June 2019
Our Community Grieves
This weekend Virginia Beach tragically joined the growing list of cities impacted by mass shootings. The Virginia Wesleyan University community extends its deepest sympathy to the families of those lost, to the victims who remain hospitalized, and to all who have been affected by this horrifying event. For us, the tragedy hits home. As recently as Wednesday we remained in contact with several of the employees in Virginia Beach Municipal Building 2 who had assisted us with processing our many campus projects. We also watched the national news as a recent VWU graduate told of her interactions with the shooter, who lived in an adjacent apartment.
 
We are taking steps to determine where and how VWU can offer assistance, and we stand with Mayor Dyer, Police Chief Cervera  and their teams as the investigation proceeds and recovery begins.
 
Our city remains resilient and defiant, and we thank those first responders who prevented an even greater loss of life from occurring. Their courage and professionalism are an inspiration to all of us as we begin the long process of healing.
 
We also must ask how much longer can our nation tolerate the senseless violence that has become all too commonplace. What do we say to the families and friends of the dead and wounded? What are we prepared to do to make a difference?
 
I know that VWU will join those seeking answers as we mourn as a campus community, a city, and a nation.
 
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This past month we held our first Commencement Ceremony on University Commons as our Class of 2019--the first class to include masters-level graduates--crossed the platform on the steps of the Greer Environmental Sciences Center. United States Congresswoman Elaine Luria addressed the class, sharing a memorable message with the graduates. It was a special day for our graduates, their families, and the institution, and we were proud to celebrate the culmination of their hard work and dedication as they joined the ranks of Marlin alumni.  
 
It was an honor during the ceremony to present Congresswoman Luria with the very special distinction of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, and VWU Board Chair David Kaufman with Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. The 2019 faculty awards were also presented to Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities Travis Malone (Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Teaching Award), Assistant Professor of Music Bryson Mortensen (The Frank and Jane P. Batten Distinguished Scholar Award), Professor of History Clayton Drees (The Service and Community Engagement Award), and retiring Professor of Hispanic Studies Mavel Velasco (The United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Exemplary Teacher Award). Drs. Malone, Mortensen, Drees, and Velasco are most deserving of these prestigious awards and we appreciate their fine work at Virginia Wesleyan.
 
Following the Commencement Ceremony, we held an Army ROTC Marlin Company Commissioning Ceremony for graduate Gavin Steel, who was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. We congratulate Gavin on this tremendous accomplishment and thank him for his service to our country.  
 
View photos from the Baccalaureate Service, which featured an inspirational sermon by Jonathan Zur, President and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, and a gallery from our 2019 Commencement Ceremony. Archived videos of both events are also available on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network.
 
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Highlights from the past month include: 
 
Virginia Wesleyan Board of Trustees Spring Meeting
We welcomed the Board of Trustees to campus for their spring meeting on May 15. We heard two informative presentations--the first by Jason Seward, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, on the meaningful work of the Opus student-work program, and the second by Dr. Travis Malone, Dean of the Susan S. Goode School for Arts and Humanities, on the programming and impact of the new Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. The 2019 President's Award recipient Brandon Foster '19 made a heartfelt presentation about his Wesleyan experience, and on behalf of his fellow graduates, presented the senior class gift to Board Chair David Kaufman and me. Thank you, Class of 2019!
 
We honored David Kaufman's three years of dedicated service as Chair. It has been a personal and rewarding pleasure for me to work with David in this capacity, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from his counsel. We also recognized Jonathan Pruden, Vice Chair, and Cindy Rodriguez, Secretary, who are finishing their three-year terms as officers on the Board. We thank them for their valued leadership and engagement with the University as they continue to serve as Trustees. It was an honor to bestow upon O.L. "Butch" Everett the designation of Trustee Emeritus. Butch is retiring from the Board this spring after 20 years of service, including serving as Chair from 2010 to 2013. We also celebrated retiring Trustee Billy George for his six years of service, and Rev. John Peters who has served faithfully as the Bishop's representative to our Board for many years.

It is a bittersweet time on campus as we prepare for transitions within our academic administration. During the Board meeting we recognized Dr. Chris Haley as his term concludes as the founding Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the Joan P. Brock School for Mathematics and Natural Sciences. And as they each prepare for retirement this spring, Board Chair David Kaufman and I had the pleasure of bestowing emeritus status upon two very special friends--Provost and Vice President Dr. Timothy O'Rourke (Vice President Emeritus), who has served as chief academic officer at VWU for 12 years, and Debbie Hicks (Dean Emeritus), Assistant Provost and Director of the Learning Center, who has been a part of the Marlin Family since 1989. We are deeply grateful for their meaningful and lasting contributions to our campus and our community.
 
Retirement Celebration for Provost and Vice President O'Rourke
The week prior to the Board meeting, we held a special celebration in honor of Dr. O'Rourke where I was proud to announce that the foyer of Clarke Hall, the academic administration building, has been named in his honor as the "Timothy G. O'Rourke Foyer." View the photo gallery and read my tribute to Tim
 
Retiring Faculty Honored
Longtime faculty members--Dr. Bob Albertson, Professor of Management, Business, and Economics (40 years of service); Mr. Dave Garraty, Professor of Management, Business, and Economics (40 years of service); and Dr. Mavel Velasco, Professor of Hispanic Studies (32 years of service)--were honored at a special reception in May preceding VWU's traditional faculty tree-planting ceremony. We were proud to award Professors Albertson, Garraty, and Velasco the status of  Professor Emeritus  and thank them for decades of devoted service. Read more and view the photo gallery  here .  
 
Spring Honors Convocation
We held our Spring Honors Convocation, an annual event which pays tribute to student accomplishments in academics, leadership and service. I was proud to present the President's Award to Brandon Foster '19 during the ceremony and congratulate all of our Marlins for their hard work. View the full list of award recipients and the photo gallery here
 
Complete 2018-2019 President to President Series
The full 2018-2019 President to President thought-leadership series, for which I serve as co-executive editor with longtime colleague Dr. Marylouise Fennell, is now available for download here. "Ten Challenges Facing Higher Education and How They Are Shaping the Future Student Experience" explored some of the most pressing issues in higher education today. Over the course of 10 chapters, university presidents share their experiences, insights, and approaches regarding the issues their institutions have faced.  We are now hard at work on the 2019-2020 series, which will offer insight into "The Next Big Things" in higher education.

Welcome Coach Hudy  
We are glad to welcome Liz Hudy to the Marlin family as Head Women's Basketball Coach! She's an established winner on the court (as a player and coach), in the classroom, and considered one of the brightest young coaches in the profession. Read more about Coach Hudy at vwuathletics.com.

Third Cohort of the Batten Honors College 
A distinguished and highly-accomplished group of 22 Batten Fellows and 23 Shumadine Scholars have been selected out of an initial pool of over 30,000 candidates as the third cohort of the Batten Honors College. With an average SAT of 1352, ACT of 29, and GPA of 4.16, the academic profile of these top students is extremely strong. Students hail from all over country--Virginia, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New York, and Wisconsin--as well as internationally with both China and the United Kingdom represented. We look forward to welcoming them during a Matriculation Ceremony in the Greer Environmental Sciences Center on August 23.
 
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Summer is here and it is anything but quiet here on campus. We look forward to breaking ground on Coastal 61 at Oxford Village on June 18. I will continue to keep you informed of our progress and look forward to providing a complete campus update at my State of the University address on August 23. Enjoy the season, and be sure to visit if your travels take you in the direction of Coastal Virginia's premier university of the liberal arts and sciences. 
 
Sincerely,  
--
Scott D. Miller, Ph.D.

President