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Office of the President, Message from Dr. Hakim J. Lucas

January 31, 2022

Dear Panther Community,

We are already at the end of the first month of 2022. I hope you have taken some time to reflect on last year – the successes and the lessons learned – and are ready to use those experiences to make this year even better than the last. In the past month, our university has been on the move, making an impact not only in this Commonwealth, but across the nation.

Welcome Back!

I am excited to see more students back on campus this semester. Currently, we have a total of 1,583 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled. While we are still dedicated to maintaining the health and safety of our community by putting COVID protocols into practice, I am looking forward to seeing even more students move onto campus and experience the total academic offerings at Virginia Union University. Whether you are in person or virtual, remember to stay focused on Academic Excellence and disciplined in your studies! Let’s keep up the great work!

VUU at Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Inaugural Events

This month, our VUU Choir, Ambassadors of Sound Drumline and Panther mascot were invited to take part in Governor Glenn Youngkin’s inaugural events. On Friday, January 14th, our choir, under the direction of David Bratton and Assistant Director Joel Lester, performed a song with the Richmond Symphony at the Spirit of Imagination Candlelight Dinner at the Science Museum of Virginia. On Saturday, January 15th, at the Inaugural Ceremony, our choir and drumline performed a special arrangement of “The Blessing” and at the Spirit of Community Inaugural Parade, an original song written specifically for the Governor titled “One Virginia.” I am proud of our choir, drumline and mascot for representing our institution at this historic event. To watch the Inauguration Ceremony and parade, click here.

44th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Celebration

On Monday, January 17th, in partnership with Living the Dream Inc., we hosted the 44th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Celebration to honor the legacy of Dr. King and 8 individuals and organizations whose service reflects his spirit. Through this virtual celebration we were able to share the message of Dr. King in millions of homes. You can click here to watch the celebration of this year’s honorees.

Looking Forward . . .

Founders Day

On Friday, February 4th at 11 am, join us for our 2022 Founders Day Convocation hosted by the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. This year’s celebration marks the 157th anniversary of the founding of our university. Dr. John E. Guns, Dean of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology, will be the keynote speaker. You can watch the virtual event on VUU’s Facebook Live.

VUU Athletics

Congratulations to our VUU Football players, Savion Hopes and Jefferson Souza, who were selected to play in the HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans. The HBCU Legacy Bowl is an all-star game that showcases top-tier, draft-eligible football players who attend HBCUs. The game will air Saturday, February 19, 2022, at 3 pm on the NFL Network. Let’s cheer on our Panther football players!

Additionally, two of our student athletes, Ericka Tiscareno and Raemaad Wright, are among the list of finalists for the Lowes Senior Class Award. This award recognizes CIAA’s top seniors who exemplify the qualities of a student athlete in the categories of Classroom, Character, Community and Competition. You can click here to cast your vote for our Panther athletes.

CIAA

Mark your calendars for February 22-26th for the 2022 CIAA Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. Tickets are now on sale in the C.D. King building and the VUU Athletics office. For more information, click here.

Commencement 2022

On May 7th, 2022, VUU will celebrate the Class of 2022 at our 123rd Commencement ceremony. This year, in addition to celebrating the class of 2022, we want to honor the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021. Stay tuned to your university communications for more information.

With 2022 off to a strong start, I look forward to more exciting moments to come. Thank you for all your support of our university over the last year. We were able to make incredible strides on our journey to “Best in Class” by 2025. As we continue this journey, I encourage you to consider supporting our university financially. You can click Support VUU to give. As always, I appreciate your generosity. Wishing you much success in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Hakim J. Lucas, Ph.D
President & CEO