Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

November 28, 2022

Good morning,

I hope our campus community had a restful holiday. The Robert Nusbaum Center will be hosting an event later this week in light of the recent tragedies around our country, our state, and in our own area. Stay tuned for more information.

The VWU women’s soccer team heads to Salem, Virginia, this week to play in the Final Four. They will face Case Western Reserve University for the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2. We would love to see a great contingency of Marlin students, alumni, faculty, staff and fans at the game to support this incredible team. Go Marlins!

I’m pleased to share that Virginia Wesleyan University is a Sustained Distinguished Performance River Star Business from the Elizabeth River Project! In our letter of commendation, we were told that the committee unanimously agreed Virginia Wesleyan University should be recognized for Sustained Distinguished Performance at Model Level. Sustained Distinguished Performance represents completion of a significant new initiative by a River Star.

Additionally, the Elizabeth River Project and Inside Business have initiated a special award to be presented at their annual luncheon. Virginia Wesleyan University was chosen as the Inside Business River Star Hall of Fame winner and will be inducted into the Inside Business Hall of Fame for River Stars in the new year.

It is so appropriate that VWU is recognized as a leader on this topic. Our commitment goes beyond our beautiful 300-acre park-like campus in Virginia Beach. We are distinctively unique in two very important ways: the mission and vision of our honors college and the investment of our full endowment in an environmentally friendly way.

In 2021, VWU received a series of private gifts increasing its endowment to $123.5 million. Of those funds, $80.2 million are designated for the endowment of the Batten Honors College, a highly selective residential program of the University with a focus on environmental stewardship, global engagement, and leadership. The entire endowment for the Batten Honors College and the University has been invested following environmental, social, and governance criteria with Brown Advisory of Baltimore, Maryland.

Sustainability efforts at Virginia Wesleyan "reflect a larger commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility through environmental stewardship and education." In 2020, the Board of Trustees adopted “Environmental Guiding Principles” to be embedded in the permanent institutional mindset for future planning.

We look forward to celebrating our most recent achievement in sustainability at the Annual River Star Businesses Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, January 19, 2023.

ET CETERA

‘Tis the season for giving, and the Marlins have always been a generous community. This generosity can be seen in how we treat each other with respect and inclusiveness, how we spend our time volunteering within the community and advocating on its behalf, and how we support each other through clear communications and actions.

Tomorrow is GivingTuesday, a national day of giving, and an important opportunity for action from the Marlin community. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. This year, VWU will have student callers from across campus affinity groups calling on alumni and friends to support the areas of the University that are most meaningful to them. Be it athletics, the arts, Greek life, academics or something else, we hope you’ll consider supporting Virginia Wesleyan in celebration of this national day of giving.

Additionally, the 2022 Marlin Family Campaign for Faculty and Staff is concluding, and we have been truly humbled by the kindness and generosity of our Marlin community. If you are still deciding on your commitment, we hope you’ll join us in supporting your favorite area of VWU by making a pledge, a gift by cash or check, or schedule a payroll deduction, perhaps tomorrow for GivingTuesday. For more information on the campaign, please contact Imani Myint, Director of Annual Giving at imyint@vwu.edu.

Thank you to all for your support!

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

VWU Fall 2022 Editions Available Now

The Fall 2022 edition of the Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine is available online. Enjoy campus updates as well as our 2021-2022 annual report.

Check out the Fall 2022 edition of Excelsis, the publication of VWU's Batten Honors College, featuring program news and student submissions.

Remembering VWU Trustee Emeritus Bob DeFord

Our thanks to The Virginian-Pilot for its excellent article on the legacy of VWU Trustee Emeritus Bob DeFord, whose vision helped to shape VWU and our region.

Virginia Public Access Project’s “After Virginia Votes: Hampton Roads.”

I had an enjoyable lunch with business colleagues at Virginia Public Access Project’s “After Virginia Votes: Hampton Roads.” The panelists were VWU grad Brian Kirwin ’91, Principal at Kirwin Development Strategies (pictured left); Mechelle Hankerson, News Director at WHRO; Ben Tribbett, Principal at Pocket Aces Consulting; and Eric Claville, Political & Legal Analyst.

At the lunch, I had the chance to visit with Judge Richard Bray, Chairman of the Beazley Foundation, and Doug Smith, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance (pictured right). Both have been good friends and supporters of Virginia Wesleyan University.

The Life and Legacy of Weezie Fennell

It was such an honor to share some thoughts and stories about my dear friend Dr. Marylouise “Weezie” Fennell, RSM, at the celebration of her life and legacy held at Carlow University where she served as President. I’m pictured with Rich Ekman (former President of CIC) and Cheryl Hyatt (partner at Hyatt-Fennell).

The Most Influential Student Voters in the Country

University Business reports on The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, in which VWU was recently featured as a top university in making intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and college student voting.

Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Hosts Congressional Forum and Luncheon

I was pleased to join the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce for an informative Congressional Forum and Luncheon for business leaders featuring Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District) and Congressman Rob Wittman (1st District) last week.

HRBT Tunnel Expansion Update

In 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) was the first tunnel in the world to be built between man-made islands. Created to increase access and decrease travel time between the Peninsula and the Southside, today’s expansion project is once again a modern marvel with the advent of TBM tunneling in Hampton Roads as one of the world’s first bored tunnels between man-made islands. Click here for an interactive timeline of the expansion process.

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