Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

May 20, 2024

Good morning,

Congratulations to the Class of 2024! We wish you the very best as you pursue your personal and professional goals.

A special thanks to our Commencement speaker, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, for his inspiring address. He was awarded an honorary doctorate along with Dr. Larry Hultgren, retiring Professor of Philosophy and a member of the Virginia Wesleyan faculty since 1969.

Our faculty award winners include Dr. Craig Wansink (Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Teaching Award), Dr. Jill Sturts (Birdsong Community Engagement Award), and Dr. Eric Johnson (United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award).

During our ceremony, we recognized our first graduates in the joint Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with Sentara College of Health Sciences (SCHS). These pioneering graduates participated in the traditional pinning ceremony at SCHS on Friday evening.

Earlier on Friday, graduating scholars in the Batten Honors College were given medallions to wear during the capstone ceremony that indicated their completion of this distinctive program. Senior Edward McDonald served as the keynote speaker. Awards were presented to the finalists for the Louis and Prudence Ryan Environmental Research Symposium, and Dr. Hultgren was honored with the Frank and Jane P. Batten Distinguished Scholar Award.

Our special thanks to R. Perez Gatling, pastor of neighboring Ebenezer Baptist Church, for serving as our keynote speaker for Baccalaureate on Friday evening. Senior Zion Purvis-Allen delivered our student address, and Jason Seward '05, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management, welcomed the Class of 2024 as the newest Marlin alumni. At the end of the ceremony, graduates were presented their tassels for their Commencement regalia.

Congratulations to all, especially to the Class of 2024! We will miss you and hope you keep in touch.

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We are delighted to share that Virginia Delegate Don Scott will be our keynote speaker for our Winter 2024 Commencement Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

Don Scott, recently elected as the first Black speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in its 405-year history, has rapidly gained influence since joining the General Assembly in 2020. Scott has been a strong advocate for reproductive rights, criminal justice reform, and supporting working families. As speaker, he chairs the rules committee and serves on several influential boards and commissions, including the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates and the Virginia State Crime Commission.

Scott, a strategic trial lawyer and partner at Breit Biniazan, began his law career after serving as a legal officer in the Navy. He founded his own law firm in 2015, taking on high-profile cases, and is actively involved in various legal and community organizations. Honored as the 2024 Legislator of the Year by the Virginia Education Association, Scott has also received multiple leadership and humanitarian awards. He lives in Portsmouth with his wife, Dr. Mellanda Colson Scott, a dentist in Norfolk.

Additionally, Del. Scott is no stranger to Virginia Wesleyan’s campus. He is a proud parent at Chesapeake Bay Academy, located on the east side of our campus.

We look forward to Del. Scott’s inspiring address to our newest graduates in December.

ET CETERA

Virginia Wesleyan is committed to accessibility and affordability for our students. One of the most important avenues for these goals is the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) program. This vital program is a needed and beneficial way for students across the Commonwealth of Virginia — including those enrolled at Virginia Wesleyan — to afford their education at private colleges and universities. VWU is among the 27 private colleges in Virginia that has been advocating for an increase in VTAG funding.

I’m proud to share that our collective advocacy work has paid off. The governor approved increases in VTAG in 2025 ($5,125) and 2026 ($5,250) in the state budget. The base VTAG increase also means that VTAG for online students increases proportionally. In other good news, the VTAG application deadline has been extended from July 31 to September 15, and the application will soon be made available online.

Thank you to all of our Marlin community members who joined the letter-writing campaign in September and February to share how important an increase in the VTAG grant is to you. Together, we are progressing higher education accessibility and affordability to the students of Virginia.

The Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees held their Spring Meeting last Wednesday in the Shafer Room (Board of Trustees Suite) in the Boyd Dining Center of Brock Commons.

Among the actions:

Approved actions of Board Committees (February to May 2024)
Approved the May-August 2024 Candidates for Graduation
Accepted the Endowment Report of Brown Advisory
Affirmed Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson as Vice President for VWU Global Campus (pictured)
Affirmed signature policies
Virginia Wesleyan University Mission Statement
Virginia Wesleyan University Environmental Guiding Principles
The Wesleyan Creed
Virginia Wesleyan University Quality Service Pledge
Virginia Wesleyan University Athletics Mission Statement
Approved Policy Documents (for the period beginning July 1, 2024):
Virginia Wesleyan University Academic Catalog, 2024-25
Virginia Wesleyan University Online Degree and Graduate Catalog, 2024-25
Virginia Wesleyan University Student Handbook, 2024-25
VWU Student-Athlete Handbook, 2024-25
Approved Faculty Emeritus/a Status (June 30, 2024 retirements):
Clayton Drees
Patrick Goold
Larry Hultgren
Deborah Otis
Sharon Swift
Susan Wansink
Accepted detailed written reports from Colleges, Schools and Departments of the University

We honored our Board members with a wonderful dinner at DeFord Manor immediately following the Spring meeting. Kudos to Batten Honors College scholar Kai Trehan '24, who served as our guest speaker before the dinner. We also celebrated the birthday of Board member and alumnus Chip Tsantes and the remarkable 55-year career of Larry Hultgren (pictured).

We thank the Board for their continued energy and support throughout this academic year.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

600 Wins and More

Congratulations to Brandon Elliott ‘03, Head Softball Coach, who was presented a resolution from the Board of Trustees recognizing 600 career wins during last week’s meeting. We’re pictured with VWU Board of Trustees Chair Jon Pruden.

Coach Elliott and the Marlins racked up another win after a resounding 8-0 performance over Lebanon Valley on Saturday afternoon to advance them to the NCAA Super Regional. Emma Adams was named the 2024 NCAA Regional Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and Mackenzie Myers, Alison Pollack, Laci Campbell, and Sarah Prosser were named to the All-Tournament Team. Way to go!

Remembering Jesse Fanshaw '72

We recently shared the passing of Jesse H. Fanshaw III, Class of 1972 and the first Alumni Director of Virginia Wesleyan. Visitation and memorial services will be held May 25-26. For additional details, please read about his extraordinary life.

Honoring Those We Lost

May 31 is the five-year anniversary of the horrific tragedy at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center where 12 people lost their lives and 4 were injured. One of the victims included VWU’s own Robert “Bobby” Williams, Class of 1975. In the fall of 2019, the University dedicated the Robert T. Williams ’75 Trail at Wesleyan Woods in his memory, serving as a place to gain peace, find understanding, and connect with the best our campus has to offer.

During the month of May, which is also Mental Health Awareness Month, the City of Virginia Beach is offering several ways to honor the victims and their families. Most of the events are free and open to the public. Check out the Love For VB resources for detailed information about special programming.

Breana Mahoney ’24 is a "GenerationNext: Thought Leader"

Proud to share news about another exceptional Marlin making her mark. I Love My HBCU? offered a first-of-its-kind civic engagement summit, GenerationNext: Thought Leaders. Among the 125 student attendees, VWU Batten Honors College scholar Breana Mahoney ‘24 served as a student panelist, engaging with fellow students from 15 universities and 6 states as well as several elected officials and civic organization leaders on crowd-sourced national issues that impact them in critical ways.

The Pharos: May 2024 Available Now

I am proud to share the May 2024 edition of The Pharos which is available now online. We hope you enjoy learning more about our talented faculty and staff members who continue to make important contributions to their respective fields through publications, presentations, and more.

Catching Up with New SGA President

I caught up with Miles Pifer who was recently elected president of the VWU Student Government Association. Miles is a rising sophomore from Norfolk. We’re pictured with Keith Moore, Senior Vice President, in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Congratulations, Miles!

Congratulations to our Graduate Interns

Abby Mahoney '24 and Sam Crawford '24 have been serving the Office of the President and the Center for Advancement (respectively) in Godwin Hall for the last year as graduate interns. And now, they are graduating again with their master's degrees. We celebrated them with a cake and gifted each a diploma frame to proudly display their academic accomplishments at VWU.

Congressional Art Competition with Jen Kiggans

We were delighted to have the Congressional Art Competition, hosted by Rep. Jen Kiggans, at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center last week. The competition included over 70 submissions from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Isle of Wight. We’re pictured with Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Sue Larkin and Senior Vice President Keith Moore.

Ice Cream Social at DeFord Manor

Annie and I hosted an ice cream social at DeFord Manor for our wonderful friends from Sodexo Dining Services last week. Senior Vice President Keith Moore and Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward helped out as servers and were dressed the part. Special thanks to Tim Lockett, General Manager of Dining Services, and Heather Beatty, Director of Catering and Conference Services, for their leadership throughout the academic year.

Inside Business Power List

Every year, Inside Business creates its annual Power List to showcase who’s moving the needle for the economy in Hampton Roads, whether they be the decision-makers, the influencers or those working behind the scenes. I am humbled to be included in the Top 25 once again. I credit much of my impact on my amazingly talented team, both on and off campus. Read more.

Drones on the Move

I had a very enlightening discussion last week with Tom Walker, Founder and CEO of DroneUp, located less than 2 miles from the VWU campus. Tom shared what DroneUp is doing in the industry and how it will impact businesses in the future. We're pictured with Martha McClees in her last meeting as Executive Director of Virginia Beach Vision.

TCA on 13 News Now

We were delighted to welcome 13 News Now to campus this past week. In her “Making a Mark” special segment, anchor Ashley Smith shared the mission of Tidewater Collegiate Academy (TCA) at Virginia Wesleyan University, an innovative laboratory for teaching and learning that extends from the primary grades through high school with early college, dual enrollment opportunities housed in the brand-new Frank Blocker Youth Center on campus. View story.

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