Campus Events

Summer Session at VWU is the perfect opportunity to stay on track, get ahead, or explore new interests. Whether you’re catching up on coursework, working toward early graduation, or diving into specialty courses, VWU’s Summer Session offers flexible options to fit your academic goals. 

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What did newly freed slaves have to do with the VWU campus? What is the intentionally secret message at the statue of John Wesley? Why did a grove of trees cause deep controversy on campus? Why is a Peace Pole at the center of campus? Why was AIDS seen as particularly important here? These and other questions are addressed on a virtual tour of VWU’s sacred spaces, led by former VWU professors Larry Hultgren and Steve Mansfield. This program is part of the Nusbaum at Night series in which VWU faculty present over Zoom for 30 to 40 minutes on various aspects of life in Coastal Virginia. Registration required by noon Sept. 8. Register with kjackson@vwu.edu or 757.455.3129

The words “Never Forget” are closely tied to the devastation of September 11. This program honors that memory and the powerful acts of kindness and bravery that followed. This year, we reflect on six Coastal Virginia ‘helpers’ whose courage and compassion in challenging times made lasting impacts far beyond our borders —reminding us that history is shaped by those who, despite risk to themselves, choose to help. Together, we reflect, remember, and participate in a symbolic gesture of peace by placing hand-paintedrocks—created by VWU students—at the base of the Peace Pole. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

What has “Virginia” meant over the centuries? Bill Wooldridge, author of “Mapping Virginia: From the Age of Exploration to the Civil War,” explores historical maps that reveal how geography, ambition, and power shaped perceptions of our state. From undefined stretches in the 1500s to borders reaching the Mississippi by the 1700s, maps tell more than directions—they reveal dreams. This event is In recognition of Constitution & Citizenship Day. Please also visit the Wesleyan Engaged resource table for a free pocket constitution and voter registration materials. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

What if your neighborhood’s air, heat radiating from cracked asphalt, and the highway bisecting your community weren’t accidental but products of intentional policy? Urban geographer Johnny Finn uncovers how centuries-old policies still shape Coastal Virginia’s landscapes and harm marginalized communities that continue to suffer from environmental degradation, chronic illness, and shortened life expectancy. Through striking visuals and GIS data, this talk asks if our geography was shaped by injustice, how can we reimagine it for justice. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Stories give us a sense of place and help us understand ourselves in community. Former Norfolk City Historian Peggy Haile McPhillips shares memorable local tales—from an incendiary Sunday to a hidden horse track—that reveal how the past continues to shape our lives today. McPhillips, a lifelong resident of Norfolk and author of “Remembering Norfolk” and “Historic Photos of Norfolk,” currently serves as president of the Norfolk Historical Society. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Virginia Beach gained national attention as both a stronghold of the Religious Right and a magnet for the New Age movement, a spiritual crossroads where apocalyptic evangelicals and reincarnation-minded mystics coexisted just miles apart. Yet religious diversity has long defined our region: Ghent is encircled by a Jewish eruv; Norfolk is home to the first mosque ever established on a U.S. military base; and a major Buddhist temple stands just 1.3 miles from the VWU campus. As part of the Nusbaum at Night series, join VWU Batten Professor of Religious Studies and Leadership Craig Wansink over Zoom for a 30- to 40-minute drive-through exploration of the surprising and richly layered religious landscape of Coastal Virginia. Registration required by noon Oct. 6. Register with kjackson@vwu.edu or 757.455.3129

Why does Grace Sherwood’s story still haunt us? Scott Moore, author of “The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia History and Legend,” explores how the legend of Virginia’s most famous accused witch has evolved—from persecution to folklore to commemoration and civic pride—and what it says about our current day understanding of justice, gender, and belonging. Join us as Moore traces the strange morphology of a story that refuses to sink—and highlights what the story’s persistence reveals about our community and our conscience. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Before this land became our campus, it was farmland. Before that, it was home to newly emancipated Black Americans transitioning to freedom. And long before any of that, this place was part of the ancestral homeland of the Nansemond people—members of the Powhatan Confederacy. Join us for a ceremonial repatriation of ancestral artifacts that have been held by the university for nearly sixty years. We gather with Nikki Bass, Assistant Chief of the Nansemond Indian Nation, and Thomas Badamo, Council Treasurer and Assistant Chief Emeritus, to honor the enduring presence of the Nansemond people in our community. Also, with support from the William Granville Sale, Jr. Award given by the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia Peacemaking Committee, a permanent land-acknowledgement plaque will be dedicated. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Discover how enslaved people escaped into the Great Dismal Swamp—23 miles from campus—to build secret lives, trade networks, and a unique economy. Marcus Nevius, author of “City of Refuge: Slavery and Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp, 1763–1856,” uncovers this overlooked form of resistance called petit marronage, where a kind of freedom was achieved through barter and survival in the swamp. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

A Jewish New Yorker who moved to Virginia and made money as an exporter and who named his son Napoleon. A Kentucky native known as the “Sleeping Prophet” who gave psychic “readings” about health, past lives, and even Atlantis. A native of the Cape Verde Islands who wore loudly colored suits and glitzy jewelry, who had unusually long fingernails, and who was a celebrity preacher, faith healer, and miracle worker in the mid-20th century. Those three quirky figures each found their way to Coastal Virginia and lived in distinctive and unusual homes. As part of the Nusbaum at Night series, join VWU Gloria and David Furman Professor of Judaic Studies Eric Mazur over Zoom for a 30- to 40-minute exploration of these peculiar figures and their unusual homes.  Registration required by noon Nov. 3. Register with kjackson@vwu.edu or 757.455.3129.

In 1775 Virginia, a British governor’s offer of freedom to enslaved people ignited chaos and revolution. Andrew Lawler, author of “A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution,” shares the story of how these Black allies and the burning of Norfolk pushed the colonies toward revolution. Join us as Lawler uncovers how the fight for Black freedom set America on fire—literally—pushing the colonies to declare independence. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Public sites and structures shape what we honor and what we forget. They can embody the legacy of one group and the trauma of another—the Confederate Memorial in Portsmouth once stood on the site of a slave whipping post, and the Emancipation Oak in Hampton is more than just a tree. How should public sites be designed considering complex histories. How can we develop a consistent view when historical pride, personal attachment, and moral discomfort share the same ground. Levi Tenen leads a provocative exploration of these issues and the ethics of public space more generally. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.