We are now a little more than one month into the fall semester, one of my favorite times in the academic year as we anticipate the return of alumni and families to campus for Homecoming and Family Weekend. To kick off the festivities,
I invite you all to join me in celebrating our annual Marlin Spirit Day tomorrow, October 3. Marlin Spirit Day can be celebrated near and far by wearing your favorite Marlin gear, dressing your kids or pets, or posing with your best Marlin memorabilia. Be sure to snap a photo and share it using the hashtag #MarlinSpiritDay. You can also send your photos directly to [email protected] and we'll do our best to post them for you. A few highlights of the action-packed Homecoming schedule include the Friday Night Flights alumni social, FinFest, THE EDGE 5k Fun Run, Spotlight on the Arts, athletic contests and alumni games, and so much more. View the full schedule and all event details here.
I am pleased to add that the Rev. Ted Smith '84 will serve as our Chapel Speaker for Sunday's Homecoming Worship: A Christian Service at Monumental Chapel on campus. He currently serves as the District Superintendent of the Fredericksburg District of the Virginia Conference and is an engaging communicator, educator, and advocate. Read more about Ted here and visit with him this weekend.
As we look forward to welcoming many visiting families and alumni back to campus, our hearts are still with our alumni, families, and friends who were and continue to be affected by Hurricane Florence. Please know that you and your loved ones are in our thoughts and that your Virginia Wesleyan family is with you.
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Additional highlights from the past month include:
Founders Day and the
Year of the
Arts
We celebrated Virginia Wesleyan's third annual Founders Day on September 6. This
year
's festivities began with a special Alumni Awards event held in the
Hofheimer Theater, an appropriate location as we continue to celebrate the "
Year
of the
Arts
."
Guests then headed to the site of the forthcoming Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing
Arts
Center, where all were invited to
make their mark
on the building by signing the final structural steel beam. We are grateful to the Goode and the Watts families for sharing in the milestone as well as many special guests who joined us for the ceremony.
Next up was
Founders Day Convocation
where all students joined faculty, staff, and special guests in the Convocation Hall of the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Dr. Larry Hultgren, VWU's longest-tenured faculty member, delivered an informative address as he recalled his nearly 50
years
at VWU and the ways it has grown from an aspiring college to an inspiring university. The Convocation also included performances by the Wesleyan Vox Vera student choir--featuring a fitting rendition of The Beatles' 1965 hit "In My Life"--and a benediction by the Rev. Stephanie Kimec Parker '08
.
Then we celebrated significant milestone for the second cohort of Batten Honors College students with a recognition c
eremony
for the 39 newest Batten Fellows and Shumadine Scholars. A ceremonial pinning of each student represents his or her completion of orientation and formal induction into the Batten Honors College.
Thank you again to all who made 2018 Founders Day festivities possible and most importantly, meaningful. Read more about the day and the honorees
here
.
National Case Study Features Virginia Wesleyan
An Aramark study released last month states, "Transforming an established higher education institution is a major undertaking requiring capital, expertise, teamwork, vision and leadership. Read how
VWU elevated its academic program, executed several new construction projects and significantly boosted fundraising and new student enrollment." View the full case study here.
Virginia Wesleyan University Ranked 19th Nationally in Ethnic Diversity by U.S. News
VWU has been recognized by
U.S. News & World Report in two categories of its 2019
Best Colleges rankings. Virginia Wesleyan is ranked 19th in "Ethnic Diversity" among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
We are proud to hold this designation, as it represents the diverse, global community that our University serves. We are a welcoming, inclusive campus with an outstanding, nationally prominent academic reputation--and we take pride in fostering the kinds of values and traditions that make our students proud to have chosen us for their career and life success. The University is also featured among U.S. News' 229 "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges." Read more here.
Celebrating Progress in Connecting the Region
We proudly hosted on our campus last month the announcement of the first connection point to the Regional Fiber Ring, the fiber optic backbone system that will connect all five Southside cities to the transatlantic cable landings. We were pleased with the wonderful features and coverage by The Virginian-Pilot and ABC 13 News Now on this event. As VWU continues to grow and expand our research and educational opportunities, fast, reliable and affordable fiber access will be critical to our future success. Read more about this initiative here.
Lifelong Learning Institute Partnership with Westminster-Canterbury
Last year, Virginia Wesleyan University and Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay partnered to create a lifelong learning opportunity through the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute in Virginia Beach. According to Westminster-Canterbury, approximately 216 members enrolled in the courses. About 50 percent of the courses offered are on faith-related subjects.
The Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute is a non-credit program of University College of Virginia Wesleyan University. Read more here.
The Landmark Foundation Expands Student Work Program
The Norfolk-based Landmark Foundation has generously provided a significant grant to extend VWU's successful
Opus program to the full academic year. Through an initial private gift,
Opus was established in 2017 as a
summer work program to assist students with demonstrated financial need. Read more about the
Opus program
here.
Winter Session
Through the conscientious work of many and the outstanding leadership of Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Winter and Summer Sessions, all first-year students have been registered for Winter Session 2019 (for either their first or second course selection choice). While required for first-year students, Winter Session is optional for returning upper- level students.
The Winter Session website continues to be updated on a weekly basis with current course descriptions.
9/11 Memorial
Last month marked the 17th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on America. We honored those who lost their lives, as well as the first responders who risked their lives, at our annual 9/11 Remembrance Gathering in the Peace Garden. Thank you to our student leaders who participated in the service: Yaminah Lewis '21 and Thomas Reinhold '20 for their moving performance of "America the Beautiful", Andre Wiggins '20 for his reading of the Gettysburg Address, and Nicole Johnson '19 who shared powerful quotes of 9/11. I also thank Provost Timothy O'Rourke for his inspiring remarks, Chaplain Greg West for leading us in prayer and the Litany for Peace in Our Communities, and Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom Kelly Jackson for her closing remarks and call to action. Let us never forget.
Singing a Freedom Song: Voting Rights in A Minor
In recognition of Constitution Day, Provost and Vice President Tim O'Rourke gave a presentation on voting rights. Provost O'Rourke discussed how at different times in American history, the right to vote has been restricted on account of race, age, gender, literacy, property, wealth (in the form of poll taxes), and length of residency. Even today with universal suffrage, questions remain regarding voter identification at polling places and the purging of registration rolls.
Dr. O'Rourke has testified before both the U.S. House and Senate committees on voting rights and redistricting issues, and his expert testimony has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Virginia Wesleyan University Spring 2018 President's List
I am proud to announce the
President's List
for spring 2018, which recognizes full-time students who earned a 4.0 grade point average last semester. To qualify for this honor, students must have taken nine semester hours of traditionally graded courses and have no grades of F or incomplete.
This achievement signifies a tremendous amount of hard work and focus, and it is truly an academic accomplishment to be celebrated. A reception was held on September 18 to honor these outstanding students.
Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine
The Fall 2018 edition of the
Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine is now available at
vwu.edu/magazine.
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Remember to celebrate Marlin Spirit Day with us tomorrow and to check out the
full schedule of events for Homecoming and Family Weekend.
I look forward to seeing many of you in just a few days for the festivities that are sure to create wonderful, lasting memories. Safe travels to many alumni and friends as they make their way home to Virginia Wesleyan for this very special tradition.
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