Virginia Wesleyan Becomes Batten University | Virginia Beach News

Virginia Wesleyan University is now Batten University — a bold rebrand honoring the Batten family’s decades of support, but one that’s sparked fierce backlash. Alumni and students fear the move erases Methodist heritage and over-reliance on one donor, while leadership insists it’s about prestige and survival in a shrinking college landscape. The name change, announced last August, has already reshaped campus buildings and programs — even prompting some alumni to demand removal from the sports hall of fame. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/96bd2d546e897c53