Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

April 12, 2021

Good morning,

Friday I hosted a Virtual Town Hall meeting for faculty and staff to address our progress during this current academic year and to outline our hopes and plans for next year.

During the meeting, we discussed some exciting new initiatives coming to campus this summer, including the adoption of Akademos, an online bookstore which is discussed in-depth below. Faculty and staff members were updated on our enrollment outlook for the fall and were given more information on the WesBridge program, also coming this summer. We discussed University priorities, including affordability and fundraising and critical relationships with government entities, McAllister & Quinn, the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), and the United Methodist Church.

This has been a particularly challenging year for everyone at VWU (and all of higher education), and I offer my sincere gratitude to our faculty and staff for their adaptability and perseverance. We look forward to better days ahead.

I am pleased to share that W. Taylor Franklin, Class of 2004, has been elected to the VWU Board of Trustees, effective July 1.

Taylor is co-founder and chief operating officer at The Franklin Johnston Group. Working collaboratively with his executive team and co-founders, Taylor oversees company operations, new business and partnership acquisitions and new development opportunities. Taylor, along with his partners, has been responsible for developing thousands of multifamily units along the East Coast, including Coastal 61 at Oxford Village located on the north end of campus.

He currently serves on the Executive Board for Neptune Festival, is VP on the board of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic, is Vice Chair for The Virginia Gentlemen, and was past chair on the board at Norfolk Collegiate School. Taylor is also a member of the Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority. He has held a spot on the Inside Business Power List three years in a row and has also won an award for Outstanding Emerging Philanthropist. In 2017, Virginia Wesleyan awarded Taylor the Alumni Service Award for his philanthropic work in the Coastal Virginia community.

ET CETERA

Starting in the new academic year, the University will partner with Akademos for its textbook needs. As a best-in-class online college bookstore and course materials solution provider, Akademos makes multiple formats, delivery options, and subscription-based materials available through a personalized, efficient and cost-effective service with 24x7x365 accessibility. Akademos integrates all course materials and delivery options into one seamless platform. The vast selection of low-cost options includes a Marketplace, rental program, and OER titles, plus the option to choose between new, used or digital textbooks. Students also receive free economy shipping on retail orders of new and used books over $49 and will have the freedom to ship books directly to their homes or our campus store for convenient pick up.

Akademos will provide a full online experience for students and faculty, much like Amazon. But what makes Akademos the best solution for VWU is the student experience. The program will be fully integrated with VWU’s internal systems, including Blackboard, ensuring that students who purchase through Akademos have exactly the right textbooks and materials they need for each course. Furthermore, students can select "guaranteed buyback" from Akademos so that those who want to sell back books at the end of each semester will know their net price upfront.

Akademos is supported by Virginia Private Colleges (a.k.a. Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia). Several other VPC institutions including Emory & Henry College, University of Lynchburg, and Bridgewater College will also collaborate with Akademos for this service.

I look forward to sharing more about this program with you as it is implemented for the Fall 2021 Semester.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

The Passing of Tom Ferrell, CEO Dominion Energy and VFIC Trustee

Tom Ferrell, CEO of Dominion Energy and long-time contributor and member of the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges Board of Directors, passed away on April 2 at the age of 66, just one day following his official retirement from Dominion Energy. Because of his leadership, Dominion remains a great partner and major contributor to the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC). Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.

The Hive

During the first weekend of April, Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson (Dean of VWU Global Campus) and I were delighted to join Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer at the graduation of the first class at The Hive in Town Center. The non-credit course was offered by VWU in partnership with Virginia Beach Economic Development.

My thanks to Larry Belcher (Director of Enrollment, VWU Global Campus) and Marion Hibbler (Director of Support Services, VWU Global Campus) for their leadership with this program.

Students: The NACCC Survey Needs You!

Students should have received their unique invitation link to the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) survey by now. I sincerely encourage every student to take the 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 questions.

April is National Volunteer Month

Students at Virginia Wesleyan are no strangers to volunteerism. The campus community has long been engaged in service to others as part of the Wesleyan tradition. During April, VWU celebrates volunteerism and the valuable impact volunteers make in the lives of others. Read more.

VWU Spring Arts Weekend: April 23-24

The Department of Fine and Performing Arts will present a virtual Spring Arts Weekend April 23-24 including performances and presentations by the music, theatre, and art departments as well as presentations of student senior capstone projects. Most events will have a live premiere and be available for on-demand streaming throughout the weekend. Learn more.

In preparation for Spring Arts Weekend, the Office of Alumni Relations will feature Dr. Bryson Mortensen as a special guest during this week’s virtual Wesleyan Wednesday on April 14 at 12:00 p.m., hosted by Alumni Council Chair Alisa Crider ’10. Register for this event here.

Alumnus Clayton Singleton Featured at the Virginia MOCA

Clayton Singleton, VWU Class of 1994, was paired with the St. Paul's Community Development Corporation for the Virginia MOCA exhibition Nourish. In this video by Jeremy Bates Film, Clayton shares what he learned about food deserts and how it changed the direction of his work. The exhibit at the MOCA is free and open to the public.

Amtrak’s Third Daily Train between Norfolk and D.C. Should Begin This Year

A long-awaited agreement was finalized last week between the Commonwealth of Virginia, Amtrak, CSX and the Virginia Railway Express to expand and improve passenger, commuter and freight rail in Virginia, including a third daily passenger train between Norfolk and D.C. that will begin service later this year. This is great news for our students, especially our international students, who are looking to explore our nation’s capital and beyond with ease. Learn more in this Virginian-Pilot article.

VWU Among Virginia Living’s 2021 Top Schools & Universities

VWU has been chosen among the 2021 Top Schools and Universities by Virginia Living. View the online magazine here.