Virginia Wesleyan University

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Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia wesleyan univ seal.png
Former names
Virginia Wesleyan College (1961–2017)
MottoSapientia Illuminat Viam
Motto in English
Wisdom lights the way
TypePrivate
Established1961;64 years ago (1961)
Religious affiliation
 United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations
Endowment $123.5 million (2021) [1]
President Scott D. Miller
Students1,676 (Main Campus), 355 LUJ/VWU Global (Japan), 2,601 VWU Global Campus (Online and Continuing Education) [2]
Location
Virginia Beach
,
Virginia
,
United States

36°52′4.8″N76°11′15.4″W / 36.868000°N 76.187611°W / 36.868000; -76.187611
CampusUrban, 300 acres (1.21 km2)
Colors Dark Blue, Grey/Silver, and Coastal Blue    
Nickname Marlins
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division III – ODAC
MascotBob Marlin
Website vwu.edu
Virginia Wesleyan University logo.png
Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) is a private university in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The university is nonsectarian but historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church. [3] It enrolls 4,632 learners in all locations: 1,676 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs, 2,601 in VWU Global Campus (online and continuing education), and 355 students at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan). [4] Virginia Wesleyan transitioned from a college to a university in 2017. [5]

Contents

The Virginia Wesleyan University campus is also home to the Chesapeake Bay Academy, an educational institution that educates and guides students with learning disabilities, including attention disorders (ADHD), dyslexia, and dysgraphia, and the Tidewater Collegiate Academy, a teaching laboratory that extends from the primary grades through high school.

Through academic collaboration with local arts and sciences partners, on-site learning experiences are also provided at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach; The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk; Sentara College of Health Sciences in Chesapeake; and the Norfolk Botanical Garden. [6]

VWU collaborates with Virginia Beach Economic Development for a work development center, The Hive, in Virginia Beach. Approximately 3,000 continuing education learners benefit from joint programs at The Hive. [7] In 2025, the University opened VWU-Chesapeake, a comprehensive program for those incarcerated at St. Brides Correctional Center and Indian Creek Correctional Center. [8]

In August 2025, university leadership announced that the university will operate as Batten University beginning July 1, 2026. [9] [10] This name change is to honor the substantial long-term financial support from Jane Batten, the wife of Frank Batten, and the Batten family.

History

The school was chartered in 1961 as Virginia Wesleyan College under the initiative of Methodist minister Joseph Shackford Johnston, later the college's first president. [11] It became a university in 2017. [12]

Presidents of Wesleyan
NameTenure
Scott Douglas Miller 2015–present
William Thomas Greer Jr. 1992–2015
Lambuth McGeehee Clarke 1966–1992
Joseph Shackford Johnston 1965

Academics

Colleges and schools

Virginia Wesleyan University consists of four schools devoted to specific areas of study: the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, the Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Birdsong School of Social Science, and the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies. [13]

Batten Honors College

The Batten Honors College, named for Virginia Wesleyan Trustee Emerita Jane Batten and her late husband Frank Batten, Sr., was founded in 2017 with a mission to "inspire, engage, and prepare academically talented students to become leaders, environmental stewards, and impactful citizens in the global community." [14]

VWU Global Campus

Founded in 2017, VWU Global Campus enrolls 2,601 students in early enrollment, evening and weekend, online (undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit) and at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan). VWU Global Campus operates all for-credit programs outside of the traditional undergraduate program, the campus in Japan, and also supports non-credit, continuing-education offerings. [15] In 2024, Lakeland University (WI) and VWU announced the joint establishment of the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies. [16] Virginia Beach Economic Development, Tidewater Community College, and VWU share a workforce development center, The Hive, in Virginia Beach. Approximately 3,000 continuing education learners benefit from joint programs at The Hive. [7]

Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute

The Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute, a component of VWU Global Campus, was launched in 2017. Several courses will be taught during each of two regular semesters, and roughly half will be on faith-related topics. [17] [18] The University offers a wide variety of courses throughout the year for the nearly 1,000 residents of the Westminster-Canterbury on the Chesapeake Bay campus [19] and roughly half are on faith-based topics. [20] Over 1,100 learners enroll in Institute courses in 2024. [21]

Diversity and inclusion

Virginia Wesleyan often states its commitment to inclusivity and one of the institution's core values within its Forging our Future: Building on Strength 2020-2030 strategic plan reads, "Inclusive and Caring Community that empowers members to form meaningful relationships through listening, understanding, and communication." [22]

The university is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 25 institutions in Campus Ethnic Diversity for National Liberal Arts Colleges. [23] According to the university profile, students represent 34 states and 10 countries, with 43 percent from underrepresented populations. [24]

Virginia Wesleyan's campus is the South Hampton Roads home for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. The 83-year-old organization opened a satellite office at VWU in December 2018. [25]

Business leader and known civil rights advocate Harvey Lindsay made a $250,000 gift to Virginia Wesleyan in 2019 to enable the university to begin expanding the study of African-American history and traditions in Virginia. [26]

Campus

The Greer Environmental Sciences Center at Virginia Wesleyan University Greer Environmental Sciences Center.jpg
The Greer Environmental Sciences Center at Virginia Wesleyan University

Situated on 300 acres (1.2 km2) in Virginia Beach, the university is separated into five villages. Bray Village (Village I) and Allen Village (Village II) offer combined living-learning environments built on the Jeffersonian model, with multi-purpose buildings. Brock Village (Village III) and Honors Village (Village IV) are solely housing units. [27] Coastal 61 was added as a fifth village in 2020. [28]

The Robert "Bobby" T. Williams Trail, leading from the Blocker Youth Center to Lake Taylor, was dedicated in October 2019 in memory of the 1975 graduate who was killed in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting in May 2019. [29] [30]

The Greer Environmental Sciences Center, dedicated in 2017, received the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s National Conservationist of the Year Award in 2018. [31] The facility is a state-of-the-art center for teaching and research. [32] The 18-acre Wilson Arboretum was established in 1995 in memory of William M. Wilson, dean of the university from 1971 to 1994. Since 1997, retiring faculty members have chosen a tree to be planted within the arboretum to honor their service to the institution [33]

The 12-acre (4.9 ha) Beech Forest, a rare example of an old-growth stand of beech trees, was designated a Natural Heritage Resource by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1992. [34] The campus features over 13 miles of biking and hiking paths and trails. In July 2023, Virginia Wesleyan and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art announced their collaboration on the construction of a $25 million facility to be built on the University's Virginia Beach campus. [35] The groundbreaking ceremony took place in August 2024, celebrating the facility’s donors: Jane Batten, Joan Brock, and Susan and David Goode. [36]

Facilities

The Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center opened in March 2019. Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.jpg
The Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center opened in March 2019.

The following complexes and buildings, with completion dates noted, now house the university's academic, administrative, and residential functions.

The following complexes and structures house additional administrative buildings as well as athletic and student activities facilities:

Athletics

Virginia Wesleyan athletics wordmark Virginia wesleyan athletics mark.png
Virginia Wesleyan athletics wordmark

Virginia Wesleyan University sports teams are known as the Marlins. The university participates in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. VWU added supplemental conference membership with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). [37]

The university maintains an Athletic Hall of Fame honoring those who have made lasting contributions to Virginia Wesleyan's intercollegiate athletic program through outstanding achievements or service. [38]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University". Intentional Endowments Network. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  2. ↑ "President Miller delivers his 10th State of the University Address". Virginia Wesleyan University. August 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ ""This is not how we love each other": Local United Methodists react to church's controversial ruling". Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  4. ↑ "President Miller delivers his 10th State of the University Address". vwu.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University to expand presence to Japan with new partnership". Virginian-Pilot. April 30, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Accolades". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development". yesvirginiabeach.com. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  8. ↑ Staff, Web (September 4, 2024). "Virginia Wesleyan Establishes Re-entry Program For Incarcerated Persons » The New Journal and Guide" . Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University changing name to Batten University". The Virginian-Pilot. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ Whitford, Emma. "Virginia Wesleyan to Become Batten University". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  11. ↑ Mansfield, Stephen S. (2010). Wisdom Lights the Way: Virginia Wesleyan College's First Half-Century. Donning. ISBN   978-1-57864-643-2.
  12. ↑ ""Virginia Wesleyan Announces Transition to University Status"" . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Academics". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University welcomes the 1st class of the Batten Honors College" . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  15. ↑ "VWU Global Campus". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ "VWU and Lakeland University announce establishment of the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  17. ↑ The Wesleyan Review, October 2017,
  18. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine | Fall 2018 by Virginia Wesleyan University - Issuu". issuu.com. August 21, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Lifelong Learning | WC on Chesapeake Bay". WCCB. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  21. ↑ "The Adventure of Learning Continues with the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Preeminence '28". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "U.S. News & World Report Campus Ethnic Diversity".
  24. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan University College Profile" (PDF). Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities opens Hampton Roads office". dailypress.com. December 18, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Growth, Innovation, Prosperity Central to Virginia Wesleyan State of the University". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Campus Map". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Virginia Wesleyan, Franklin Johnston Group Break Ground on Coastal 61 at Oxford Village". www.vwu.edu. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  29. ↑ Albiges, Marie (June 2, 2019). "Bobby Williams' service to Virginia Beach was honored multiple times over 41 years". pilotonline.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  30. ↑ "The Wesleyan Review - October 25, 2019". vwu.edu. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  31. ↑ Mayfield, Dave (December 6, 2017). "Virginia Wesleyan wins top conservation award from Chesapeake Bay Foundation". pilotonline.com. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  32. ↑ Pennecke, Sandra (August 15, 2017). "New building at Virginia Wesleyan more instructional than most". pilotonline.com/inside-business. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  33. ↑ Michalski, Annalisa (May 28, 2018). "Three very different facilities, each an arboretum". pilotonline.com. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Historic Campus Architecture Project (Council of Independent Colleges)". Artstor. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Virginia MOCA to move into new, state-of-the-art facility at Virginia Wesleyan University". News 3 WTKR Norfolk. July 26, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Long a "hidden gem," Virginia MOCA breaks ground on new museum at Virginia Wesleyan". WHRO Public Media. August 20, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Division III". ecacsports.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Athletic Hall of Fame" . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Brandon Adair". NBRA. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings". virginiageneralassembly.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Kevin Nickelberry - Assistant Coach - Men's Basketball Coaches". Florida State University. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  42. ↑ "Randy Peele - Texas Southern University" . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball Operations". NBA.com .
  44. ↑ "Senate of Virginia". apps.senate.virginia.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  45. ↑ "Bob Valvano" . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  46. ↑ "KELLER WILLIAMS". KELLER WILLIAMS. December 10, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Education 2024: KARL McDONNELL". Virginia Business. August 30, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Eric Nyman, Chief Executive Officer, Revelyst – Vista Outdoor". vistaoutdoor.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  49. ↑ "David Green". Office of the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  50. ↑ "Michael Rawls | Mr. Cooper Group" . Retrieved February 21, 2025.
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