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Last month brought our Marlins opportunities for exploration and reflection as the University hosted a myriad of events centered around Black History Month and our annual Love in the Liberal Arts symposium. We were especially proud to host the inaugural event for the Africana Studies program this past month with VWU Visiting Scholar Dr. Ophera A. Davis. We remain grateful for all of the guest speakers and artists who joined us on campus and virtually to share their knowledge and experiences with our students.

In this same vein, the University introduced the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (DEIC) as a means of further enhancing the University’s institutional commitment to these areas. The DEIC is a move forward from, and will replace, a previous council that was started on campus many years ago. As a part of this announcement, we named Dr. Felipe Hugueno as our new Chief Diversity Officer and appointed five Deputy Diversity Officers from key institutional areas to lead VWU in offering programs designed to enhance the educational value of the campus community through purposeful dialogue and celebration of difference.

Our students continue to distinguish themselves in academics and beyond. Scholars from the Batten Honors College explored Ecuador during January Term. Sophomore Nathan Richardson scored in the top 14 percent on the world's leading university-level math exam, the 82nd annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Marlin student-athletes , earned top honors at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Track & Field Indoor Championships. Students involved in the Arts at VWU are preparing for a robust upcoming season of musical and theatrical performances.

There is certainly much to celebrate this semester and beyond as Â鶹´«Ă˝rtb continues to offer students a premier liberal arts education in our advantageous location where the classroom meets the coast.

This is my 18th year serving as Executive Editor (along with Dr. Marylouise Fennell) of the presidential thought-leadership series . In the seventh chapter of the 2021-2022 series, ",” University of Mary Washington President Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D., examines higher education’s obsession with the attainment of status. He details some of the consequences of prioritizing status above other values, describes the benefits of changing this way of thinking, and shares ideas for shifting focus to other priorities.

This year’s series, titled “,” 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.