The Batten School hosted a two-day conference Thursday and Friday to celebrate its new permanent home in Garrett Hall. The $12.2 million renovation was completed in August, and the building was honored by President Teresa A. Sullivan and members of the Board of Visitors during the Friday night dinner.
During the dinner, Jane Batten unveiled a portrait of her late husband, Frank Batten Sr., a 1950 graduate of the University whose $100 million gift funded the creation of the Batten School in 2007.
The celebratory conference included three panels which discussed different aspects of leadership, a luncheon keynote address by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a gala dinner, the second annual Batten ball and the first on-Grounds meeting of the Batten School advisory board.
In the introduction of the first panel, Gerry Warburg, assistant dean for external affairs at the Batten School, called the conference a celebration of "an entrepreneurial startup," noting that this is the first new school created by the University since Darden in 1954.
The founding of the Batten School was "a relatively radical idea" because unlike most schools which teach "public policy, we teach advocacy," Warburg said.
During Thursday night's gala dinner, Batten School Dean Harry Harding said the school is in keeping with the University's Jeffersonian tradition. "This building [Garrett Hall] and school reflect the convergence of two ideals of two extraordinary men - Thomas Jefferson and Frank Batten," he said. "Our aim is to create a new kind of school of leadership and public policy [prepared] for the 21st century."
Sullivan also described the Batten School as an "advance in Mr. Jefferson's vision" which will prepare the "next generation of leaders to guide public policy."
Anna Draganova, a 2011 graduate of the Batten School's Masters in Public Policy program, spoke at the gala about her experience after graduation.
Graduates of the Batten School "have the skills that it takes to turn learning into actions," she said. "We're prepared because our commitment to service is genuine."
During the dedication at the gala dinner, Jane Batten spoke about the significance of the school's new location on Central Grounds at the corner of the Academical Village.
"Its physical position on the Lawn foretells the prominence this school will have on the future of the University," she said.
The location is "the pedestrian crossroads of Grounds," Warburg said. The location ultimately symbolizes the Batten School's integration within the University because "it's where ideas and people meet at the heart of the University," he said. Warburg pointed to the Batten School's dual-degree program as an indication of the school's commitment to collaborate with other parts of the University community.
The event concluded with a luncheon keynote address by Webb, who spoke about his personal views on leadership and how his experiences outside of the Senate have impacted the way he approaches issues within the Senate. "Leadership makes a difference," he said. "The key component of leadership is character"
Read More
Will Ryan’s resignation impact the University’s reaccreditation?
By Leigh Bailey | 13 hours agoDr. Janea Johnson, public relations and data specialist at SACSCOC, said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily July 28 that “a change in leadership does not automatically become a compliance concern.”
United Healthcare takes over as student health insurance provider
By Lauren Seeliger | 18 hours agoAll University students are required to be medically insured, but the University student plan is only required for students who do not have other, valid health insurance.
University community leaders gather at the Rotunda to speak about interim President Mahoney
By Xander Tilock | 23 hours agoEach speaker addressed concerns over a lack of input from students, faculty, staff and community members in the circumstances which led to former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation and the decision-making process since then.
