The President's Letter 
October 2015
A monthly
communiqué from
Dr. Scott D. Miller
President of the College
Celebrating Our Rich Legacy
Friends:

We are already approaching the midpoint of the fall semester, one of my favorite times in the academic year, when alumni return to campus and parents visit for Homecoming & Parent Weekend (Oct. 2-4). During this time, I'm reminded of the enduring and extended community that is Virginia Wesleyan College.
 
Our campus is buzzing with activity this fall. Our athletic teams are in full swing, our academically talented freshmen have become acclimated to campus life, our Annual Fund is up and running, and we're making measurable progress on a variety of institutional goals in our strategic plan, VWC 2020: Pathway to Prominence .
 
This is truly a vibrant community of outstanding scholars. Students are benefiting from a variety of recent campus improvements that contribute to a stimulating environment for living and learning. Our College, while enjoying the present and embracing possibilities for the future, continues to preserve its rich legacy. Virginia Wesleyan is rooted in the traditional liberal arts experience, and yet, has become a highly contemporary institution.
 
Since the announcement of my appointment as president of the College in the spring, I have devoured a wide variety of reading material and have had many meetings with individuals and families who are an important part of the College's history. Through these experiences and interactions, I have felt our legacy become dramatically real. Each time I attend an event, I hear more stories about the College's past and become more familiar with the attributes that make this place so remarkable.
 
I'm pleased to share some highlights from this past month that will no doubt become a part of our College's history:
 
Enrollment : This fall, our enrollment totals 1,442 students, which includes 438 new Marlins, 349 of whom are freshmen. Nearly 73 percent of our freshmen hail from Virginia, with others coming from Maryland, North Carolina and New Jersey. It's impressive to note that our international students come from China, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom. The freshman class grade point average is 3.28, and 41 of our incoming students graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. In addition, 125 freshmen indicated their intention to participate in intercollegiate sports while on our campus. The top three majors at Virginia Wesleyan are business, biology and psychology. 
 
Fall Convocation : The Virginia Wesleyan College Alumni Association recognized three outstanding graduates at our Fall Convocation. J. Tim Bailey '83 received our Distinguished Alumnus Award. Christine A. (Langsam) Williams '97 was awarded the Alumni Service Award. And Matthew H.C. Ryan '09 received the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award. Barbara Hamm Lee, executive producer and host of WHRO's Another View, was our keynote speaker at Fall Convocation.
 
Our Beautiful Campus : We have a beautiful award-winning 300-acre campus and a new synthetic turf venue in Birdsong Field . Upgrades were made to our instructional facilities this summer and we're very excited about two new buildings slated for completion in the near future.
 
New Faculty : Eight new faculty have joined an already impressive group who are among the best credentialed faculty at liberal arts colleges nationwide. We are pleased to welcome: 
  • Dr. M. Annette Clayton, Assistant Professor of Social Work and Internship Director
  • Dr. William J. McConnell, Assistant Professor of Education
  • Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music
  • Dr. William R. Pruitt, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
  • Ms. Sophie Rondeau, Technical Services Librarian
  • Dr. Antje Verena Schwennicke, Assistant Professor of Political Science
  • Dr. Jason Squinobal, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music
  • Dr. Jill Sturts, Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies
Athletic Management Council: I recently established an Athletic Management Council (AMC), which reports to me. The primary purpose of the AMC is to ensure appropriate interaction between athletics, faculty and administration. Membership of this Council includes our Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Joanne Renn, Head Volleyball Coach/Senior Woman Administrator Andrea Hoover, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Women's Resource Center Dr. Susan E. Larkin, and Professor of Philosophy and Director of the PORTfolio Program Dr. Lawrence D. Hultgren. Drs. Larkin and Hultgren are our NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives. The Chair of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee joins the meeting once per semester.
 
Council for Big Ideas: I have announced the establishment of the Council for Big Ideas. The Council is comprised of retired college and university leaders with a record of visionary thought and action. Its purpose is to propose innovative strategies for responding to the current major challenges confronting residential colleges and universities today. I anticipate that the Council for Big Ideas will generate scenarios for consideration that expand thinking and create solutions to avoid "business as usual." I'm interested in exchanging ideas with big idea thinkers such as these seven former presidents who have a direct connection to Virginia Wesleyan College and/or me:  
  • Dr. David R. Black, former president of Eastern University, Palmer Theological Seminary, Lakeland College
  • Dr. Marylouise "Weezie" Fennell, former president of Carlow University
  • Dr. James L. Fisher, former president of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and Towson University
  • Dr. James V. Koch, former president of Old Dominion University and the University of Montana
  • Dr. Terry Lindvall, former president of Regent University
  • Dr. James Noseworthy, former president of Hiwassee College and former assistant general secretary for schools, colleges and universities of the United Methodist Church
  • Dr. Alvin Schexnider, former chancellor of Winston-Salem State University
I look forward to sharing the collective wisdom of this group with the campus community in the future. 
 
Presidential Assistant/Associate Program: This fall I was pleased to introduce the Presidential Assistant/Associate Program, which fosters leadership and responsibility in Virginia Wesleyan students. The program provides an opportunity for students to work directly with me in the Office of the President on projects that support the mission and purpose of the College. The first Presidential Assistants during my tenure are Connor Pederson, a junior psychology major from Corapeake, North Carolina, and Mario Thourogood, a junior business major from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Among the students' projects and responsibilities are assistance with presidential communication, legislative research, social media, student leadership programs, Society for Collegiate Journalists, athletics and recreation, walkabouts, Greek life, diversity, presidential archives, and more.

I started this program in 1998 after serving on the Joint Civilian Orientation Council at the Pentagon by invitation of then Secretary of Defense William Cohen. A part of that program was traveling around the country with Pentagon officials visiting various military installations over a 10-day period. I observed talented 18 to 22 year olds who exhibited tremendous leadership in critical areas and operated multi-billion dollar pieces of equipment. My fascination with this program led to the establishment of the Presidential Assistant/Associate Program at Wesley College that fall. Surely, if the military could train and trust college-aged individuals with this tremendous level of responsibility, higher education could and should do the same. I look forward to growing this program in the future.

# # #  
  
Clearly, good things are happening this fall at Virginia Wesleyan College. I hope that you will join us for Homecoming & Parent Weekend and celebrate the season at this most special place. More than just a roster of events, the weekend keeps our rich legacy and traditions alive and honors what matters most on our campus: our students and their parents, our alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the College. It is our community, after all, that sets us apart and makes Virginia Wesleyan a distinctive national liberal arts college.
 
Cordially,
Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. 
President 
Virginia Wesleyan College 
1584 Wesleyan Drive 
Norfolk, VA 23502

Phone: 757.455.3215 
Fax: 757.455.3139 
Email: sdmiller@vwc.edu