Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

October 4, 2021

Good morning,

There’s a crispness in the air, and our beautiful campus is starting to change colors before our eyes. The return of fall favorites like pumpkin spice lattes and sweater weather also signal that Fall Break is right around the corner. It’s hard to believe that we are heading into the back half of the Fall Semester already.

To our on-campus Marlins, I wish you the best of luck on your midterm exams. For VWU Online Marlins, best wishes on your final exams and congratulations on finishing this first fall term.

To all of our Marlin students, faculty and staff, keep up the great work!

ET CETERA

What a fun Homecoming and Family Weekend! We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the return of our beloved traditions like the Athletic Hall of the Fame, FinFest, Homecoming Court, alumni games, and more. Kudos to junior Jordan Gilliam and sophomore Ashleigh Lockard who were crowned as Marlin Majesty at the halftime of the field hockey game (pictured) and to our chili cookoff two-time champion Trish Doherty.

To kickoff the weekend, VWU Athletics held its 20th Annual Golf Outing at Cypress Point Golf Course. Later on Friday, I was delighted to host the first meeting of the year for the Parents Council. It was great to learn more about our Parents Council members while sharing updates from the University.

During the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday morning in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, I announced the naming of the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex which will encapsulate Foster Field and the Trinder Center. With this new naming comes a new scoreboard and further upgrades to the facilities of the Trinder Center, which began its renovation over the summer thanks to support from John Trinder. Congratulations, once again, to our 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees: benefactors Joan P. Brock H'10 and Tassos J. Paphites '79, athletic administrator Joanne M. Renn, and athletic greats John "Jack" E. Lingo III '01, Brandon M. Massie '11, and Adam L. Nycz '12 (pictured).

The weekend's festivities also celebrated our 2021 National Championship softball team with a ring ceremony and a special toast to this amazing group of women and their coaches.

After FinFest, the Arts Showcase, and the athletic contests finished on Saturday, I met up with alumni from the 1978-1982 graduating classes at a special Homecoming and Family Weekend event at the home of Trustee Gary Bonnewell '79, H'16. During the weekend's events, I presented Gary with The Wesley Award, which he was to receive on Founders Day. I thank Gary and his wife Debbie for hosting such a nice gathering.

I thank all the alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends for joining us! For more on all the weekend’s fun, read more and view the photo gallery.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Passing of Dr. Charles Kessler

It is with sadness that I share the passing of Dr. Charles Kessler, Professor Emeritus, Religious Studies, at the age of 95. Dr. Kessler was with the Virginia Wesleyan religious studies faculty from 1971 to 1993. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, a Master of Divinity from Garrett Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Northwestern University. In 1983, he received the Samuel Nelson Gray Award for Exemplary Teaching, making him one of the first recipients of this prestigious campus award.

A celebration of life for Dr. Kessler and his late wife of 63 years, Viola, will be held in Monumental Chapel at an upcoming date. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with the Kessler family during this difficult time.

Connecting with the Campus Community

Last week I hosted two faculty dinners and the first of many “Chat & Chews” with the campus staff. Chat & Chews bring together staff members from various departments to encourage collaboration across campus, and they will take place intermittently throughout the Fall Semester. These kinds of events were suspended last year due to Covid-19, so I am grateful to be able to connect with our campus community in this way once again.

Pictured (clockwise around the table): Kala Baskerville ’11, Stephanie Billy ’15,

Dave Macedo, Rachel Bargery, and Gina Barletta.

A Visit with Kenny Alexander

It was nice to visit with Kenny Alexander at his office in Norfolk last week. Kenny has been a good friend to Virginia Wesleyan throughout the years as a Virginia delegate, senator, and mayor of Norfolk. He is now also Chancellor of Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, & Tidewater Tech (ACT).

Hosting New ODU President Brian Hemphill

I was pleased to show Dr. Brian Hemphill, new president of Old Dominion University, around our beautiful campus last week. He and I were both college presidents in West Virginia at the same time, so it was great to welcome him to the Coastal Virginia area.

Fall Break Reminder

Classes are suspended on Monday, October 11 and Tuesday, October 12 for our traditional mid-semester break. The administrative offices of Virginia Wesleyan will be closed on Monday, October 11 only.

VWU in the News

Our partnership with Akademos, VWU’s premier higher education platform for course content delivery and analytics, has made headlines recently.

President to President: Higher Education’s Responsibility to Generate Social Mobility

The second chapter of the 2021-2022 President to President thought leadership series is now available. In “Higher Education’s Responsibility to Generate Social Mobility,” DePaul University President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D., explores how colleges can help address social inequities within education and beyond. Esteban shares strategies that have worked for his university, explaining how these initiatives support students as they work to overcome barriers and achieve their academic and professional goals.

This year's President to President series, titled “The Vitality and Power of Higher Education,” examines how colleges are approaching their missions with new vigor and re-examining their role in the community. Over the course of 10 chapters, leading college and university presidents share their perspectives on the many issues impacting higher education today, as well as their ideas for shaping the campus experience of the future. As an executive editor of the series, I look forward to bringing you fresh perspectives in a new chapter published online each month.

Construction Update: Brock Commons

Construction continues at Brock Commons. The project had been delayed due to steel supply chain issues, but crews are finally back and moving forward once again. Last week, the foundation was completed and the floor in the main banquet areas was poured. Steel is expected to arrive in mid-October. The project has an expected completion date of February 2022.