Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

November 21, 2022

Good morning,

During this week of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of what a truly special place Virginia Wesleyan is and how grateful I am for this campus full of opportunity. Among our many blessings are our wonderful students, our hardworking faculty and staff, our caring Board of Trustees, our many generous alumni and friends, and our Final Four-bound women's soccer team.

Congratulations to Head Women's Soccer Coach Jeff Bowers and his incredible team of student-athletes and coaches on their victorious weekend. The Marlins defeated the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday and then beat Christopher Newport University in a shootout on Sunday to advance to the Final Four. What a great week to be a Marlin!

Our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration event will be held on Monday, January 16, at 12:00 p.m. in the Joan P. Brock Room of Brock Commons. Please make plans to join us for a special luncheon, sponsored by VWU Athletics, featuring Virginia Beach City Councilman and former NFL player Aaron Rouse as our keynote speaker.

Councilman Rouse was born and raised in Virginia Beach, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. After retiring from the National Football League, he returned home to Virginia Beach to begin his career in public service. He served as a coach and a mentor before founding Rouse’s House, a nonprofit organization that serves to establish education as the foundation for today’s youth, with a primary goal of exposing youth and families in the community to a broader world of learning. In 2018, he was elected to the Virginia Beach CIty Council as an at-large member. He has also served as vice chair, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Among his many accolades are the Changemaker of the Year Award from Volunteer Hampton Roads, the 2020 African American Creative Community Series Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award, and the History Maker Award from the Virginia Beach chapter of the NAACP in 2019. He enjoys outdoor activities and currently resides in the heart of Virginia Beach with his wife Jennifer, a VWU alumna from the Class of 2008, and son and daughter.

Our annual program also includes the presentation of the Mavis McKenley ’11 Award to a student who embodies the ideals of Dr. King. The University is currently seeking student nominations for this honor. Nominated students should live up to the ideals set forth by Dr. King, including courage and conviction in valuing differences, commitment to seeing beyond borders by building inclusion, compassion for humanity, and commitment to social change. Nominations are due by December 15 to Bethany Tsiaras, Director of Wesleyan Engaged and Deputy Diversity Officer, at btsiaras@vwu.edu.

Although classes will not be held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I hope you make plans to attend our special luncheon event.

ET CETERA

The fall Marlin Business Conference, “Creating Careers for Change,” opened its four-day event last Tuesday night with keynote speaker Bruce Thompson, CEO of Gold Key-PHR. I sincerely thank Bruce for his captivating presentation, sharing his vast knowledge, experience, and personal stories with our students. He is pictured center with student conference CEOs Gavin Prouty and Cara Caruso on the left and Lecturer in Management, Business, and Economics Frank Futyma on the right.

The week continued the popular "Shark Tank" presentations, which closely mirror the popular ABC television series, as well as group presentations and guest speakers covering a multitude of interesting topics.

Wednesday afternoon’s program was the induction ceremony for Sigma Beta Delta, the International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration. Congratulations to new inductees Alexandra Brewster, Sarah Guzzo, Ashleigh Lockard, Emily Moody, Aaron Oman, Emily Purdin, and Jennifer Walsh. Special thanks to Dr. Steven Emmanuel, Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, for providing the keynote speech.

Kudos to our talented business students and faculty on a well-run and informative conference.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

First Competition for 2023-24 Batten Honors College Cohort Concludes

We were excited to welcome the first group of competitors for the 2023-24 Batten Honors College cohort last week. This group was another great example of the high-achieving students we look for to fill the 40 coveted seats in this selective, residential program. Beyond impressive grades and test scores, the Batten Honors College seeks students who are motivated and engaged members of their communities who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our campus.

Marlin Migration: Fall 2022 Update

Work continues on our technology migrations to the cloud, and we held a reception in the Joan P. Brock Room of Brock Commons recently to celebrate our progress. The implementations of new customer relationship management (CRM) systems for Enrollment (Anthology Apply) and Advancement (Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge) are well underway and planned to be completed by summer 2023.

The University migration from Ellucian Colleague to Oracle Fusion Cloud is also seeing great progress. The Finance and HR teams are currently performing a first review of their areas within Oracle Fusion Cloud. Our switch to Oracle Fusion Cloud is also scheduled to go live in early summer 2023. Additionally, work will begin in January on the implementation of Oracle Student Financial Planning, a financial aid platform that will greatly enhance the financial aid process.

Pictured from left: Greg Skinner, Chief Information Officer; Jacob DeCoste from Oracle; and Mary Ryberg, Vice President for Finance.

Abby Mahoney Joins the President’s Office

We are delighted to welcome Abby Mahoney, a junior in the Batten Honors College, to the Office of the President as a presidential associate. Abby is truly a student of the world, having lived in Tanzania, Cambodia, Trinidad and Tobago, and all around the United States. As a presidential associate, she will help with the day-to-day operations of the office along with special events and projects. We are pictured with Kelly Cordova, Chief of Staff.

Marlin Disc Golf Course is Back

The Marlin Disc Golf Course has recently completed a redesign of several holes and is back open for play. Featuring INNOVA Disctcatcher Pro targets, the 9-hole course offers challenging play for disc golfers of any skill level. Beginning behind Clarke Hall, the course travels a half mile through VWU’s park-like campus, ending at Rose Hall Lawn. Discs are available for check-out with UREC, located in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Thank you to Willie Harrell, Director of Recreation and Wellness, for his efforts in the redesign.

Ben Dobrin and Teen Rescue Camp

Dr. Ben Dobrin, Dean of the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies and Professor of Social Work, volunteered at Teen Rescue Camp last weekend as part of the Virginia Department of Emergency Medical Services Symposium. We’re proud to have VWU represented so well to potential future Marlins!

Supporting Marlins Men’s Basketball at ODU

Trustees, alumni, students, and fans had fun cheering on the Marlins as they faced the NCAA Division I ODU Monarchs at Chartway Arena last week. The Marlins ultimately fell to the Monarchs (72-58), but they held their own, outscoring the Monarchs 37-36 in the second half. Our thanks to Aramark for the use of the box at Chartway Arena for Roundball Insiders and special guests like (pictured from left) Trustees Mike Rawls '91, Nancy DeFord, and Gary Bonnewell '79.

Chat & Chew Continues

We had a nice lunch with VWU staff for the semester’s second Chat & Chew. These lunches are an opportunity for staff members to connect with me and each other, opening doors for collaboration and fellowship.

Pictured from left: Anitra Howard '21 Courtney Knudsen, Dave Litteral, Elyse Rosen, and Tina Milligan '88.

Black BRAND 2022 Community Black Diamond Award Gala

It was a fantastic evening celebrating Virginia Beach City Councilwoman Delceno Miles at the Black BRAND 2022 Community Black Diamond Award Gala at the Decker Cruise Center in Norfolk. Delceno received the Lifetime Achievement in Business Award for her many years of dedicated service to our community. She and I are pictured with her fellow City Council member Michael Berlucchi.

Celebrating the Darden CIVIC Awards

It was a great night celebrating the 2022 Darden Awards for Regional Leadership last Wednesday. My heartfelt congratulations to Gilbert T. Bland (pictured top left), the Individual Darden Award recipient, and Sentara Healthcare, the Corporate Darden Award recipient. Both Gil and Sentara have been great friends of Virginia Wesleyan University.

While at the award dinner and ceremony, I visited with Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer (top right), and WHRO President Bert Schmitt and Hampton University President Darrell Williams (bottom).

Connecting VWU to Regional Businesses

It was good to visit with Kevin Speers, President of the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, at the discussion of infrastructure for global commerce at the Virginia Beach Economic Development offices in Town Center last week. He is also CEO of Splice in Norfolk.

The University was delighted to host BizConnect Hampton Roads and its founder/owner Laura Henderson for its monthly meeting at the beautiful Goode Center last week. We’re pictured with Sean Flynn, VWU Assistant to the President (Corporate Relations) and BizConnect member.

Carnival Doubles Cruises Embarking from Norfolk

It was great to visit with Stephen Kirkland, Executive Director of Nauticus, at the press conference last week for the announcement of expanded cruise line services to/from the Peter G. Decker Jr. Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center. Carnival Cruises announced a doubling of cruises embarking from the local center. While there, I was happy to see good friends Kenny Alexander, Mayor of Norfolk, and Marcia Conston, President of Tidewater Community College. We discussed mutual interests in hospitality management, economic development and other opportunities benefiting this area's students.

VWU Named 2022 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting

Virginia Wesleyan has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) as one of this year's Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting. The initiative recognizes colleges and universities for making intentional efforts to increase student voter participation. It currently engages over nine million students from more than 950 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more.

President to President: Supporting Community Needs

The fourth chapter of the 2022-2023 President to President thought leadership series, titled “The Well Campus: An In-Depth Look,” is now available online. In “Higher Educational Relevancy: Aligning Programs, Economic Development, and Outreach to Community Needs and Aspirations,” University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor Kristin Sobolik, Ph.D., explores the importance of colleges working with local leaders to strengthen communities, better serve students, and achieve long-term goals. She shares practical strategies and explains how colleges can help address social issues, drive economic development, and ensure that students, alumni, and communities thrive.

Special Virginia Senate Election Scheduled for January 10

There will be a special election on January 10 for the seat in the Virginia Senate left vacant by Jen Kiggins after her successful race for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. The Virginia Senate seat’s district is centered in Virginia Beach. Read more.

Jurisdictions See Shift in Bishops, More Cooperation

UM News reports that those who plan to remain United Methodist are working together more across jurisdictional lines and that episcopal elections also resulted in more women and people of color becoming bishops. Read more.

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REFLECTIONS

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

University Business