of Methodist minister Joseph Shackford Johnston, later the college's first president. It became a university in 2017.
== Academics ==
=== Colleges and schools ===
Virginia Wesleyan University consists of four schools devoted to specific areas of study: the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, the Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Birdsong School of Social Science, and the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies.
=== Batten Honors College ===
The Batten Honors College, named for Virginia Wesleyan Trustee Emerita Jane Batten and her late husband Frank Batten, Sr., was founded in 2017 with a mission to "inspire, engage, and prepare academically talented students to become leaders, environmental stewards, and impactful citizens in the global community."
=== VWU Global Campus ===
Founded in 2017, VWU Global Campus enrolls 2,601 students in early enrollment, evening and weekend, online (undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit) and at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan). VWU Global …
