Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

February 24, 2025

Good morning,

A snow storm in Coastal Virginia didn’t prevent the VWU Board of Trustees from wrapping up two weeks of meetings with the Winter Business Meeting on Wednesday. I thank Jon Pruden, Chair of the Board, and our Committee Chairs for their leadership.

During the meeting, we unveiled the official portrait of Jon Pruden for the Wall of VWU Board Chairs in the Shafer Room of the Board of Trustees Suite and recognized men’s basketball head coach Dave Macedo with a resolution for achieving his 500th career win — all at Virginia Wesleyan.

The Board devoted significant time to long range strategic planning in a session led by Dr. David R. Black, Executive in Residence, and me. The session focused on challenges in the higher education market place and defining what Virginia Wesleyan will look like in the years to come.

Prior to the Winter Business Meeting, the Board participated in a session entitled, “SACSCOC Reaffirmation,” led by Dr. Susan Larkin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The session shared with our Trustees where we are in the process regarding our 10-year reaffirmation. The University meets all of the necessary criteria and is on-schedule with the submittal process.

Dr. Larkin also reported on the first session at VWU, Chesapeake, the program for inmates at St. Bride’s and Indian Creek prisons. The first session started two weeks ago.

Additional, more specific information from the meeting will be shared in the President's Leadership Council, Academic Council, Athletic Management Council, and future editions of Nota Bene.

Some actions from the Board meeting included:

Approved promotion and tenure action: Dr. Felipe Hugueño (Spanish Language and Literature) and Dr. Garrett Wood (Management, Business, and Economics)
Approved promotion action: Dr. Ben Haller (Classics), Dr. Eric Johnson (Biology), Dr. Bill McConnell (Education)
Approved all authorizing resolutions for the $9.75 million tax-exempt bond to address corrective maintenance on campus that was approved at the Fall 2024 meeting.
For regulatory purposes, approved the addition of December Term to the Winter Session.
Accepted the mid-year endowment report.
Approved tuition and fees for 2025-26
Approved special recognitions for the May 2025 Commencement
Affirmed the appointment of Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson as Provost and Vice President, effective July 1.
Affirmed the planning for the transition of Board Chair to Dr. Nancy DeFord at the conclusion of Jon Pruden’s term on June 30, 2025.

The University remains grateful for the steadfast support and commitment of our Board of Trustees.

ET CETERA

Last week, students traveled to the Virginia State Capitol for Student Advocacy Day, an annual event organized by the Council for Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV). The initiative provides students with an opportunity to meet with lawmakers and express their gratitude for funding the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) program, which has helped make college more affordable for over 185,000 Virginians for more than 50 years.

VWU’s delegation included Miles Pifer, Clarissa Thurston, Molly Brennan, Liam Castellano, Abigail Villacrusis, Seluani Navarrete-Perez, and Jason Seward, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management. The group engaged with key legislators, including Congressman John McGuire, Senators Aaron Rouse and Angelia Williams-Graves, and Delegates Alex Askew, Rob Bloxom, Cliff Hayes, Michael Feggans, Nadarius Clark, and Buddy Fowler.

A highlight of the day was VWU Batten Honors College scholar Abigail Villacrusis serving as a student speaker at the Virginia Private College Caucus at the General Assembly Building.

While in Richmond, I was delighted to connect with two accomplished VWU alumni working in Virginia’s Capitol: Chiereme Fortune ‘13, Director of Communications for Voices for Virginia’s Children, and Caroline Willette ‘23, Chief of Staff for Virginia Senator Angelia Williams-Graves.

The visit reinforced VWU’s ongoing commitment to advocating for higher education access and affordability. Learn more and view the full photo album from the day.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

VWU Celebrates Black History Month

Our celebration of Black History Month continues for its final week. Learn more and check out this week’s events here. We hope you’ve enjoyed the outstanding programming we’ve offered to our campus community.

March is Women’s History Month, so be on the lookout for a schedule of special events coming soon.

BurgerBusters Supports the MAF Hospitality Suite

We offer our special thanks to trustee Tassos Paphites (VWU ‘79) and his colleagues at BurgerBusters for sponsoring the Marlin Athletic Fund hospitality suite at the recent VWU v. Bridgewater game. I’m pictured with Andrea Hoover-Erbig, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, and Shawn Edmonds and Lucinda Sistrunk of BurgerBusters.

Senior Day for Men’s Basketball

The Marlin Family joined the Wilson Family in celebrating the stellar career of our only senior on the men’s basketball team— Waylo Wilson. Waylo averaged eight points and four rebounds per game over his four years here. After the presentation, his grandfather played the national anthem on the saxophone.

Olympic Gold Medalist Angela Hucles Mangano at the Norfolk Forum

As a proud board member of the Norfolk Forum, I was pleased that VWU was well represented at last week’s lecture featuring two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, Angela Hucles Mangano. Her insightful discussion on leadership and the transformative power of sport highlighted her distinguished career as a professional athlete and sports executive. Pictured here with the speaker are Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Heather Campbell ’04, Athletic Director emeritus Joanne Renn, Anne B. Shumadine Dean of the Batten Honors College Travis Malone, and Assistant Dean of the Batten Honors College Jill Sturts, and Women’s Soccer team captain, Kalyn Byrd.

TCA Students Represent UAE at Model UN Conference

I am pleased to share that students from Tidewater Collegiate Academy, all of whom are dual-enrolled at Virginia Wesleyan, recently represented the United Arab Emirates at the 48th ODU Model UN Conference. Engaging with nearly 800 peers, they showcased their diplomatic skills while proudly sharing their VWU experience. This partnership continues to provide exceptional academic opportunities for young scholars. Learn more.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Marlins enjoyed one of the biggest snowstorms to hit our area in many years. We got 10 inches of snow on campus while others in our area got up to 12!