Chris Wise, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, hasn’t let these unprecedented times pass without reflecting on how to be a better leader and family man.

He graciously shared with us his experiences, takeaways, and suggestions for Hokies in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q: How have you stayed active during these trying times?

A: I am power walking about 3.5 miles a day and I try to do a Peloton workout 2-3 times a week as well. As a family we’ve played more driveway basketball during COVID than we did in the final 2.5 years my kids lived in the house. We play a lot of 1-on-1 in the driveway, we’re all competitive in our family, so we have to get into competition at some point. 

 

Q: How has the unprecedented summer affected your family dynamic?

A: My kids are adults, 24 and 20, one is in college and one's a full time employee. Carson is 24 and can work from anywhere. My college student from JMU [Camden] is here. It has changed the whole empty nest life that we had developed over the last 2 years. We spend a lot more money at the grocery store, obviously. But how often do you get to have your adult children come back and live with you like that? Both were athletes in college, they never came back for even a week at a time, it was always a day or two here or there. So to have them back for 10 straight weeks is really unique and fun. 

 

 

Chris with his family: Camden, Barbara, and Carson

Chris with his wife Barbara

Q: What are some lessons you’ve learned and some things you are more grateful for during quarantine?

A: One of the biggest things I’ve learned is the importance of working together and communicating openly in business. People depend on their leaders to share the information they have and to communicate well. There are so many unanswered questions, that any time you can answer a question for somebody, though it might seem simple, it might be the question that really calms them a lot and puts them in a better place. So I think that’s important and I think I’ve learned how to be a better communicator and a better leader because of this. 

 

Q: What does the Hokie Movement mean to you?

A: Finding something that you enjoy, if it allows you to move, get you up, and get you active. And if that is gardening, let it be gardening, if it's walking, let it be walking, if it's biking, let it be biking, and if it's just parking a little further away and saying, “Hey I'm gonna start like this and see where it takes me,” that’s great. 

I've come to realize that people enter exercise, fitness, and movement from a lot of different places, depending on what works and what’s comfortable for them. That’s what I take from that campaign, is to make sure you move, whether that's taking the stairs over the elevator, whether that's parking a few spots away. I think it's an incredible campaign and I’m super supportive of it and appreciative of everybody in Rec Sports that continues to drive it.

 

Q: What advice do you have for Hokies on what to take away from this challenging time in our lives?

A: My advice is let this be a lesson that lasts a lifetime. If we don’t use this experience as a learning environment then we have wasted an opportunity for society to understand the importance of health and wellbeing.There will be another one down the road, but let's not wait for the next one to remember what we’ve learned in this one, let’s stay as active and as well as we can.

Chris Wise has been with the university since 1987, when he was a graduate student serving as a graduate assistant in Recreational Sports. Although he is a native of South Carolina, he often says he has lived in Blacksburg for more than half his life, which makes Blacksburg his home (away from home). Chris developed a passion for sports at a very early age and it led him from being a college athlete at Newberry College in South Carolina to a career in health and wellness with a student affairs twist. At a time when Chris was undecided about what his career path might be, he was introduced to Virginia Tech Student Affairs, where he now prides himself on providing health and wellness programs that allow students to find their career passion while pursuing a life of well-being.

As Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Chris provides leadership to the following departments with a primary goal of integrating health and wellness into the everyday culture of Virginia Tech: Cook Counseling Center, Hokie Wellness, Recreational Sports, Schiffert Health Center, and Services for Students with Disabilities. These departments encompass more than 750 employees with operating budgets in excess of $25 million. Resource development and management has been a hallmark of Chris’ long tenure at Virginia Tech. He has initiated a variety of building projects related to health and wellness, has developed numerous new income streams, and has grown staffing in thoughtful and efficient ways to provide needed programs and facilities while respecting the cost of education. During his years as director of Recreational Sports, Virginia Tech was twice named the nation’s fittest college by The Active Times.

Chris looks for opportunities to continue to learn. He is actively involved with the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) as well as NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. He has served a two-year term as NIRSA Virginia State Director and is a graduate of the NIRSA School of Recreational Sports Management and the NIRSA Executive Institute. He is also a graduate of the Academy for Leadership Excellence at Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Executive Development Institute. Chris is an active supporter of local youth sports programs, serving on youth baseball and soccer boards and providing support to local high school athletic programs. He knows what led him on his path in life and values the opportunity to help others along their paths.

Outside of work, Chris spends much of his time with his wife and two sons, supporting them in their dreams. Whether it is exercising with wife (powerwalks are their go-to) or shagging balls from his two aspiring kicker/punter sons, Chris enjoys the outdoors. When time allows, traveling and golf are his relaxation activities of choice.

Story by Molly McPherson