Stand Up for Virginia Wesleyan: Join Us October 4 to Protect the Name

Virginia Wesleyan is more than just a university. It’s a community, a family, and a home for generations of students and alumni who carry its name with pride. Now, that name—and everything it represents—is at risk.

The Board of Trustees has announced plans to rename Virginia Wesleyan University as Batten University in 2026. While we honor the extraordinary generosity of the Batten family, this decision threatens to erase decades of history, Methodist heritage, and the shared identity of every Marlin.

This October, you have a chance to make your voice heard.

Event Flyer for October 4 Protest

Event Details

📅 Date: Saturday, October 4, 12:00 PM

📍 Location: Wesleyan Drive – Public Sidewalk (not VWU property)

Bring your signs, your friends, and your passion. Together, we can show the university’s leadership that Virginia Wesleyan’s name is not just a label—it’s a legacy.

Why This Matters

The decision to rename Virginia Wesleyan University as Batten University is being framed as progress. But progress should not come at the expense of tradition.

For nearly 60 years, “Virginia Wesleyan” has stood for academic excellence, a Methodist liberal arts mission, and a commitment to community engagement. Students didn’t just attend a school—they became part of a family bound by shared values and a proud name.

Renaming the university to Batten University risks sending the wrong message: that institutional history can be rewritten when large donations are involved. A university’s identity should be rooted in its mission, not its marketing.

Honoring Without Erasing

The Batten family has been an extraordinary blessing to this campus. From scholarship support to the Jane P. Batten Student Center, their generosity has touched every Marlin in one way or another. They deserve to be celebrated—but not at the cost of erasing Virginia Wesleyan’s identity.

There are many ways to honor transformational donors—endowed chairs, new facilities, scholarships, or academic programs—without discarding a name that carries deep meaning for alumni and current students alike.

Why Show Up Now

This event on October 4 is not just a gathering—it’s a statement. When alumni, students, and community members stand side by side, we send a powerful message: Virginia Wesleyan matters.

• Show your support. Your presence demonstrates how much this name means to you.

• Build momentum. Change happens when people unite around a shared cause.

• Protect our legacy. We can celebrate the Battens while keeping our name intact.

If we stay silent, the transition to Batten University will move forward without challenge. Showing up now is the best way to ensure that university leadership hears the voices of those who love VWU.

How You Can Help

1. Join us on October 4 at 12 PM on the public sidewalk along Wesleyan Drive.

2. Bring signs, banners, and Marlin spirit to show your pride in Virginia Wesleyan.

3. Spread the word—share this post, call your fellow alumni, and invite friends and family.

4. Sign and share the petition calling for the Board of Trustees to reconsider the name change.

Together, We Are Marlins

Virginia Wesleyan is more than a school. It’s where students have gathered since 1961 to learn, grow, and forge friendships that last a lifetime. It’s where our Methodist roots gave meaning to our education. It’s the name on our diplomas, the chant at our games, and the bond that unites more than 15,000 of alumni around the world.

On October 4, we have the chance to show that Virginia Wesleyan will not be forgotten, ignored, or replaced. Together, we can protect this legacy and ensure that future generations of students proudly call themselves Marlins—not just in spirit, but in name.

Join us on Wesleyan Drive. Bring your voice. Bring your heart. Together, we will be heard.