Happy New Year to our Virginia Wesleyan family and friends!

In this month's edition, I hope you enjoy reading about our virtual Commencement Ceremony and graduate recognition event for the Class of 2020. We also recently announced our 2021 Commencement and Baccalaureate speakers. I am proud to introduce our new Dean of VWU Global Campus (though she is no stranger to VWU) and a "new" Vice President for Enrollment. The fourth chapter of the 2020-21 President to President thought leadership series, for which I serve as an executive editor, is now available. Learn more about our intercollegiate athletics department as all 22 teams prepare for competition this spring. Our Winter Arts Showcase, which premiered on December 11, is available on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network. Our 2019-2020 winter magazine and annual report highlights all the big news from the last year.

We ended our Fall 2020 Semester remotely as planned in December. While it's always nice to enjoy a silent night or two on campus, we miss our students when they leave and look forward to their return this month for the Spring 2021 semester.

Sincerely,
Over the years I have enjoyed writing regular columns and contributing to articles.
Included below are links to several recent publications. Visit vwu.edu/president for more.
President to President: Fostering A Culture of Innovation
The fourth chapter of the 2020-2021 President to President thought leadership series is available online. In "Leading Through Crisis: Leveraging Goals to Build a Lasting Legacy," University of Miami President Julio Frenk, MD, Ph.D., explores how crises and other unforeseen events--such as those that have unfolded in 2020--create opportunities for leadership, community building, and leveraging an institution's strategic priorities. He details how his University's longstanding commitment to its mission and goals supported the community through ongoing challenges.

In this year's President to President series, titled "Fostering a Culture of Innovation," prominent higher education experts share how their institutions have innovated in response to the previously unimaginable challenges that have recently impacted higher education. Each chapter is written by an esteemed college or university president and contains unique perspectives and practical ideas for encouraging and leveraging innovation to improve higher education. As an Executive Editor of the series for the last 16 years, I hope you find value in the insights this series provides and look forward to sharing a new chapter with you online each month.
Virginia Wesleyan University officials continue to monitor the outbreak of COVID-19, following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

The University's Emergency Response Team has created VWU CovidSafe to provide information about the current number of confirmed cases impacting our campus. It will be updated weekly on Wednesdays to keep the community apprised of our current situation.
Dr. Scott D. Miller is president of Virginia Wesleyan University. Respected as one of the most entrepreneurial higher education executives in America, he is in his 30th year as a university president. Dr. Miller has dedicated his career to the opportunities available through education. He especially values the small, classical, liberal arts college environment that offers students personalized pathways to life and career success.

Previously, he was president of Bethany College (2007-2015), Wesley College (1997-2007), and Lincoln Memorial University (1991-1997). He was also Executive Vice President (1988-1991) and Vice President for Development (1984-1988) at Lincoln Memorial University and Director of College Relations and Alumni Affairs at Rio Grande College (now University) in Ohio. Read more.