Virginia Beach, Va. — In recognition of the University's significant institutional transformation, including the expansion of academic offerings, relocation of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art to its Virginia Beach campus, and planned integration of Sentara College of Health Sciences — all largely made possible by the Batten family — Virginia Wesleyan University will be renamed Batten University in 2026.
 
The announcement was made by Dr. Nancy DeFord, Chair of the University's Board of Trustees, during an August 20 celebration of The Batten Legacy at VWU. Dr. DeFord shared that the Board voted unanimously to rename the University in honor of Jane Batten and the Batten family, whose commitment to the institution began in 1978. (See the attached Batten Legacy list. As a private institution, Virginia Wesleyan doesn't routinely announce the size of philanthropic gifts. The Batten Legacy illustrates the significance of the Battens' support.)
 
Chartered in 1961 as a private liberal arts college, Virginia Wesleyan has evolved into a nationally recognized university—experiencing significant growth in enrollment, academic offerings, facilities, and global reach. This transformation was guided by a bold 10-year plan launched in 2015, developed with input from faculty, staff, trustees, and in close collaboration with Jane Batten's visionary ideals.
 
Mrs. Batten's deep commitment to education and environmental stewardship has profoundly shaped the institution. The university's student center was constructed thanks to a gift from the Battens and named in Mrs. Batten's honor in 2001. Scholarships bearing the Batten name have helped thousands of students access a Virginia Wesleyan education for decades.
Highlights of her impact over the last decade include:

• 2015 – Funded the state-of-the-art Greer Environmental Sciences Center
• 2016 – Established and endowed the Batten Honors College
• 2017 – Catalyzed university status through support for online and graduate programs
• 2019 – Inspired the development of the University's Environmental Guiding Principles
• 2020 – Enabled the University's investment in a collaborative campus in Tokyo, Japan
• 2023 – Provided one of two lead gifts to relocate the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art to VWU's Virginia Beach campus
• 2024 – Enabled the launch of the Jane P. Batten & David R. Black School for International Studies at Lakeland, Japan.

 
The name change will take effect July 1, 2026, coinciding with a significant moment in the University's continued evolution. In 2026, the institution will welcome the formal integration of the Sentara College of Health Sciences (pending accreditation approval), a professional institution founded in 1892, and celebrate the grand opening of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at the Virginia Beach campus. These transformational milestones align with the University's expanding footprint, including instructional sites for a pioneering prison education program in Chesapeake, Virginia, and a collaborative campus in Tokyo, Japan.


The Batten name achieved prominence in Coastal Virginia after Mrs. Batten's late husband, Frank Batten, became publisher of The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in 1954. He subsequently built the national media enterprise Landmark Communications, headquartered in Norfolk, and co-founded The Weather Channel, which he sold in 2008.
 
Jane Batten embraced Virginia Wesleyan after their daughter, Mary, enrolled in 1978. In 1981 Mrs. Batten joined the Board of Trustees, and in 1995 she became the first woman to chair the Board. Her passion for the institution raised its visibility in the region and drew other respected community leaders to the Board.
 
"There is no other visionary philanthropist like Jane Batten," said Dr. Scott Miller, the University's President. "Her progressive thinking and innovative vision for this University have made it what it is today."

Learn More About Why VWU is becoming Batten University Here
 
About Virginia Wesleyan University, Becoming Batten University July 1, 2026
Virginia Wesleyan University, becoming Batten University July 1, 2026, is Virginia's innovative university of the arts and sciences. Situated on a 300-acre park-like campus in Virginia Beach, the University annually enrolls approximately 5,700 learners, with 2,100 students in undergraduate and graduate programs and additional lifelong learners in programs offered by VWU Global Campus. The University features a College of Arts and Sciences, a campus in Toyko, Japan, and instructional sites at two correctional centers in Chesapeake, Virginia. In 2026, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art will open on the Virginia Beach campus and the Sentara College of Health Sciences, founded in 1892, will be integrated into the University (pending accreditation approval). As a learning community located in the rich and unique ecosystems of Coastal Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the University is committed to developing the next generation of environmental stewards. As such, Environmental Guiding Principles are embedded in all aspects of operations, including management of the endowment.