February 12, 2024
Good morning, |
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In these tenuous times, it has become increasingly critical to spend time with our legislators and those making decisions regarding higher education. As a 33-year veteran of the college/university presidency, I'm often asked by state and local private college representatives to devote time to interpreting these issues and presenting a convincing case to our legislative leaders at the state and federal level. |
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Most of my work on the federal level in this area is coordinated through the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). Because more than 1,600 independent colleges and universities enroll more than 3.7 million students across the country, the importance and benefit of these institutions should not be underestimated. NAICU membership consists of traditional liberal arts and sciences institutions like VWU, but also includes historically Black colleges, faith-based universities, and women's colleges. For detailed information about our private college initiatives, I invite you to visit NAICU's website.
Last week, I spent time with NAICU leadership communicating with key leaders and their staff on important issues impacting higher education and student financial aid. One of the biggest concerns is the effects of the delayed student aid funding and FAFSA. In D.C., we had candid conversations with the U.S. Secretary of Education and other representatives from the U.S. Department of Education about how the changes to the FAFSA are negatively impacting students.
Trust me when I say that we are as frustrated with the process and delays as our students are. In the meantime, we are doing everything possible to provide realistic packaging to our students so that they can make informed decisions about their educational future.
My colleagues and I continued to support the Double Pell initiative, aimed at bringing the maximum aid to $13,000. Pell Grants are critical to accessibility and affordability and help the most at-risk students succeed.
I am hopeful that our meetings in the capital will result in greater awareness by our government leadership of the many contributions of our colleges and universities, and particularly the necessity of keeping our doors open through the critical investment of all forms of student financial assistance. |
Some of the highlights from my time on the Hill: - Visiting with U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans where we discussed a wide variety of educational topics, including the impact of the U.S. Department of Education’s delay in the FAFSA program (pictured below, left). We thank Representative Kiggans for her advocacy of a Navy R.O.T.C. program at VWU. More on that in the near future.
- Meeting with Charlie Baker, President of the NCAA, for a candid discussion on a wide variety of critical issues that have created a fractured culture within the association (pictured below, center)
- Connecting with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (Washington Post / MSNBC) Jonathan Capehart at the NAICU government relations meeting (pictured below, right)
- Advocating on Capitol Hill with Alison Morrison-Shetlar, President of the University of Lynchburg; Mary Hinton, President of Hollins University; Claude Pressnell, President of Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities; and Bill Fahrner, President/Owner at Credo of North Carolina and a member of the Board of Trustees of West Virginia Wesleyan College (my alma mater).
I will continue to keep the VWU community informed of NAICU’s progress in advocating for independent colleges and universities on behalf of students. |
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Marlin alumni, parents, and friends are encouraged to Save the Date for VWU’s Spring Alumni Weekend, April 5-6. Festivities kickoff on Thursday with the premiere of the spring musical “Anastasia” followed by our annual alumni social at ShoreBreak Pizza & Taphouse on Friday night.
Traditions continue on Saturday for the Marlin community with our annual spring picnic! We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch from Sodexo and Hoffman Beverage, bounce houses for the family, and entertainment by Astro DJ.
Special events this year include the dedication of the Lawrence D. Hultgren Atrium in Blocker Hall in honor of the longest tenured faculty member in VWU history, Dr. Larry Hultgren. Dr. Hultgren will give a special lecture for the Marlin community immediately following the dedication. We’ll also have a panel discussion featuring alumni in healthcare professions and a special reprise showing of “Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray,” a documentary film by VWU Professors Terry Lindvall and Stu Minnis.
VWU athletic teams will compete at home, and we’ll have alumni games throughout the day.
Check out the full schedule for all of the weekend’s fun. We hope to see you there! |
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AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS |
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VWU Virtual Valentines Share some Marlin Spirit this Valentine's Day! With your $5 donation to the Excellence Fund, Virginia Wesleyan will send a Valentine's Day eCard of your choosing to someone special on February 14. We invite you to spread the love to all of your Valentines and to Marlin Nation with your support of the Excellence Fund. Choose from eight different designs which include a Mrs. Polly valentine, Dr. Hultgren valentine, and Coach Macedo valentine. |
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Education Fair: February 15 Career Development, in collaboration with the Teacher Education program, is hosting a Spring Education Fair on February 15 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in Brock Commons. Representatives from 16+ organizations are registered to participate and showcase full-time/part-time internships and volunteer opportunities from here to Maryland.
The Education Fair is open to current students and alumni in all majors. Students and alumni can preview the event in Handshake and see details about who is attending and what positions they are seeking to fill. Get your resumes ready and join us to learn more about opportunities in the field of education. |
Swipe Right: Speed Dating with the Liberal Arts for Love Liberally Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join in for some Valentine's fun with the INTEL committee. This new stop-in/drop-in event is in place of previous Love Liberally formats. There will be several engaging events that will be taking place simultaneously to celebrate Love and the Liberal Arts. Stop by for a few minutes or for as long as you can anytime between 4:00-5:30 p.m. in Beverly Hall. The drop-in events involve making valentines, therapy dogs, pottery wheels, AI-generated love poems, and much more! |
First Pitch Dinner Welcomes Mike Candrea Congratulations to Brandon Elliott ‘03, Head Softball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Advancement, on another successful First Pitch Clinic and Dinner. Our keynote speaker was Mike Candrea, who retired in 2021 from the University of Arizona and is often referred to as the greatest softball coach in NCAA history. At the time of his retirement, Candrea was the all-time winningest coach in college softball history and ranked fourth among all NCAA coaches in any sport with 1,674 wins. He also served as the head coach of the women's national softball team in 2004 and 2008, leading Team USA to Olympic gold and silver finishes, respectively. |
Esports: Collision on the Coast Set for February 17-18, this year’s Collision on the Coast Rocket League tournament will include nearly 100 Esports players and coaches from across the country. Collision on the Coast is a two-day event hosted in TowneBank Arena in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Rocket League is a 3 versus 3 game featuring a competitive game mode based on teamwork and outmaneuvering opponents. Last year’s event drew more than 2,500 spectators who viewed the matches in person and on Twitch. Matches will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. |
Catching Up with Alumni While in DC, I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with proud VWU alumnus Dave Green, Class of 1998, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Georgetown University. Dave played soccer for the Marlins. (Pictured left.)
Special thanks to Bill Gobble, Class of 2003, for sponsoring the recent men’s basketball game against Ferrum College. His colleagues from Capital Group had a wonderful afternoon at TowneBank Arena. (Pictured right.) |
VB City Manager Selects New Deputy City Manager and Director of Economic Development Our good friend, City Manager Patrick Duhaney, has selected Amanda Jarratt as deputy city manager. Jarratt has several years of experience in municipal management, currently serving as city manager for the City of Franklin since January 2019. She will oversee the Economic Vitality portfolio of departments. VWU friend Chuck Rigney has been appointed as director of the Department of Economic Development. Rigney has served as interim director since June 2023, overseeing major development projects and the department’s efforts to continue to bring business investments to the city. We look forward to continuing our exciting partnership with the City of Virginia Beach with Amanda and Chuck. |
Dominion Offshore Wind Farm Earns Final Federal Approval Virginia Business reports that Dominion Energy will move forward with the construction and operation of its 176-turbine offshore wind farm 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach after earning the final two federal approvals. Construction of the $9.8 billion project will start in May. Read more. |
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Construction Updates: Blocker Youth Center Our addition to the Blocker Youth Center is near completion. The two-classroom addition will assist our friends at Tidewater Collegiate Academy and YMCA Camp Red Feather in accommodating their growing programs. Our thanks, once again, to the Blocker Foundation for providing the grant for this project. |
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President to President: Talent Management in Higher Education The seventh chapter of the 2023-2024 President to President thought leadership series is now available online. In “Talent Management as a Tool for Institutional Sustainability,” McMurry University President Sandra S. Harper, Ph.D., explores the staffing challenges that have become prevalent in higher education in recent years after the pandemic shifted workers’ expectations. She offers ideas for improving recruitment, retention, and development of faculty and staff by reimagining workplace culture on campus. This year’s President to President series, titled "Sustainable Futures for Higher Education," delves into the complex and interrelated facets of sustainability on modern college campuses. In each chapter, notable college presidents who are leading their institutions down a more sustainable path share their insights and reflections. I’m proud to have served as Executive Editor of this series for the last 20 years. |
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP NEWS |
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Happy Valentine's Day, Marlins!
Sincerely, |
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