Even as the 2000-2001 school year comes to a close, issues are already being raised about next year. As of April 20, 60.06 percent of Virginia Wesleyan College’s students will be returning next fall. With over 300 students not responding, however, it is impossible to predict how many students will actually return. An increase in freshman enrollment, combined with a high retention rate, which signifies improvement in the college’s appeal, may actually cause complications regarding housing. According to Sara Gastler, admissions counselor and assistant director of admissions, housing concerns do not really become an issue until August.

"We’re not full yet," said Gastler, "but we’re getting there." If there are not enough beds on campus to house everyone, Residence Life will be left with several options. The first is to ask seniors (and, if necessary, juniors as well) if they would like to move off-campus. The second option is to house students in the Lake Wright Resort and Convention Center, located at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Wesleyan Drive. Students are voicing concerns over even the slightest possibility of housing students at the Lake Wright. "I think the school shouldn’t accept more students the facilities can handle," said freshman Dave Helenski. "They need to either limit the incoming freshmen by raising admissions standards, or increase housing to accommodate the incoming freshmen." Sophomore Alacia Earley added, "I think it would be a crazy thing to do. Students won’t be able to have R.A.s or a regular hall. Plus, there would be a hassle of living off-campus. If I had to live at the Lake Wright I wouldn’t be very happy, because I would feel excluded from the rest of campus."

The latest continuing enrollment report noted that 600 students are returning, up from 546 in 1999. Sixty students, however, are not returning as of April 20, compared with 38 in 1999 (reports from 2000 were not available). "We’re hoping we’ll be at a situation where there are full dorms, but right now we do not know, and we won’t until the end of the summer," said Gastler. Residence Life could not be reached to discuss housing issues.

The H.C. Hofheimer Family Foundation donated $50,000 last month to Virginia Wesleyan College. The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom received $5,000 to support the Nexus series, and $45,000 will be spent to increase the library’s holdings. "It’s more than just putting volumes of books on the shelves," said Library Director Jan Pace. "We will be able to identify, evaluate and strengthen certain areas in the library." This summer, the library staff will systematically go through all the books and cite any holes. According to Pace, the hope is to bolster the classics in all fields, "beef up" the research capabilities, and, overall, support a liberal arts curriculum. A computer analysis will be run against suggested numbers of holdings, and reports will be run in many different areas. The reports will then be sent to every department, in order for the faculty to participate in the book selection process.

Most books the library will purchase cost about $50 each, and books in the sciences are even more. The $45,000 donation could go very quickly. "We’re still very excited about it," said Pace. "We’re pleased to get any extra amount." In a letter to the Hofheimer family, Pace thanked them on behalf of "each student, past, present, and future, who will benefit from your gift." Pace said she considers the students as her business and her customers, and this money is for them. In the past 30 years, the library staff has not grown at all, but has actually decreased in number of professional librarians since its opening. In that time, the staff’s technical updates have included new data bases, circulation systems and a web page. "We have completed this installation and administration of computers with no extra money, staff or training," said Pace. "With the growth in the library’s resources, an increase in workers would be helpful."

"I call it my talent," said Pace. "I think we have done an extraordinary job with very little resources. We have kept the library up-to-date and on par with other libraries, large and small. I am really proud." With the opening of the Batten Student Center, the Department of Recreation and Leisure, as well as Security, will move from above the library. The library will use this vacated area and already has more bookshelves waiting in storage. "The whole collection has to be shifted," said Pace. "Book by book by blasted book." Pace will be asking for volunteers to help, and the assistants will need to be trained to re-shelve the 120,000 volumes. The library hopes to acquire about 7,500 more volumes in the fall semester.