January 2019
New Year's Cheers
Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope everyone had a blessed holiday. After a strong 2018, we are looking forward to 2019 and gearing up for our first term of the calendar year-- Winter Session 2019--which commences tomorrow, January 3. For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, Winter Session at Virginia Wesleyan is a special three-week academic term in January during which our students have the opportunity to concentrate on their studies through one intensive course. These opportunities include study-away courses to places such as Costa Rica, Berlin, Mexico, and Hawaii. In addition to the appealing format, Winter Session boasts affordable rates which continue to allow flexibility for our students and opportunities to accelerate their academic careers. Special thanks to Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Director of Summer and Winter Session, for her hard work and passion toward making this a meaningful experience for our campus community. 

As we roll into the new year and reflect on the last, we are excited to report that  University College continues to attract positive attention for credit and non-credit programs designed specifically for non-traditional students. Over 2,000 learners enrolled in VWU Online, Evening and Weekend, and Lifelong Learning programs in 2018 and we look forward to seeing that continue to grow to serve our community. 
 
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Highlights from the past month include: 

Beazley Foundation Commits $150K to Campus Technology
I was pleased to share that the Beazley Foundation notified us last month of its commitment of $150,000 to support improvements to technology. This is the third donor in the past three months (the other two wish to remain anonymous) to make significant contributions to this important area.  We value the Beazley Foundation's confidence in our mission, our vision for the future, and our plans for the appropriate care and expansion of the Virginia Wesleyan campus. In recognition of the Foundation's ongoing support, the University will name the student technology center in Clarke Hall the Fred W. Beazley Technology Center. Read more here.

Athletic Hall of Fame
The eleventh class of the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame has been selected. The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in March 2008 to honor those who have made a lasting impact on the University through outstanding achievement in athletics, special service to the athletic program, or significant contributions to athletics. Congratulations to the eleventh class: Scott H. Barlow '83, Norman Billups Jr. '81, Frederick Glen Pizzanello '85, Jackie Ochs-Gregory Texter '09, and the 2006 Women's Soccer Team! They will be inducted during a special ceremony next month on Saturday, February 9, 2019. Read more here. 

Teagle Foundation Report
Virginia Wesleyan University is prominently featured and celebrated in Dr. Madeleine Green's report, "In Search of Curricular Coherence," on the Teagle Foundation's report of curricular reform endeavors across the country. The Teagle Foundation partnered with Dr. Green, an expert in the field of higher education with "deep experience from her 35-year career at the American Council of Education," on this initiative. The mission of the Teagle Foundation is to advance liberal arts which the Foundation views as "fundamental to meaningful work, engaged citizenship, and a fulfilling life." To support their mission, the Foundation provides grants to those who are committed to honoring this vision. VWU received a Curriculum 4 (C4) Consortium grant which included three other private liberal arts colleges with whom we worked collectively to "create more coherent and intentional curriculum whose goals, pathways, and outcomes are clear to students and other constituencies." Special thanks to Provost Tim O'Rourke and Assistant Provost Debbie Hicks for their excellent work on this grant. Read the report here.

StrikeOut Cancer Program
Under the leadership of head coach Brandon Elliott, Virginia Wesleyan has won back-to-back NCAA National Championships in softball.  However,  the Marlins earned a national championship in another important category last year by finishing first in the nation among NCAA Division III institutions in the StrikeOut Cancer program. The team has once again showed the power of giving, raising a record-breaking $28,620 for the American Cancer Society last spring, surpassing their $25,000 goal. Its ninth year coordinating the event, the squad has now raised a total of $131,032 over the course of that time, ranking as the top Division III giver over the past three years, each year generating more gifts than the last. We are extremely proud of these meaningful and selfless accomplishments. Kudos to Brandon Elliott and the Marlin Nation on another impressive accomplishment! The winners received  pink Louisville Slugger bats, generously donated by Louisville's parent company Wilson Sporting Goods, Inc.

Successful Education Re-accreditation  
Congratulations to Virginia Wesleyan's Education Program on their successful re-accreditation by the Virginia Department of Education. On October 18, the Virginia Board of Education approved the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure's recommendation that the teacher education program at VWU "...be accredited, indicating that the program has met the standards as set forth in the Regulations Governing the Review and Approval of Education Programs in Virginia."  Kudos to Malcolm Lively, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Education Program, and his colleagues for a job well done!

Growing Partnerships with Virginia Community Colleges
VWU's Educational Policies Commission (EPC) voted to approve a policy which will allow students from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) with an associates' degree seamlessly to transfer to Virginia Wesleyan. The students would need only to take a course, Seminar Three, under the new general studies program, effective fall 2019. All other general studies requirements would be satisfied by their associate's degree. We are pleased this will eliminate barriers for students and grow our relationship with our local and state community colleges.

This is a timely accomplishment as we now have a Virginia Wesleyan University Enrollment and Advising Office on Tidewater Community College's (TCC) Virginia Beach campus. Each Wednesday, since December 12, representatives from Virginia Wesleyan will be working onsite at TCC to assist students who are interested in transferring to our institution and discuss opportunities with them in person. We are proud of our longstanding relationship with TCC and our mutual desire to serve our home community of Virginia Beach. Last year, we announced the Virginia Beach College Success Scholarship to celebrate academic achievement and shared values benefiting our community. Special thanks to Michael Summers, Provost of TCC, for his continued support.

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As a final reflection on the inspiring and outstanding year at Virginia Wesleyan University as we celebrated success on many levels, I leave you with the 2017-2018 Annual Report released in a special December edition of Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine. Our Annual Report recognizes the contributions of donors and volunteers who have continued to make Virginia Wesleyan a priority in their lives. Our gratitude goes to all who contribute financially and otherwise to our success.

Please know that your impact is truly seen, heard, and felt across campus and beyond. As you read through this special edition issue, I hope you'll see that the support we receive allows our students to maximize their experience and time at Virginia Wesleyan and make our world a better place. Now, let's make this year our best one yet!

Sincerely,