III is distinctly different. According to the Division III website, “Division III athletic programs are non-revenue-generating, extracurricular programs that are staffed and funded like any other university department. They feature student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability. Division III is the NCAA's largest division with around 450 member institutions, which are 80% private and 20% public. The median undergraduate enrollment of DIII schools is about 2,750, although the range is from 418 to over 38,000. Approximately 40% of all NCAA student-athletes compete in DIII.”

In the ceremony Friday, Andrea Hoover-Erbig (Senior Woman Administrator and Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics-designate), Skyler Lattuca '21, and Joanne Renn (Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Emerita) joined me for the signing of the declaratory resolution promoting and celebrating the philosophy of the division and our student-athletes.

The resolution recognizes our student-athletes’ hard work on the field, in the classroom, and within the community at large. From back-to-back national championships for softball to an individual championship in golf to recognition by our student-athletes for diversity and academic excellence, Virginia Wesleyan is a leader in the comprehensive approach to intercollegiate athletics.

Skyler is the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and as such, he is the student representative on the Athletics Management Council. He is a senior from Middle Island, New York, and is double majoring in earth and environmental sciences and sustainability management. Along with being a standout cross country and track and field runner, he also serves as president of Marlins Go Green and is a student representative on the Environmental Sustainability Council.

Read more about DIII Week at vwuathletics.com.

ET CETERA

The Council of Bishops decided last week it was not in the best interest of The United Methodist Church to hold the one-day special virtual conference at this time.

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Read press release

I am frequently asked, in light of recent worldwide controversies in the United Methodist Church, about Virginia Wesleyan University's relationship with the Church. Our status is rather unique among the 85-plus affiliated colleges and universities because we are one of the youngest. Virginia Wesleyan was created in the early 1960s during a period of civil unrest in this country. While older institutions had charter clauses that specifically said they would be under the control of respective church jurisdictions, Virginia Wesleyan's charter and by-laws have provided flexibility for future decisions. As a result, our governance documents have been modified from time to time to ensure our independence from the Church. The most recent such occurrence followed the Church's action to strengthen its prohibitions against same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. Various accrediting and business requirements state that no outside body can control our institution, and while some institutions treat this requirement as a gray area, we have not. This is one advantage of being a young institution, and a reason VWU has not actually disaffiliated or gone on pause, as we have legal determination that affords us the independence to make such decisions when/if we need to do so. Our historical relationship and affiliation fund our campus ministry, but we are clear that VWU is distinct from the Church and that the school’s anti-discrimination policy protects the LGBTQ+ community.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

VWU Students: Participate in NACCC Survey by April 20

By now students should have received their unique invitation link to the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) survey. I sincerely encourage every student to take this completely confidential survey to be an active participant in improving the racial climate on campus and the experiences of all students. Students need to complete their survey by April 20. Please email Jason Seward (jseward@vwu.edu) with any questions.

The South Hampton Roads In[HEIR]itance Project

The VWU Robert Nusbaum Center, in partnership with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Hands United Building Bridges, and the In[HEIR]itance Project, received grant funding from the Virginia Humanities and Hampton Roads Community Foundation as part of their collaborative grant program, “Beneath the Surface: Race and the History of Race in South Hampton Roads.” The funding supports local partnership with the In[HEIR]itance Project, a national arts organization.

The South Hampton Roads In[HEIR]itance Project invites local engagement in an open playmaking process of creating an original performance that intertwines the collected lived experiences of people in Hampton Roads with specific moments from the book of Exodus, drawing parallels between themes and ideas of exodus, and the wider scope of racial history and the role that race has played in human migration throughout the region. Developed through community-wide conversations about shared inheritances and lived experiences, the collaboratively created theatre piece will be presented at the 2022 Virginia Arts Festival.

Marlin Business Conference Wraps Up a Busy Week

Congratulations to the students and faculty involved in the Marlin Business Conference last week. I know that coordinating the conference in a virtual format was not easy, but the hard work paid off. I also want to thank the alumni and friends that participated in the conference. We appreciate them for giving their time and talents to our students.

A Visit from Hampton Roads Workforce Council

Last week we welcomed Shawn Avery (President and CEO at the Hampton Roads Workforce Council) and Maegan Barnes (Campus757 Program Manager at Hampton Roads Workforce Council) to campus for a visit with me, Larry Belcher (Director of Enrollment, VWU Global Campus), and Marion Hibbler (Director of Support Services, VWU Global Campus). Together, we discussed all the ways VWU students can benefit from our continued partnership with this organization now and in the future.

Dominion Energy Offshore Wind Project

John Larson of Dominion Energy provided an update on the OffShore Wind Project at last week's Virginia Beach Vision Board of Directors meeting. The 2,135-acre research area is located in federal waters 27 miles from VB and will provide enough to power 3,000 homes.

Virginia Business Celebrates “Eight Over 80”

A recent article in Virginia Business celebrates eight Virginians who have continued to work, lead, and enhance our community well past the traditional retirement age. The article highlights VWU Trustee Vince Mastracco and local philanthropist Harvey Lindsay. We thank both of them for their long standing support and commitment to VWU.

President to President: Fostering a Culture of Innovation

This year's President to President series, titled “Fostering a Culture of Innovation,” features unique ideas and creative approaches to the myriad challenges higher education institutions now face, many of which were unimaginable only last year. As an executive editor of the series, along with Dr. Marylouise Fennell, I am delighted to share the ninth chapter of the 2020-2021 thought leadership series. In “When the Dust Settles, Higher Education Won’t Be the Same,” Georgia Institute of Technology President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., explores how the events of 2020 and the resulting changes to campus life will continue to impact—and even reshape—higher education well into the future. He explores the positive developments borne of the immense challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and offers ideas on how to continue leveraging those developments to enhance higher education.

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REFLECTIONS

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