Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

July 3, 2023

Good morning,

Annie and I wish all Marlins and friends a happy and safe Independence Day! As a reminder, the University will be closed for the holiday tomorrow, July 4.

At the beginning of each academic year, we celebrate the special tradition of Founders Day. Our formal convocation ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 7 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 Leighton Clarke Krips, daughter of Lambuth and Alice Clarke. Lambuth was the second president of Virginia Wesleyan, and this October would have been his 100th birthday – a milestone worth celebrating alongside Founders Day. The Clarke family can be heavily attributed with helping to lay the good foundation for Virginia Wesleyan College to grow and prosper, becoming Virginia Wesleyan University in 2017 and then becoming an international institution in 2020 with the addition of LUJ/VWU Global in Tokyo, Japan.

We are excited to welcome Leighton back to campus along with other members of the Clarke family for this meaningful occasion. With her rich history rooted in the University, Leighton will share the memories of the Clarke family from our University’s early days and their hopes for VWU’s future. We hope all Marlins mark their calendars to join us on this special day.

ET CETERA

We welcomed our newest Marlins to campus for Marlin Nation Orientation (MNO) on June 23 and 26. New students and their families attended a wide variety of information sessions and engaging activities that invigorate and immerse them in Virginia Wesleyan culture. The MNO program is carefully designed to facilitate a smooth transition to the campus experience and provide new Marlins with everything they need to know to be successful during their first year.

Many thanks to all faculty, staff and current students who have contributed to the success of this year’s Marlin Nation Orientation. A special thanks to Sarah Guzzo, who is now the Director of the Wesleyan Fund in the VWU Trinder Center for Advancement, for coordinating another great event for Marlin Nation.

View the photo gallery.

In our ongoing effort to address college affordability, Virginia Wesleyan has launched Coastal Advantage, a program that virtually eliminates tuition for qualified students. The new program makes college affordable—without the burden of loans—for accepted commuter students from families with household incomes under $60,000.

Coastal Advantage joins other VWU programs aimed at making higher education accessible to everyone. For example, earlier this year VWU established Tidewater Promise, which enables first-year students who aren’t accepted by VWU to automatically enter Tidewater Community College.

Our special thanks to Kaicey Baylor (pictured) and WVEC-13 News Now for sharing our program with the community.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Happy Birthday, John Wesley!

Last week, we celebrated the 320th birthday of John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist Church. Wesley’s legacy lives on through the Church, his many writings and sermons, and the affiliated universities and colleges inspired by his message of hope, tolerance, and mutual understanding. Our namesake is pictured on the Gamble Plaza at the Monumental Chapel and Beazley Recital Hall on campus.

Graham Garrenton Joins VWU Board of Trustees

Graham Garrenton of Virginia Beach has been elected to the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees. Garrenton currently serves as President of Chesapeake Bay Contractors, a Virginia Beach-based company specializing in underground utility and site development services. Chesapeake Bay Contractors was co-founded by his step-father, Trustee Emeritus William "Bill" Shelhorse '70, a member of VWU’s inaugural graduating class. Graham's wife, Mindy (Horne) Garrenton, is a 2001 alumna of Virginia Wesleyan.

The generosity of both the family and company can be seen throughout the VWU campus, through services provided for all outdoor athletic venues as well as their contributions to Virginia Wesleyan’s track and field complex, the Betty S. Rogers Track & Field Center. The Center is named in loving memory of Bill’s sister. The William S. Shelhorse ’70 Lawn and Ponds in front of DeFord Manor (the president’s residence) is also named in honor of the many contributions of the family and Chesapeake Bay Contractors.

We’re delighted to have Graham join our Board of Trustees and continue the legacy of the Shelhorse family at Virginia Wesleyan. Learn more.

Wesleyan Wednesdays Continue

We had a wonderful Wesleyan Wednesday at APEX Entertainment last week. Thanks to all who joined us for fun, food, and bowling! See pictures on the VWU Alumni Facebook page.

Please save the date for our next Wesleyan Wednesday. We’ll enjoy a summer evening on the lawn of Taste-Bayville Farms with live music and great food. The event is free and open to all Marlin alumni, faculty, staff, and their families on Wednesday, August 9 from 5-7pm. We hope to see you there!

Save the Date: State of the University, August 18

Each August, prior to the start of the fall semester, I deliver a State of the University Address to our campus community. The address includes highlights, initiatives and significant accomplishments from the past year, recognition of faculty and staff, points of pride, recent University news and information, current campus projects and the strategic direction of the University’s future. The 2023 State of the University Address will take place on August 18 at 12:00 p.m. We look forward to welcoming our Trustees, faculty, staff, and many friends in person for our State of the University luncheon and address. For our students and alumni, the State of the University will be livestreamed on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network.

End of an Era

June 30 marks the end of the year for most academic organizations. With that, my tenure ends with several organizations that I have been actively involved in over the last two decades. My 10 years as Chair of the Academic Search Board of Directors (and 13 years on their Board) and 10 years as the Vice Chair of the American Academic Leadership Institute concluded Friday. I’m pictured with Jay Lemons, President of AS (top), and Javier Cevallos, President of AALI (bottom), long time friends and colleagues.

Additionally, my term of service with the Climate Leadership Network (a group I chaired for two years) and the Second Nature Board of Directors also ended Friday. I’m pictured with Tim Carter, President of SN, and Tony Cortese, the founder of SN and CLN.

These organizations have been an integral part of my career and pursuit of lifelong learning. I can only hope that I contributed half as much good as they have given to me.

Kenya Elections Symposium at VWU

The Kenya Elections Symposium, hosted by VWU in conjunction with the University of Nairobi and the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in Kenya, brought together expert-led panels to share insights gained from experiences running elections and running for office, encouraging women’s participation in the democratic process, and also studying best practices through a variety of security and confidence-building efforts. The symposium was led by Leslie Caughell, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Modupe Oshikoya, Assistant Professor of Political Science, with valuable assistance from Mandy Reinig, Director of Global Engagement.

We thank Virginia Senator Aaron Rouse, Virginia Beach City Councilmember Amelia Ross-Hammond, and Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue Tiffany Boyle ’14 for serving as expert panelists during "Navigating Gendered Election Landscapes.” They offered valuable insight about their experiences running for office during the panel. They are pictured with delegates from Kenya who were here for this special event.

NATO Partnership in Bloom

We were delighted to host General Philippe Lavigne, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, and his colleague Julien Deruffe for lunch on campus with Gary Bonnewell ‘79, H'16, former VWU Board Chair and current Chair of the NATO Festival, and David R. Black, VWU Executive-in Residence.

Additionally, I was honored to be the guest of NATO at their U.S. National Flag Raising and Independence Day Picnic at the North American headquarters. I'm pictured again with Gary Bonnewell and Col. Ryan Levesque of the U.S. Army, U.S. National Liaison Representative. I would also like to give a special thanks to Master of Ceremonies Vice Admiral Guy Robinson, Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander.

Our partnership with NATO continues to flourish with opportunities for student internships, scholarships, and more.

Visiting with Virginia Beach Reps

Last week, I met with several representatives from the City of Virginia Beach. First, I had an enjoyable meeting with our new Director of Planning for the City of Virginia Beach, Kathy Warren (center) and good friend Delceno Miles, President of Virginia Beach Vision. Kathy brings tremendous experience to the position, and we had a wonderful discussion about a wide variety of city initiatives.

Later in the week, I had a productive discussion with Nancy Helman, Director of the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, regarding the new Virginia Beach Sports Complex and results of the VICTUS Study. VWU is a proud partner with the City of Virginia Beach on their indoor and outdoor sports complexes. Joining us for the picture is Paul Merritt, former President of Virginia Beach Vision.

Norfolk Signs $2.6 Billion Floodwall Agreement

WHRO reports that the City of Norfolk officially signed a $2.6 billion agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, paving the way for the next steps of “Resilient Norfolk,” a suite of projects designed to protect key parts of the city from the increasing threat of flooding during major storms.

Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church News

In the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, there will be one last chance for current UMC churches to disaffiliate before the “sunset” closes in October. So far, 107 churches have disaffiliated in Virginia. As predicted, the remaining churches in the UMC regionally and globally will be fewer, but stronger for their shared core beliefs of inclusivity.

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