Dear Panther Community,
October has been an exciting month in the life of our campus. It was so good to see many of you during our Love, Union Homecoming Like No Other celebration. Our entire Panther Community was able to come together for a fun, safe, and healthy time together. I am looking forward to seeing more of you as we plan additional in-person events.
Final Enrollment Data
Friday, October 29 was our enrollment census date, when we finalize the actual headcount of our students. I am proud to report that we surpassed our enrollment goal, achieving the highest total enrollment in four years with 1,781 undergraduate and graduate students. This is a 12 % increase over Fall 2020 enrollment. The double-digit increase was propelled by the number of graduate students who enrolled which exceeded our goal by 24%. Congratulations to our Enrollment Management Division for their strategic efforts to recruit and retain students.
Civic Engagement
As Election Day approaches, I hope you will exercise your right to vote. Our students have been very engaged in the election process and we are giving them opportunities to hear from the candidates and the issues facing Virginia and the nation. VUU partnered with alumna Delegate Delores McQuinn to host the only bi-partisan event held in our region. The panel discussion, Empowering Women Through Policy, was held on campus on October 11 to promote gender and racial equity. In addition to the panel discussion, our students in the School of Education, SGA, and Ambassadors of Sound participated in Get Out the Vote events and had the opportunity to speak to the candidates on both sides of the ballot. Our university’s participation in civic events is paramount, as it encourages social justice initiatives and allows us to be the bridge to community engagement.
Looking forward to November
On November 6, 2021, our Panther football team will face the Virginia State University Trojans. Click on Game Day to purchase your tickets. If you are unable to join us on Hovey Field, the game will be televised on Aspire TV. Join us as we “maroon” out the stadium and cheer our Panthers to victory.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball kicks off on November 12th with the Lady Panthers facing Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and the Men facing Shippensburg University in Petersburg, VA. The Lady Panther’s first home game is November 19th against Chowan University, and the Men are home on November 27th against Fayetteville State. You can see the complete schedule by clicking on MBB and Lady Panthers. Season Tickets are on sale now at Game Day.
November 8 – 11th, you are invited to join us for the Ellison-Jones Convocation 2021, hosted by the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology. This event will feature various keynote speakers and leaders from all over the nation, breakout sessions, and nightly worship. You can register here to join us virtually or in person in the Living and Learning Center. Facemasks and proof of vaccination are required to ensure a safe healthy gathering for all speakers and attendees.
The season of Thanksgiving is approaching, and I am appreciative of everyone who has prayed and offered support for our students and campus. This season, please consider supporting our university financially. Your support aids in providing scholarships as well as campus improvements. Click on Support VUU to send a gift to the university. We are blessed to be a blessing and your generosity is appreciated.
The season of Thanksgiving is approaching, and I am appreciative of everyone who has prayed and offered support for our students and campus. This season, please consider supporting our university financially. Your support aids in providing scholarships as well as campus improvements. Click on Support VUU to send a gift to the university. We are blessed to be a blessing and your generosity is appreciated.