Why Batten University
The VWU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rename the University in tribute to Jane Batten and the Batten family, whose nearly 50 years of visionary support have shaped our institution.
The new name—Batten University—honors the family whose transformational support made this evolution possible and positions us for national and international distinction.
The name change reflects
Our bold future
A decade of transformational progress
The extraordinary philanthropic
legacy of the Batten family
A participative 10-year master plan (2015–2025)
— developed with input from faculty, staff, and
trustees—has led to major institutional advances.
We are not the same university we were 10 years ago.
Our evolution is evident in the past decade of progress
Expansion of graduate, online, dual enrollment,
and continuing education programs
A regionally recognized talent development initiative
A collaborative campus in Tokyo, Japan
A pioneering prison education program
The nationally acclaimed Virginia Museum of
Contemporary Art now located on our campus
And, most recently, the integration of Sentara College
of Health Sciences, a respected professional institution
founded in 1892 (pending accreditation approval)
