As we continue to embrace the new year and a new semester, our points of pride keep growing by leaps and bounds. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced Friday that they have selected VWU to receive the prestigious Community Engagement Classification. Virginia Wesleyan is among 119 U.S. colleges and universities this year to earn the elective designation, which indicates institutional commitment to community engagement. The classification is the leading framework for assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education.
We hold social responsibility at the core of our values, and I take great pride in this accomplishment and in working among such engaged citizens and leaders. Special thanks to Dr. Brian Kurisky, Director of Wesleyan Engaged, for his leadership in this achievement. Read more
here.
We officially opened the
Coastal Market convenience store on campus last week in the newly renovated Batten Plaza of the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Coastal Market offers more options than ever for our campus community with hours that expand access to items such as on-the-go food options, toiletries, and more. These changes are part of a larger effort to enhance Virginia Wesleyan students' experience. Work began in December on several projects in Batten Plaza, an area recently re-branded to help better identify the different corridors of the Jane P. Batten Student Center and Boyd Dining Center. Projects included the transformation of the Marlin Grille to the new and improved Harbor Grill, which is also now open.
On Saturday, February 1, we inducted the twelfth class of the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame. Four former Marlin athletic standouts, along with benefactors Jane P. Batten and George Y. and Sue Birdsong and the Birdsong families, were recognized during a special ceremony in Boyd Dining Center. Members of the twelfth class represent the best of the best from Virginia Wesleyan's athletic history. The four inductees for 2020 are Victoria "Tori" Higginbotham-Abbey '14 (Softball, 2010-14); Jessica Edelman Gosnell '13 (Women's Soccer, 2009-13); Nancy Mattox Moore '00 (Women's Basketball and Softball, 1997-00); and Chris Yeager '94 (Men's Soccer, 1990-94). Mrs. Batten and the Birdsongs were honored for their decades of support to the University's intercollegiate athletics program. Read more here.
Virginia Wesleyan University continues to be recognized for excellence across the board, and I am grateful to our campus community for the vital roles they play in our success.
Highlights from the past month include:
Virginia Wesleyan and Sentara Pursue Joint Nursing Program
Virginia Wesleyan University is pursuing the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to our academic program. The BSN could be offered as a joint degree with Sentara College of Health Sciences and would involve coursework at both institutions. The signing of an agreement to formalize the intent of both institutions is planned for Friday, followed by an in-depth application process with Virginia Wesleyan's accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Read more
here
.
Fall 2019 President's List
With pride, we shared the
Fall 2019 President's List last month. Congratulations to these hard-working students for achieving a 4.0 grade point average for the fall semester. A reception will be held later this spring to celebrate their outstanding achievements. Well done!
VWU Honored for Sustained Distinguished Performance
Virginia Wesleyan University has been recognized by the Elizabeth River Project for Sustained Distinguished Performance at the River Stars Model Level. VWU student and ERP employee Phoebe Murrell joined VWU's Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, Director of Campus Sustainability, and Dr. Maynard Schaus, Vice President for Academic Affairs, for a
photo as they accepted the honor on VWU's behalf.
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy
We joined our nation last month in honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--one of integrity, service, leadership, and unity, along with an inspiring commitment to social justice. Congratulations to VWU senior Monique Ayers on receiving Virginia Wesleyan's first Martin Luther King, Jr., Legacy Award. Thanks to good friend
Gil Bland, President and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, for head table hospitality at the 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Leaders' Breakfast. We heard an inspiring speech by Dr. Janice Underwood, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Office of the Governor, followed by the
recognition of three of our good friends for their community impact: Trustee Emerita Joan Brock, Trustee Howard Kern, and former Trustee Bob Aston.
Read more about our campus celebrations of Dr. King's legacy
here
.
VWU Board of Trustees Elects New Member, Appoints Secretary
We welcomed Anthony Walters, President/CEO of YMCA of South Hampton Roads, to our Board of Trustees; and congratulated Trustee Mavis McKenley '11, Vice President and Trust Officer at AMG National Trust Bank, on being named secretary of the Board. We are grateful to both Anthony and Mavis for their stewardship and service to Virginia Wesleyan. Read more
here.
"Puffs...or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic"
Kudos to all who were involved in the recent Virginia Wesleyan University Theatre Production of "Puffs...or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic." Performed in the Brock Theatre of the Goode Center, Dr. Travis Malone, Dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, directed the production. View the
playbill here for a full listing of the Marlin January Theatre Collective, cast, and crew.
INTEL Office
The Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (INTEL) office is now located in Clarke Hall adjacent to the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, the Beazley Foundation Technology Center, and The Lighthouse: Center for the Exploration and Discovery. While the mission and function of INTEL remain the same, the location better aligns the office with the technology and academic centers in Clarke Hall. Be sure to visit INTEL in their new home.
Monumental Chapel and Recital Hall
Through private support, some of the much-needed upgrades to Monumental Chapel were recently completed to expand the facility's use as a Recital Hall. Improvements include conversion of the upper level into a choral music library and storage for other instruments, and addition of sound-diffusing panels to the interior of the main space to improve its acoustics. Finally, the replacement of the old piano with a new, handmade Steinway B piano will make the space ideal for a variety of events and performances.
January Term Travels
January Term was a success, on campus and around the globe. Among other study away courses, students traveled to Israel and Hawaii. VWU students are pictured at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and from 400-foot Waimoku Falls on Maui. After hiking in the only rainforest in America, students spent an afternoon helping with organic taro farming as part of their January Term course "Travel's Impact on Culture and Environment." View the full January Term photo gallery here.
New Virginia Wesleyan Mural
We have a new mural on campus thanks to students in Professor of Art John Rudel's "Public Art" course. The class designed and painted the artwork during January Term in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Be sure to stop by Batten Plaza to check it out. Kudos to these students for their efforts and creativity.
Partnership with LifeNet Health
We were pleased and grateful to have LifeNet Health as the corporate sponsor of a recent women's basketball game. LifeNet Health helps to save lives and restore health and gives hope to thousands of patients each year. It is the world's most trusted provider of transplant solutions. LifeNet Health's mission touched our campus following the tragic passing of Marlin Nancy Kelly, Class of 2015. In her honor we
continue to partner with LifeNet Health to promote their mission, grow donor registration, and inspire generosity of others. We are proud to call the Executive Vice President of LifeNet Doug Wilson a member of the Marlin Family. Doug is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan, Class of 1986, and a member of the VWU Board of Trustees.
NASCUMC Updates
As president of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC), I shared two significant updates from the Winter Meeting of NASCUMC (January 4) which immediately followed the January 3 announcement of a
mediation resolution by leaders in the Church and those with divergent views. My fellow college and university presidents of NASCUMC support the mediation resolution and have
issued a joint statement signed by the 85 member presidents urging the Church to create a U.S. Regional Conference. The second major announcement coming from the NASCUMC meeting regards the goal of enlisting a more inclusive and less restrictive membership.
NASCUMC voted to broaden our membership and open the organization to educators in the Pan-Methodist tradition within and outside the United States. With this decision, our name will be changed to the North American Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAAMSCU).
U.S. News Names VWU Online Among Best Programs Nationally
VWU Online continues to attract attention in national rankings. The University has again been selected for inclusion in
U.S. News and World Report's listing of "Best Online Bachelor's Programs," released in January. Read more
here.
# # #
I close with a somber message as our community continues to grieve from the passing of two dear members of the Virginia Wesleyan Family: longtime Trustee S. Frank Blocker, Jr., and Senior Vice President Dr. Mort Gamble.
Frank became a member of the VWU Board of Trustees in 1990, serving until he was named Trustee Emeritus in 2007. He also served as a member of the President's Advisory Council, chairing the group from 1989-1990, and as a member of the 25th Anniversary Campaign Steering Committee from 1986-1991. Virginia Wesleyan's S. Frank and Wilma Williamson Blocker Hall was named in his parents' honor in 1992, recognizing Frank's generous contributions to the University. His generosity also funded the Frank Blocker Youth Center, which opened on campus in 2017. We are grateful for Frank's service to and support of Virginia Wesleyan University and extend our deepest sympathy to his family during this difficult time. A memorial service was held on Friday, January 31. Read more
here
.
Mort was one of my dearest friends and trusted colleagues. He was my professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College, and a valued member of my team at Bethany College before joining me at Virginia Wesleyan in 2016.
His contributions to our community and to the field of higher education are immeasurable. Mort's absence is felt deeply by the VWU community, and his unwavering kindness, profound wisdom, and sense of humor will be missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing him. Thank you to many of you who have reached out with words of support. Your kindness has been uplifting during this time of sorrow. My thoughts remain with all of you, his wife M.E., and his brother Dave as we all grieve this tremendous loss.
A memorial service will be held in Dr. Gamble's honor on Thursday, February 6, at 4:30 p.m. in Monumental Chapel on campus. A reception will follow in the private dining area of Boyd Dining Center. Read more here.
Let us all remember just how fragile life is and surround one another with peace and comfort as we navigate this difficult time.
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