Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

July 18, 2022

Good morning,

At the beginning of each academic year, we celebrate the special tradition of Founders Day. Our formal convocation ceremony and presentation of our annual Alumni Awards will be held on Thursday, September 8 at 11:00 a.m. in the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. We look forward to once again paying tribute to our roots, recognizing key individuals who helped shape our history, and celebrating the institution's bright future.

I am pleased to announce that our Founders Day keynote speaker will be the Honorable Deborah Paxson, Virginia Wesleyan Class of 1975. With her rich history rooted in the University, we are excited to welcome Deborah back to campus for this meaningful occasion.

I am also delighted to share our 2022 Alumni Awards recipients, an honor the VWU Alumni Council bestows upon graduates in recognition of outstanding professional and personal accomplishments. Congratulations to the following alumni on this well-deserved distinction that recognizes their many accomplishments since graduation:

Distinguished Alumnus Award:

Michael J. White ’81

Alumni Service Award:

Brandon L. Adair ’12

The Beacon Award:

Jessie K. Dawe ’08

I look forward to sharing more information about each of our recipients in the weeks to come, and to celebrating them during our Founders Day Convocation at 11:00 a.m. on September 8. This event will be livestreamed on our VWU Digital Broadcasting Network.

I am pleased to share academic leadership appointments for the 2022-23 academic year:

Batten Honors College: Dr. Travis Malone, Dean & Dr. Jill Sturts, Assistant Dean

Birdsong School of Social Science: Dr. Antje Schwennicke, Dean

History: Dr. Richard Bond, Chair
Sociology and Criminal Justice: Scott Liverman, Chair
Psychology: Dr. Taryn Myers, Chair
Political Science: Dr. Sally Shedd, Chair
International Studies: Dr. Modupe Oshikoya, Coordinator
Social Science: Dr. Thomas Brown, Coordinator

D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies: Dr. Ben Dobrin, Dean

Business: Dr. Michelle Vachris, Chair
Education: Dr. Bill McConnell, Director
Sport and Recreation Professions: Dr. Jill Sturts, Chair
Social Work: Dr. Annette Clayton, Chair
Nursing: Dr. Maury Howard, Director of Nursing & Allied Health
Sustainability Management: Dr. Maynard Schaus, Coordinator

Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences: Dr. Vic Townsend, Dean

Biology: Dr. Eric Johnson, Chair
Chemistry/Physical Science: Dr. Kevin Kittredge, Chair
Earth & Environmental Sciences: Dr. Chris Haley, Chair
Mathematics: Dr. Audrey Malagon, Chair
Environmental Studies: Dr. Chris Haley, Coordinator
Computer Science and Information Systems: Dr. John Wang, Chair

Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities: Dr. Steven Emmanuel, Dean

Fine and Performing Arts: Dr. Bryson Mortenson, Chair
Communication: Dr. Stu Minnis, Chair
English: Dr. Kellie Holzer, Chair
Foreign Languages and Classics: Dr. Susan Wansink, Chair
Philosophy: Dr. Patrick Goold, Chair
Religious Studies: Dr. Craig Wansink, Chair
Women's and Gender Studies: Dr. Kathleen Casey, Coordinator

VWU Global Campus: Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Dean & Dr. Nadia Nafar, Assistant Dean

LUJ/VWU Global (Japan): Dr. David Black, Chancellor and Executive-in-Residence
VWU Online: Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson
Evening and Weekend Program: Marion Hibbler
Continuing Education/Workforce Development (non-credit): Marion Hibbler

Thank you to our talented faculty for their strong participation in the academic governance of the University.

The U.S. Department of Education's (DOE) 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.

June 23rd marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX. On that date, the DOE released a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend criteria that guide colleges and universities on properly managing sex discrimination on campus. The proposed changes will address several components of the law to include expanding the scope of conduct covered by Title IX regulations to include parental status, pregnancy, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also addresses the standard by which colleges and universities determine culpability and whether conduct proceedings may allow cross examination. At this point, the Department of Education is observing a 60-day public comment period. After comment review, which is estimated to be a period of one year, the DOE will release a final draft of regulations.

The campus community will be reviewing Title IX policies per the Department of Education in the coming weeks. Watch for messages from the Office of Human Resources on this topic. Thank you for your continued attention to this important matter.

ET CETERA

Traveling around campus recently, you've probably noticed fewer Canadian geese. In an effort to provide a cleaner, safer environment on campus and in the surrounding community, we have partnered with Windchazer, a professional Canadian geese management solution company based out of Shacklefords, Virginia. A certified small, women, and minority-owned business, Windchazer utilizes a team of border collies and handlers to psychologically condition the geese to believe that a location is an undesirable habitat. You may encounter handlers Debbie Marshall, President of Windchazer, or Russel Tanner, along with their team of K9s, Bailey, Wisp, Jess, Jude, or Gwen servicing campus grounds at various times throughout the day.

After my announcement last week introducing Oracle Cloud as our next University Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, I received a number of inquiries about the University’s involvement in HESS, the Higher Education Systems & Services Consortium.

The University joined this consortium about a year ago. HESS is a membership-run organization consisting of over 250 private, non-profit colleges and universities. Major initiatives of HESS include collectively lowering costs of administrative systems and services, as well as member institutions working collaboratively to find efficiencies and minimize resources needed when implementing and operating large-scale administrative systems.

We have selected Oracle Fusion Cloud as our next ERP. Our partnership with HESS helped us in our selection process and in negotiating solid pricing for this premiere system.

Each quarter, Marylouise “Weezie” Fennell, Senior Counsel at CIC, and I author a column on enrollment trends and issues for Enrollment Manager, a publication of Dwyer Strategies. I hope you enjoy our column in the July issue, “Five Ways Campus Communities Can Embrace Bold Change.”

Some of you have asked about the repeated messaging regarding the selection of the vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Sue Larkin is serving in that capacity for a term of December 31, 2021 until June 30, 2023. It is important to me to be transparent about our selection process and how I will proceed with this decision.

I am committed to making the choice that is best for VWU. My decision will be guided by the University’s mission, values and environmental context, and as I’ve said previously, I welcome input from the faculty and campus community.

Internal comments will be accepted until August 31. No group or anonymous messages will be considered. Messages with author attribution should be sent directly to my private email address. All responses will be received in a completely confidential manner.

For over a decade I have served the boards of directors of Washington, DC-based American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) and its affiliate Academic Search, Inc. The former provides senior leadership development programs for American higher education and the latter is the oldest executive search firm in the academy.

Last week, the two organizations held their joint summer Board of Directors meeting in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to Academic Search President Jay Lemons (pictured) and COO Shawn Hartman for two days of productive meetings and hosting a wonderful evening at the Hilton Portland Downtown.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Coastal 61 at Oxford Village

Created as a public/private partnership between VWU and The Franklin Johnston Group in 2019, Coastal 61 continues to provide upscale housing on 12.8 acres of University owned land on the north end of campus across Wesleyan Drive. With nine buildings and 244 units, the complex has operated at capacity since opening.

I've received a number of inquiries about eligibility to live in Coastal 61 at Oxford Village. A reminder that when we received approval from the City of Virginia Beach for the complex, we agreed to certain restrictions because it was being constructed in a residential community. Undergraduate student housing there is limited and is based on upper-level standing, with a series of eligibility requirements established by the University in concert with the local civic league and city (see the Office of Residence Life for those criteria before contacting management). Graduate students, 12-month international students meeting criteria, and faculty and staff are welcome. Visit coastal61.com to learn more.

Private Area Use at Brock Commons/Boyd Dining

With renovations to Brock Commons and Boyd Dining Center complete and the new dining facilities at DeFord Manor, the Shafer Room (Board of Trustees Room) and Princess Anne Room have been repurposed for use during the regular year. While the entire wing, known as the Board of Trustees Suite, will remain with the Board as its top priority, faculty and staff are welcome to schedule meetings in this area. This will not be a student meeting or activities area. To reserve for use, contact the Office of Campus Life and Operational Management.

Construction on The Cove at Brock Commons/Batten Student Center

The final phase in improvements to campus dining venue options is the addition of The Cove (pictured). Located adjacent to Harbor Grill and outside of Marlin Ministries along the Brock Commons/Jane P. Batten Student Center connector, the outdoor area will feature Coastal Virginia-themed tables and seating, palm trees, lighting, and a fire pit. In addition to the current beach volleyball court, other outdoor recreational facilities will be added. This new addition is entirely funded by a private gift.

SCHEV Announces New Leadership Roles

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has announced three new board members and new officers for Fiscal Year 2022-23.

On June 30, Governor Glenn Youngkin named the following three individuals to serve four-year Council terms:

Mr. Walter Curt of Port Republic, Chief Executive Officer, Power Monitors Inc.
Dr. William Harvey of Hampton, President Emeritus, Hampton University
Ms. Cheryl Oldham of Alexandria, Senior Vice President, Center for Education and Workforce at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Vice President of Education Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The new appointments replace Ms. Marge Connelly and Mr. Henry Light, who served two four-year terms, and Ms. Alex Arriaga, who served one term.

At the May Council meeting, members elected Mr. Ken Ampy of Richmond to serve as chair, Ms. Katharine Webb of Richmond to serve as vice chair and Ms. Victoria Harker of McLean to serve as secretary.

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REFLECTIONS

I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:

University Business