The new year has brought new opportunities and accolades to Virginia Wesleyan. The University held an in-person January Term, despite the hardship caused by the omicron variant, allowing students to learn together in our vibrant campus community.

Perhaps more surprisingly, our area enjoyed two snow accumulations in two weeks. These rare snow days found the Marlins sledding Mount Crushmore outside of Kenneth R. Perry Field and making snow angels in the quad. It was great to see students enjoying nature and having fun.

Our students continue to represent Virginia Wesleyan well regionally and internationally. Junior Melina Cabral was selected as a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which she will use to study in Spain this spring. Five Marlins represented Virginia Wesleyan at the 2022 VFIC Ethics Bowl, presented by Wells Fargo, at the end of January in Ashland, Virginia.

In Academics, we welcomed veteran administrator, scholar, faculty member Dr. Susan Larkin to the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs. Later in the month, we commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with on-campus community service activities and a virtual event in the evening. We proudly announced S. Bernard Goodwyn, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, as our Spring 2022 Commencement speaker.

In other news, our Winter 2022 Special Edition of the Virginia Wesleyan University Magazine, including our annual report, is now available online. In its pages you'll understand why VWU Online was, once again, named a Best Online Bachelor's Program by U.S. News & World Report.

As our Spring Semester begins, please continue to take care of yourselves and each other. Let's hope a positive turning point in this ongoing pandemic is coming soon.

This is my 18th year serving as Executive Editor (along with Dr. Marylouise Fennell) of the presidential thought-leadership series President to President. The sixth chapter is now available online. In “Successfully Navigating the Mask Paradox: The Power of Institutional Authenticity,” Truman State University President Susan Thomas, Ph.D., describes how campuses can achieve institutional authenticity by proactively aligning what they do with who they are, allowing their mission and culture to drive strategic initiatives. Authenticity builds students’ trust and helps each campus create a more distinctive identity within the increasingly competitive higher education market.

This year’s series, titled “The Vitality and Power of Higher Education,” will explore how colleges and universities are approaching their missions with new vigor and re-examining their role in the community as the world continues working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of 10 chapters, these experts will provide unique insights into how recent and ongoing events are shaping the college experience.