June 2018
Firsts for Virginia Wesleyan
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In my last letter I spoke of the history about to be made at Virginia Wesleyan --- and let me tell you, May did not disappoint. It was a month of firsts for our campus. We held our first formal Commencement Exercises as a University as First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam addressed our graduates, clad in decorated mortarboard caps for the first time in Virginia Wesleyan history. It was a monumental moment in the life of our newest Marlin alumni and a proud day in the life of our institution. View photos from the Baccalaureate Service, which featured an inspirational sermon by 1976 graduate Rev. Dr. Karla Kincannon, and a gallery from our 2018 Commencement Ceremony. Archived videos of both events are also available on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network.
Another first --- our No. 1 ranked Virginia Wesleyan softball team fought hard to defend their 2017 National Championship title, and I am so proud to share that they came out on top, once again, as the first-place team in the country. The Marlins claimed their second straight NCAA Division III Softball Championship title on May 29 with a 3-1 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University. The team finished the season with a record of 55-3, setting a Division III record for wins in a season (the mark was previously 54, set by the Marlins last season). We are so proud of this team for maintaining the highest standards of performance and conduct on the field, and for exemplifying Virginia Wesleyan's tradition of service and values off the field:
Amanda Archer '18
Katelyn Biando '21
Daja Burgee '21
Hope Burleson '21
Teresa Cardamone '18
Julie Fassl '21
Beth Ford '19
Madison Glaubke '20
Carla Hall '21
Cassetty Howerin '18 |
Hanna Hull '20
Amy Large '18
Jessica Lindsay '19
Alana Peters '18
Kiersten Richardson '18
Kerrigan Simpson '21
Julia Sinnett '21
Danielle Stewart '21
Maria Weddle '21 |
Head Coach: Brandon Elliott '03
Assistant Coach: Bobby Wills
Assistant Coach: Jenna Wilson
Volunteer Assistant Coach: Chris Smith
Director of Softball Operations: Jim Quinn |
Thank you to all of our student-athletes, coaches, athletic department staff, faculty-team advisors, and others on campus who make our program so successful. Special thanks, also, to the parents and friends who supported the team in Oklahoma City and beyond! View photos from the "Welcome Back the Champs Celebration" held on campus this week in the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
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In addition to our Commencement and softball excitement, I'd like to share the following updates from the last month:
Virginia Wesleyan was prominently profiled in the May issue of Virginia Business. The publication featured the University's recent achievements and campus programs with quotes from SGA President Nich Hipple '18, Associate Provost Maynard Schaus, and Professor Steven Emmanuel. Virginia Business and Inside Business also recognized VWU recently for its adoption of the innovative new CICV 403(b) Multiple Employer Plan. And I was proud to be named to the Inside Business "Power List" last month along with VWU Trustees Vince Mastracco and Howard Kern. It's an honor to be recognized among local leaders who, according to Inside Business Publisher Mike Herron, are the "most engaged in making things happen."
Our Board of Trustees, led by Chair David Kaufman, held their spring meeting on May 16. It was a productive gathering and we were happy to welcome new Trustee Tim Bailey, a 1983 Virginia Wesleyan graduate who now serves as division president of Compass Group/Canteen. Trustees heard reports and took action on a variety of topics from the Committee on Trusteeship as well as the Committees of Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance, Advancement, Audit, Enrollment, and Student Affairs. They also heard special faculty presentations on our 12-month academic model and the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, and Professor Steven Emmanuel was recognized for his 2018 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award. Senior Nich Hipple, whom I mentioned earlier, shared reflections from his time at Wesleyan and presented the Senior Class Gift of $4,000.
Our summer term began earlier this week, and I am proud to share that we have seen a significant 54-percent increase in enrollment compared to last year. VWU Online continues to flourish and grow, and the Master of Arts in Education program has made its debut with summer courses in "Practicum in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment," "Foundations of the Teaching Professor," "Cognition and Child & Adolescence Development," and "Character of and Adaption for Exceptional Students." Learn more about our graduate programs at www.vwu.edu/graduatestudies.
Construction continues on a variety of projects. The Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center is progressing beautifully (watch the building come to life through our live construction cam), and work began last week on the restoration/renovation of the Bell Tower.
I am pleased to share that Virginia Wesleyan University has received a $250,000 challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation for updates and the purchase of new Steinway pianos for our existing Fine Arts Building. The University will have one year to raise the matching funds for the grant, which will allow for updated and modernized finishes, new windows, upgraded HVAC systems, and improved lighting.
Updating the existing Fine Arts Building is a top priority identified in the University's 10-year Campus Master Plan. The Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center (scheduled for completion in March 2019) will provide a state-of-the-art performance space for our theater, choral and music programs, and our existing Fine Arts Building will continue to serve as home to painting, ceramics, photography, and sculpture studios, as well as practice and rehearsal space for our choral and instrumental programs. With the upgrades made possible by this grant, the Fine Arts Building will have the appropriate climate controls required for Steinway pianos. It is our goal to then replace the building's existing pianos with new Steinway and Boston (Steinway-designed) pianos. We aspire to eventually achieve "All-Steinway Status" as an institution, which ensures that 90 percent of the pianos are Steinway or Steinway-designed pianos, and that pianos in all performance and studio spaces are Steinway concert pianos. Presently, only six higher education institutions in Virginia, and 175 nationally, have achieved this designation.
I am excited to share this demonstration of continued enthusiasm for Virginia Wesleyan's theatre, art and music programs, and pleased that generous support has continued for these important projects. If you are interested in helping the University match this challenge from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, please contact Virginia Wesleyan's Center for Advancement at 757.455.3217.
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Though summer has arrived on campus, it is anything but slow paced here on Wesleyan Drive. 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 24. 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.
Go Marlins!
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