| With the start of a new month, we pause to remember the victims of the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Again, our flags in front of Godwin Hall flutter at half staff, marking yet another senseless chapter in what has become a heartbreaking, all-too-familiar story of violence in our country.
Hearing the news about the horrific attack on innocent worshipers, I reflected on my own personal and professional ties to Pittsburgh. My previous presidency in West Virginia was just an hour from the city; like many of us, I was shocked that the peaceful neighborhood of Squirrel Hill was the scene of such a tragedy.
Please join me in remembering the victims and their families, giving thanks for the heroism of law enforcement and other responders, and renewing our resolve here to be an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive campus community.
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Highlights from the past month include:
VWU Recognized Nationally Among Most Environmentally Responsible Universities
Virginia Wesleyan University is one of the 399 most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company known for its college rankings features VWU in the 2018 edition of its book, The Princeton Review Guide to 399 Green Colleges. Read more here.
National Energy Efficiency Day
Friday, October 5, was National Energy Efficiency Day. I was proud to sign a
proclamation pledging
Virginia Wesleyan's continued commitment to cut energy waste. VWU was the first institution in the Commonwealth and second in the nation to formally make this proclamation. Read more
here.
Board of Trustees
It was wonderful to welcome the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees to campus Wednesday, October 24, for their
fall meeting
. Special thanks to Board Chair David Kaufman for his continued leadership. His impact on the institution's success is significant, and we are deeply grateful to all of our Trustees for their continued leadership and service during the last three years of exciting growth and innovation at VWU.
During the meeting, the Board elected new officers, effective July 1, 2019: John Malbon, Chair; Susan S. Goode, Vice Chair; Nancy DeFord, Secretary; and J. Timothy Bailey, Treasurer. Also elected were two new Trustees, effective immediately: Sharon S. Goodwyn, Counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth, and Joseph R. Thomas, Retired Vice President of GEICO and a former member of the Board.
The Board adopted a resolution honoring Virginia Wesleyan's 2018 NCAA Division III National Softball Champions. Mr. Kaufman and I had the honor of presenting the framed document to Head Coach Brandon Elliott '03 and members of the team during the meeting (pictured
here
). The resolution, along with the championship trophies and several other accolades, are displayed in the Jane P. Batten Student Center near the entrance to the Convocation Hall.
We are grateful to our Trustees for their dedication to Virginia Wesleyan University.
Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center Cornerstone Unveiling
Following the Board of Trustees meeting, members of the Board, including benefactor Susan Goode, joined faculty, staff, students, and friends of the arts at the unveiling of the cornerstone at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Thanks to Susan and David Goode for their leadership role in this important project. The Center is scheduled to open late winter 2019. Read more about the unveiling
here.
Hofheimer Theater's Farewell Performance
In fall 1981, the Hofheimer Theater first opened its doors with a production of William Shakespeare's "The Tempest." As we prepare for the opening of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, VWU bid farewell to Hofheimer Theater as a mainstage space, closing as it opened with a revisit of the Shakespearean classic. "The Tempest," directed by Professor of Theatre Dr. Sally Shedd, opened October 24 with a final performance on October 28. Khari Johnson '16 played the role of Prospero and Dr. Martine Kei Green-Rogers '02 returned to campus to serve as dramaturg. Read more here.
2018 Homecoming and Family Weekend
To each and every member of the Virginia Wesleyan community, thank you for making this year's Homecoming and Family Weekend a special and enjoyable occasion for all. It was a joy for me to welcome so many Virginia Wesleyan graduates, parents and families, and friends back home to campus.
Enjoy photos and a recap of the weekend here.
Alumni Council Announcements
Our new slate of Alumni Council officers for the 2018-19 year was announced and w
e also welcomed our newest members to the Alumni Council. Read the leadership and membership appointments here. Thank you to all members of the Alumni Council for their service and commitment to our VWU.
Tidewater Collegiate Academy
Virginia Wesleyan's partnership with Tidewater Collegiate Academy (TCA), which began in 2016, is a great source of pride for VWU. TCA, a private homeschool, is located on our campus in Frank Blocker, Jr. Youth Center and serves as a laboratory for our preK-12 teacher-education students.
The relationship has flourished beautifully for both TCA and VWU. Kudos to Wendy Scott, Founder and Director of TCA.
We're pleased to have such an innovative program as a valued part of our campus community. Read more project updates here.
Lifelong Learning Institute Partnership with Westminster-Canterbury
We are pleased to have
renewed the partnership
agreement between Virginia Wesleyan University and Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay. With Ben Unkle, President and CEO of Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, we formalized the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute a year ago. The program has proved to be very popular with their members. Read more
here
.
Port of Virginia
CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority John Reinhardt and I signed a three-year memorandum of understanding between Virginia Wesleyan and the Port of Virginia. We have a mutual vested interest in a highly educated workforce and to support this, VWU will offer a ten-percent reduction in tuition to verified employees of the Port of Virginia who enroll in our Evening and Weekend Program (EWP). We are grateful for our strong relationship with the Port and are proud to support this initiative.
Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund
The Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation has awarded Virginia Wesleyan a grant of $50,000 to support upgrades to the existing Fine Arts Building and the purchase of Steinway pianos. The grant qualifies for the challenge grant received earlier this year from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
Expert Column
Impressed by progress on campus, I was asked to write a column for University Business about how a construction management partner maximizes value and gives donors peace of mind. It also appeared in Inside Business earlier this week. I hope you enjoy the read.
Marlin Athletic Fund
As we prepare our approximately 400 VWU student-athletes for lives of leadership and social responsibility, I invite you to join us in making an impact on their development. Learn more here.
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In closing, it is with a heavy heart that I share with you the passing of Robert C. "Bob" Nusbaum, Hampton Roads civic leader, former Virginia Wesleyan Trustee, and dear friend of the institution. Bob's impact on the University and community is immeasurable. In 2016, he was honored by VWU at the annual Justine L. Nusbaum Lecture as the Founding Fellow of the institution's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom (CSRF).
In 1995, Bob wrote a letter to Virginia Wesleyan proposing the idea for the Center where he wrote: "I venture to guess that more persons have been slaughtered in the name of religion than from any other cause... in this continuing saga of man's inhumanity to man, the one bright light that goes beyond mere tolerance is Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom. It laid the foundation for the First Amendment, and has served as a beacon for all enlightened constitutions ever since."
Bob and his brother, V.H. Nusbaum, later established the Justine L. Nusbaum Endowed Lectureship in honor of their mother, also well known for her lifelong dedication to humanitarian causes.
This year's Lecture was held just one week ago on Thursday, October 25. Bob also established an endowment enabling the CSRF to hold an annual student essay contest. He shared with me his concern that many young people do not understand the heritage of religious freedom and his dream, one in which we share, would be for every VWU student to graduate with an understanding of the challenges and obstacles that humanity has overcome in attaining religious freedom, and to have an appreciation of the need to be ever vigilant to maintain those rights.
His words, ideals, and dreams continue to ring true to us while inspiring hope just days after the tragic events in Pittsburgh. W
e must continue to honor his legacy, vision and enduring support of religious freedom now more than ever. Please keep Bob's wife, Linda, his sons Bob Jr. and Bill, and their families in your thoughts during this difficult time.
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