Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

February 14, 2022

Good morning,

Happy Valentine’s Day, Marlins! I thank each of you for showing your love for Virginia Wesleyan by creating a kind, inclusive, and safe Marlin community. You are all a special part of this institution, and your hard work and care have helped this University to thrive during challenging times.

The VWU Board of Trustees wrapped up two weeks of committee meetings with the Winter Business Meeting. Committee and full Board meetings were held in a hybrid format to accommodate COVID protocols. I thank our Chair of the Board, John Malbon, and our Committee Chairs for their engagement and leadership.

Prior to the Winter Business Meeting, the Board participated in a session entitled, “Deep Dive: A Statistical Look at Virginia Wesleyan University and its Peers.”

Some of the actions from the Board meeting included:

Elected Officers of the Board of Trustees to begin terms July 1, 2022.
Re-elected Trustees with expiring terms for new three-year terms beginning July 1, 2022.
Accepted the independent audit report provided by Brown Edwards of Roanoke, VA.
Affirmed Dr. Susan Larkin as Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Approved promotion and tenure actions:
Nadia Nafar to Associate Professor with Tenure
Amber Gruszeczka to Librarian II
Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson to full Professor
Taryn Myers to full Professor
Accepted the mid-year budget review.
Approved all final actions regarding the recent major gift to the University’s endowment, the transition of all endowment funds to Brown Advisory of Baltimore, MD, the adoption of the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (oCIO) model, and a new endowment spend policy.
Accepted the draft semi-final accountability report for the “Transformation Now!” Capital Campaign that concludes June 30, 2022.
Accepted a report on construction projects including: DeFord Manor, Clarke Hall, Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex, Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center, TowneBank Park, and Brock Commons.
Approved special recognitions for the May 2022 Commencement.

Additional more specific information will be shared in the President's Leadership Council, Academic Council, Athletic Management Council, and future editions of Nota Bene.

ET CETERA

I am pleased to report that Dr. David R. Black, our Executive-in-Residence since 2016 and President-Emeritus of Lakeland University (WI), will serve as Chancellor of VWU Global Campus (Japan). A founder of the LUJ campus 30 years ago, Dr. Black will represent both Lakeland University and Virginia Wesleyan University in strategic and governance matters and will oversee initiatives such as development of the comprehensive strategic plan and articulation agreements with selected diploma colleges across Asia whose graduates aspire to BA/BS degrees.

Last week, I shared that Lakeland University has operated a junior college in Tokyo since 1991, enrolling students from more than 30 countries. Although Covid-19 has restricted enrollment to Japanese-only students, we look forward to a return of students from across Asia and the world soon, with a number of them completing baccalaureate degrees at VWU in Virginia Beach. Nine students have joined us in Virginia Beach from LUJ/VWU Global (Japan) during the 2021-22 Academic Year.

Last weekend, I was in Washington, D.C., advocating that our legislators double Pell Grants so that more students can afford higher education. Pell Grants are critical to accessibility and affordability and help the most at-risk students succeed.

We are fortunate that our Congressional delegation of Bobby Scott and Elaine Luria and U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are very supportive of most items on our higher education agenda.

Priorities for our advocacy initiatives include

Support for additional COVID relief funding
Doubling the Pell Grant to expand access and affordability
Repealing the Endowment Tax
Reinstituting Directed Spending, also known as Earmarks

In my four decades of working in Washington, I have never seen such partisanship and lack of trust. However, most of our issues are policy-driven, and I am confident that we have friends on both sides that are supportive of our initiatives.

The pandemic will continue to provide the backdrop. Midterm elections will drive priorities, and the Supreme Court appointment will dominate the near term.

Last Saturday, I participated in my first meeting as a member of the Board of the Independent College Division of the Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI). Founded in 2000, HERDI is a creative think tank of innovative higher education leaders and provides a forum for meaningful dialogue between business leaders and higher education.

Toni Cleveland, a retired college president and former vice chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, is the President of HERDI. Marcia Daniel, a former senior executive at Ellucian, is the administrator responsible for the Independent College Division.

I am pleased to join this organization and look forward to making valuable connections with business leaders and innovative problem-solvers that will help the University and our students meet the opportunities and challenges of the modern world.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Black History Month Activities Continue on Campus

Throughout this special month, Virginia Wesleyan will host numerous events and activities, both virtually and on campus. Check out the events and programs to learn more and get involved.

Students Pitch Sustainability and Equality in National IEN Competition

Students in the Batten Honors College will compete against teams from 12 other universities across the U.S. and Canada in the Intentional Endowments Network‘s (IEN) Student Corporate Engagement Competition. The VWU team will work with a professional mentor and develop a pitch for an investment in a publicly traded company, including a shareholder engagement strategy focused on addressing inequality and the climate crisis. The VWU Batten Honors College student team is Stephanie Hoke, Connor Merk, Benjamin Olson, Rowan Stuart, Kainant Trehan, Brooke Underwood, and Jessica Wilson. The final competition will be held at the end of April. Go Marlins!

2022 Spring Alumni Weekend Event Schedule Announced

Mark your calendars, Marlins! Return to campus on April 8-9 for a weekend of reconnection and exciting events. The schedule is now live at VWU Alumni Events.

VWU/Haygood Relationship Flourishing

Thanks to the leadership of Rev. Beth Givens and Director of Student Ministries Marie Porter, our partnership with Haygood United Methodist Church continues to flourish. Located just two miles east of campus on Wesleyan/Haygood Drive, the Church has been a partner in the past and often hosted the annual Baccalaureate Service during May Commencement Weekend. Learn more about VWU student volunteers at Haygood’s youth ministry on Haygood’s Facebook page.

Love Virtually in the Liberal Arts

Held annually around Valentine's Day, our Love Liberally symposium explores love as it relates to the liberal arts. In its 12th year, this series has become a University tradition that creates a unique opportunity for exploration of scholarly passions and engaged learning. This year’s celebration is taking place February 7-18.

The Pharos: February 2022

This semester’s first edition of The Pharos is available now. We hope you enjoy learning more about our talented faculty and staff members who continue to make important contributions to their respective fields through publications, presentations, and more.

Trustee Howard Kern Announces Retirement from Sentara

Last week VWU Trustee Howard Kern announced he will be retiring as the Sentara Healthcare President and CEO. In his leadership role, Howard has leveraged his Sentara contacts in unique ways, allowing VWU great partnership opportunities including a joint nursing program with Sentara College of Health Sciences and overhauling our on-campus health center and sports medicine services for Virginia Wesleyan student athletes. We offer our best wishes to Howard on the next phase of his journey and his continued engagement with VWU.

President to President: Rethinking Status in Higher Education

The seventh chapter of the 2021-2022 President to President thought leadership series is now available online. In “The Cost of Higher Education’s Pursuit of Status,” University of Mary Washington President Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D., examines higher education’s obsession with the attainment of status. He details some of the consequences of prioritizing status above other values, describes the benefits of changing this way of thinking, and shares ideas for shifting focus to other priorities.

This year's President to President series, titled “The Vitality and Power of Higher Education,” showcases insights from renowned college and university presidents. As executive editors of this series, Dr. Marylouise Fennell and I hope you enjoy reading a thought-provoking new chapter each month and look forward to continuing to share fresh perspectives and creative ideas with you.

Construction Update: Brock Commons

We look forward to the completion of Brock Commons, just one month from now. Crews have been working weekends to finish the project on time. They installed ceiling grids in the Joan P. Brock Room and prepped the outside patio for concrete this week.