Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

August 23, 2021

Good morning,

We are excited to welcome everyone back to campus this week, and particularly pleased to welcome our 404 new Marlins into the VWU family. We are looking forward to a new academic year with special enthusiasm as we intend to offer a more traditional semester of academics and fun.

Special kudos to Heather Campbell '04, Vice President for Enrollment, and her staff for recruiting an outstanding class under difficult circumstances.

Forty new scholars were formally welcomed into the Batten Honors College during a matriculation ceremony on Friday in the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. BHC reached its desired capacity of 160 scholars last year.

The Batten Honors College is named in gratitude for Virginia Wesleyan Trustee Emerita Jane P. Batten—whom we were delighted to have joined us on Friday—and her late husband, Frank Batten, Sr. We also welcomed Jim Shumadine, a member of the Board of Trustees. His late mother Anne is the namesake of the Shumadine Scholarship of the Batten Honors College and played an instrumental role in the initial design of the program.

View the photo gallery of the event or watch the replay on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network.

I offer my best wishes for the upcoming semester to all of our Marlins. Remember that VWU has many resources to help ensure our students’ success, including the Learning Center, Counseling Services, Career Development, UREC (Recreation and Wellness) and much more.

ET CETERA

The start of the academic year is just around the corner. I hope you enjoyed the State of the University address last week. The University has received many notes of congratulations after the announcement of our growing endowment, including local coverage from Hampton Roads Messenger. We are beyond grateful to continue to enhance our University using Virginia Wesleyan’s incredible strengths and location to grow leaders who will address the pressing needs of our environment, no matter their chosen area of study.

Thank you to all who joined us in-person and online for this special event. A special thanks to our event sponsors -- AMG National Trust Bank, Brown Advisory, The Franklin Johnston Group, Hoy Construction, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Sentara, TowneBank, and Tymoff + Moss Architects -- for their generous support.

For those who missed last week’s address, you can watch the replay, view the photo gallery, or read more.

As a reminder, Virginia Wesleyan University has made the decision to return to the requirement of face coverings until guidance and regional conditions suggest otherwise. All individuals, even if fully vaccinated, must wear a mask or face covering at all times while indoors on campus. Masks will not be required outdoors if 6’ of physical distance is maintained. Review our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights requires every institution of higher education to define our responsibilities under Title IX. Whether we are a member of the student body, faculty or staff, understanding our roles in matters involving Title IX is a priority for each of us.

Mandatory training related to Title IX is being provided to our campus community and includes a presentation for review each year. The campus community will be reviewing Title IX policies per the Department of Education in the coming weeks. I thank all members of the Marlin family for their continued attention to this important matter.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Academic Year 2021-22

With the new academic year, I remind our campus community about where to find current organizational documents like the organizational chart, academic calendar, administrative calendar, undergraduate catalog, and graduate catalog.

I would also like to extend a warm Virginia Wesleyan welcome to Dr. Arthur Pantelides, our new Associate Professor of Management, Business, and Economics (MBE). Learn more about our newest faculty member, and be sure to say “hello” when you see him on campus.

“The Future of Higher Education” Podcast

Last week I was a guest on the podcast “The Future of Higher Education,” hosted by David Finegold, President of Chatham University. We talked about a wide variety of topics, including my path to college leadership, recent growth at Virginia Wesleyan, and higher education’s role in addressing climate change. David and I will be leading a discussion on climate change at the Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute in January.

I thank David for asking me to join the show. The episode is available now on any of your favorite audio streaming platforms--Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Meeting with Regional Partners

Last week I met with many of the University’s partners in the area including our friends at the Mariners’ Museum (pictured right), the Blocker Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at the Brock Environmental Sciences Center (pictured left), and Second Nature.

The prevailing theme of many of these partnerships is the environment. Through partnerships like these, VWU can distinguish itself as a national liberal arts college committed to climate action to preserve and enhance our natural world.

Construction Updates

Construction is on schedule for a November completion for DeFord Manor, the President’s Residence. Chesapeake Bay Contractors, owned by Bill Shelhorse ‘70, completed the rough grade around the building last week, including the base gravel for the driveway. Drywallers are almost finished inside.

The 7,700 square foot structure is named in honor of long time trustees and benefactors Bob and Nancy DeFord. A dedication is scheduled for February 2022.

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