Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

June 26, 2023

Good morning,

Since the founding of the distinctive Batten Honors College, an intimate recognition ceremony has been held for the newest scholars. A convocation and ceremonial pinning of each student represents their completion of orientation and formal induction into the elite Batten Honors College of Virginia Wesleyan University. The Batten Honors College Convocation brings together all Batten Scholars and is held on Founders Day (September 7) at 4 p.m.

We are pleased to welcome Christy Everett, Hampton Roads Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as our 2023 Batten Honors College Convocation keynote speaker. As Hampton Roads Director, she oversees the Hampton Roads office’s volunteer recruitment, restoration, outreach and advocacy programs, and communicates CBF’s Save the Bay message to the broader Hampton Roads community.

Prior to joining CBF in 2000, Christy worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as Tributary Team Coordinator for three Eastern Shore tributary teams. Earlier, she held positions with the Sierra Club in Portland, Maine, and with AmeriCorps’ New Jersey Community Water Watch, where she led environmental action and education on the Passaic River.

Christy received her undergraduate degree in environmental studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York. She also has done graduate work in environmental and conservation studies at the University of Maryland. Raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Christy has lived or traveled extensively, both domestically and abroad.

We look forward to welcoming Christy back to VWU in September.

ET CETERA

The University has been busy with new construction and updates of VWU Athletics facilities this summer.

Construction of the Eleanor and Henry Watts Field House at Tom and Betty Broyles Field is nearing completion, with minor finishing work taking place now. Named for Trustee Emeritus D. Henry Watts and his wife Eleanor, Watts Field House will provide restrooms for spectators as well as locker room space with team restrooms for the three-time national champion Marlin softball team. My thanks to Eleanor and Henry for their long-standing support of Virginia Wesleyan.

In addition, construction has recently begun on a locker room facility for Marlins baseball at Kenneth R. Perry Field. Both team spaces will feature customized “MLB style lockers” for our Marlin athletes.

Also this summer, resurfacing of TowneBank Arena in the Jane P. Batten Student Center and the Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center was recently completed as part of a routine maintenance plan. This also included repainting of lines in both venues. Next week, the competitive surfaces at the Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center will receive their fifth year servicing.

We continue to ensure that our facilities remain premier venues for competition in the ODAC and beyond. My special thanks to the many donors that have made all these improvements possible!

VWU students (many from the Batten Honors College) recently returned from the LUJ/VWU Global Campus in Tokyo, Japan. While in Japan, students conducted research in comparative cultures, learning Cha-dou (The Way of Tea), attending the national Sumo tournament, and exploring immersive art and culture in Tokyo. The students then traveled to Kyoto and Osaka by Shinkansen (bullet train) to explore the rich cultural, religious, and culinary traditions. While in Kyoto, students took part in a private tea ceremony, dinner, and geisha performance hosted at a former residence of the Emperor's family. In Osaka, students toured Osaka Castle and learned of the innovative culinary trends influencing cuisine around the world. Student researchers explored issues of environmentalism, dietary trends, accessibility, work culture, and popular culture influences.

We look forward to more and more Marlins enjoying our collaborative campus in Tokyo and all the wonderful opportunities for growth and discovery that study-abroad offers.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Wesleyan Wednesday at APEX: This Week!

Join us at APEX in Virginia Beach Town Center for our first Wesleyan Wednesday of the summer. The event is free and open to all Marlin alumni, faculty, staff, and their families on Wednesday from 5-7pm. We hope to see you there!

Trustee Tassos Paphites Visits Campus

It was great to visit with Tassos Paphites '79, member of the VWU Board of Trustees and two-time inductee to the VWU Athletic Hall of Fame, at Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex. Tassos is also the generous benefactor behind Paphites Pavilion at Birdsong Field and many other VWU Athletics projects.

Summer 757 Features VWU Alumna

Tiffany Warren '22 was a featured panelist at the Summer 757 Intern Brunch, hosted by Campus757. Tiffany participated in the Summer 757 internship program during her senior year at Virginia Wesleyan, which resulted in a full-time position offer from Dominion Energy as a Customer Project Designer. Tiffany is pictured with Jason Seward '05, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management.

WesBridge Returns

The VWU community is looking forward to hosting our third and largest cohort of WesBridge Optima Health Scholars for the August 2023 WesBridge program. For the second year, funding for the program will be provided by a generous sponsorship from Optima Health.

The WesBridge program provides resources and academic programming to help students live and learn on campus in order to prepare for the upcoming academic year. Crit Muniz is serving as the director of the program and Drs. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Bryson Mortensen, Arthur Pantelides, and Victor Townsend are distinguished professors in the program.

Virginia Private Colleges Technology Initiative

The University recently signed a letter of commitment with 12 other Virginia private colleges to use an independent third party to survey each institution’s information technology department with the goal of identifying strengths and opportunities where all members can find benefit. Having had previous success in reducing healthcare and benefits costs to our community by being a member of the Virginia Private Colleges (a.k.a. CICV) Benefits Consortium, we are excited about the potential to find shared wins between the member colleges. Some of the areas of most interest involve cybersecurity enhancements and pricing power opportunities for common needs such as investing in networking architecture.

Administrative/Staff Holiday Calendar

I share with our campus community a link to the administrative/staff holiday calendar for the 2023-24 academic year.

Last Chance! Make Your Annual Gift by June 30

Virginia Wesleyan University's ability to prosper and grow is rooted in the generosity of our alumni and donors. Your gifts are an investment in our students and will echo throughout the lives of every student touched by your generosity. Make your tax-deductible gift by midnight on June 30 to give students unique and valuable experiential opportunities that help prepare them for their lives and careers beyond the classroom.

A special thank you to those who have already made their fiscal year gift. View The Excellence Fund Honor Roll of Donors here.

ACCESS 2023 Scholarship Awards Celebration

Congratulations to our new Marlin, Austin Adkins, on receiving an ACCESS College Foundation scholarship at the ACCESS College Scholarship Awards Celebration last week. Austin and I are pictured with his father Wade.

While at the celebration, it was nice to visit with proud VWU grad and former ACCESS Foundation employee Jordan Brown. Jordan is now the lead pastor at [OV] Church and provided the invocation.

New Burton Station Firehouse Opens

The new Virginia Beach Burton Station Fire and EMS Station #22, which will serve our campus as needed, was dedicated last week with a nice ceremony. I'm pictured (top) with Virginia Beach Fire Chief Kenneth Pravetz and (below) with Virginia Beach City Council member Amelia Ross-Hammond.

Police Academy Graduation Ceremony at the Goode Center

Congratulations to the 74th class of the Virginia Beach Police Academy! The ceremony was held in the beautiful Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, and I was honored to address the class and their families. I'm pictured (top) with Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney and Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate.

Complete NACU Podcast Season 3 Available Now

The third season of Connect, Collaborate, Champion! is a wrap! The NACU podcast features a unique perspective from higher ed insiders, private industry experts, and other voices to capture new ways of thinking about higher education. Many will recall that I was a featured guest in the first episode of Season 3 back in October. Other longtime colleagues of mine, including Greg Jones of Belmont University and Devorah Lieberman of the University of La Verne, were also featured in later episodes. Enjoy!

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REFLECTIONS

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

University Business