Dialogue

Monday, January 6, 2025

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

January 6, 2025

Good morning,

We are proud to welcome two new members to the Board of Trustees:

Becky Sawyer currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer for Sentara Health where she is responsible for HR strategy and execution for the second-largest private employer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Committed to the cause of education, Becky currently serves as a board member for the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, An Achievable Dream Virginia Beach, Inc., Virginia Ready, and the Neptune Festival. She is also a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and American College of Healthcare Executives.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Troy University and Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University.

Dr. William L. “Bill” Murray is Senior Vice President-Corporate Affairs & Communications, at Dominion Energy. He is responsible for federal, state, and local government relations; corporate communications; advertising; public relations; creative services; philanthropy; and community affairs.

Bill joined Dominion Energy in 2007 and assumed his current position in February 2019. He previously served as a management analyst at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; a senior staff member for the Virginia General Assembly; and Vice President-Policy at the Virginia Hospital Association. He also held several positions in the offices of former Virginia governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. He is a member of the board of directors of the Virginia Health Care Foundation. He joined the board of directors of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges in 2022.

Bill received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia, his master’s degree in public administration from Virginia Tech, and his doctorate in public administration and public policy from Virginia Tech.

We are honored to welcome Becky and Bill to our Board of Trustees. We have enjoyed a long and valued relationship with Sentara Health and Dominion Energy, and their addition to our board will only enhance the impactful collaboration between our institutions. We look forward to their contributions as we navigate opportunities to further strengthen the university’s impact in the region and beyond.

ET CETERA

This year marks the 30th anniversary of commemorating the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday as a National Day of Service. Dr. King’s legacy as the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination, is marked each year on his birthday, with tributes to his remarkable leadership and service.

We will commemorate Dr. King’s legacy with a week filled with service activities, a film screening and facilitated discussion, special speakers, and the annual Mavis McKenley ‘11 Award presentation. Find the schedule of events here.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Administrative Calendar: 2025-26

The administrative (staff holiday) calendar for 2025-26 is now available online.

Remembering Jim Bergdoll

Vice President Emeritus James “Jim” Bergdoll, one of the original leaders who shaped Virginia Wesleyan in its earliest days, passed away on December 12 at the age of 89. His service was celebrated by the university with the awarding of a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in 2010. Learn more about his extraordinary life here.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m. at Baylake United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach. All are welcome to pay tribute to this pioneering Marlin.

Adapting to the Enrollment Cliff

My thanks to WHRO for featuring me in their recent article about the “enrollment cliff” and the proactive strategies colleges and universities are implementing to address it. At Virginia Wesleyan, we recognized this challenge nearly a decade ago and took steps to adapt, including the creation of VWU Global Campus. Today, this international online program and our workforce development workshops serve over 5,000 students worldwide, significantly outpacing our traditional in-person enrollment and ensuring our institution remains resilient in the face of demographic changes. Read more.

New Signage at Wilson Arboretum

New signage has been installed at the Wilson Arboretum and Annex, providing clear designations for the location of trees dedicated to retiring professors since the tradition began in 1997. The Wilson Arboretum, established by the Classes of 1986 and 1995, serves as a living tribute to Dr. William M. Wilson, who served as dean from 1971 to 1994.

The Emotional Stress of Climate Change

College students are experiencing significant emotional distress due to the escalating climate crisis, including climate grief and eco-anxiety. Read more from WHRO about how colleges and universities are providing students with a platform for discussion and coping strategies.

VMOCA Construction Update

Construction of the new Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at VWU kept moving over the holidays. The concrete for the first floor of the museum was poured and set (pictured). Curbing was completed for the roadway to the Goode Center/VMOCA parking lot, and blacktop is coming soon.

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS

A Virginia Wesleyan University Community

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

Enrollment Manager

President to President

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Enjoyable dinner at Cibolo Moon in San Antonio

Enjoyable dinner at Cibolo Moon in San Antonio with our friends from Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search Plus. I have had a close association with the firm for 20 years. Pictured with Cheryl Hyatt, CEO and Partner, and Robert Head, Partner. The firm has completed several executive level searches for VWU.

Productive meeting this afternoon with our sponsor for the “President to President” presidential thought series

Productive meeting this afternoon with our sponsor for the “President to President” presidential thought series, now celebrating 21 years. With Melanie, Sweeney Fetzer, Senior Vice President, Commercial Growth, Julia Pfeifer, Vice President for Growth & Consumer Experience Marketing, Stacy Bowman-Hade, Vice President for Segment Growth Marketing and Communications. Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2025-26 topic soon.

Enjoyable meeting with Marcia Daniel

Enjoyable meeting with Marcia Daniel, Chief Client Officer, with Ferrilli. Based in Haddonfield, NJ, Ferrilli is an IT infrastructure firm, that has assisted VWU with the independent analysis of our long term technology strategy.

Always great to visit with long-time colleague John Stevens

Always great to visit with long-time colleague John Stevens, President of Stevens Strategy, and his new associate Jack Corby, Senior Consultant. Based in New Hampshire, Stevens Strategy specializes in managing strategic change in colleges with particular strength in strategic analytics, finance and data analytics, and policy development. They have been assets to our policy planning efforts at VWU.

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Presidents Institute

For the past 35 years, I have opened the new year by attending the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Presidents Institute, the largest annual meeting of college presidents in the nation. I enjoyed meeting this morning with Steve Sproles, Partner/Principal, Derck & Edson of Lititz, PA, the firm that facilitated our 10-year Campus Master Planning efforts. That plan included a space utilization study, parking study, corrective maintenance analysis, and the comprehensive plan. I thank Steve and his colleague for their part in our remarkable growth!

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Virginia Wesleyan University is well represented

Virginia Wesleyan University is represented so well in Washington, DC, on legislative issues by Barbara Mistick, President of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and her NAICU team. A former college president, Barbara and I have been friends and colleagues for a good many years.

Enjoyable dinner this evening at 18 Oaks in San Antonio

Enjoyable dinner this evening at 18 Oaks in San Antonio with higher education friends associated with John Meyer (CompleteU) and John Dysart (The Dysart Group). Both have been good friends and partners of Virginia Wesleyan University.

Productive Winter Meeting

Productive Winter Meeting of the Board of Directors of the New American Colleges and Universities collaborative in San Antonio. With Bryon Grigsby, President of Moravian University and Chair of the Board, and Sean Creighton, President of NACU. NACU is a consortium of 27 private universities in non-competitive markets focusing on innovative approaches to future models of higher education in America.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

The President's Letter: A New Year of Opportunity

A New Year of Opportunity

January 2025

Dear friends,

We proudly celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2024 at the Winter Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 20. Our keynote speaker, Del. Don Scott, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, delivered an inspiring address to graduates and their families.

In addition to recognizing our graduates, we were honored to present several distinguished awards. Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, Virginia Beach City Council member and Founder/Chair of the Virginia African American Cultural Center, received the Wesley Award. Dr. Eric Mazur, Professor of Religious Studies, was presented with the Faculty Award for Distinguished Scholarship. Dr. Margaret Reese, Thomas R. Fanney Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, was honored with the Faculty Award for Campus Service.

Before the semester concluded, the Fall 2024 Academic Symposium highlighted exceptional student work. Nearly 70 student presentations showcased capstone projects, internships, research, and creative endeavors. The event was a testament to the dedication and intellectual curiosity of the Marlins.

Beyond academics, students achieved noteworthy success. The VWU Ethics Bowl Team is preparing for the 2025 VFIC Applied Ethics Bowl, where they will debate the topic of "Ethics and Artificial Intelligence" against top Virginia teams in January. Additionally, Alex Moody of the men's soccer team earned Fourth Team All-American recognition for his outstanding performance this season.

As we open another year, we look forward to the opportunities and successes the future will bring.

Sincerely,