Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University Emblem
Established	1838
Type	Public university
Endowment	US 252.903 million[1]
President	Michael Rao
Provost	Beverly Warren, Ph.D.
Academic staff	3,088[2]
Admin. staff	18,218[2]
Students	32,284[2]
Undergraduates	22,792[2]
Postgraduates	9,492[2]
Location	Richmond, Virginia, USA
Campus	Urban 608.0 acres (2,460,000 m2)[3]
Colors	Black and Gold[4]
Athletics	NCAA Division I, CAA, 16 varsity teams
Nickname	Rams
Mascot	Rodney the Ram
Website	www.vcu.edu
All enrollment figures are as of Fall 2008

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a large, public American research university with two main campuses located in downtown Richmond, Virginia. VCU is an urban university with one of the largest enrollments in Virginia, with over 32,000 students.^[5]

VCU was founded through a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 ^[6].

It is classified as one of three Virginia research universities with high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Its Monroe Park Campus (formerly called the Academic Campus) is located near The Fan, while the Medical Campus is in the Court End Neighborhood.

History

Though officially created with the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) and Medical College of Virginia (MCV) in 1968, VCU's history stretches back to 1838 when the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opened in Richmond. In 1854, the Richmond Department of Medicine broke away from Hampden-Sydney College and became an independent institution known as the Medical College of Virginia. Richmond Professional Institute traces its roots back to 1917, when it began as the Richmond School of Social Work. VCU recognizes 1838 on its official seal and on promotional materials.

VCU Presidents

The Egyptian Building, built in 1845, is one of the University's oldest buildings. It is located on the MCV campus.

Timeline

• 1838 - The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opens in Richmond
• 1844 - The Medical Department moves into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building
• 1854 - The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College receives an independent charter from the Virginia General Assembly and becomes the Medical College of Virginia (MCV)
• 1860 - In return for a $30,000 appropriation MCV conveys all its property to the Commonwealth of Virginia and becomes a state institution
• 1893 - College of Physicians and Surgeons, later University College of Medicine, was established by Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire just three blocks away from MCV
• 1912 - McGuire Hall opens as the new home of the University College of Medicine
• 1913 - MCV and UCM merged through the efforts of Dr. George Ben Johnston and Dr. Stuart McGuire. MCV acquired the Memorial Hospital as a result of the merger
• 1917 - Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health established
• 1925 - Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health becomes the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary
• 1939 - Richmond division of William and Mary becomes the "Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary" (RPI)
• 1947 - MCV Foundation is incorporated.
• 1962 - RPI separates from William and Mary to become an independent state institution.
• 1968 - The first heart transplant at the Medical College of Virginia is performed by Dr. Richard R. Lower. This was only the 9th such operation performed in the United States, and the 16th in the world.
• 1968 - State legislation (Wayne Commission Report) merges MCV and RPI to become Virginia Commonwealth University. MCV retains the right to use its name.
• 2000 - VCU Health System authority is established.
• 2001 - Spring- Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Science opened. It includes a 70-acre (280,000 m²) lake, pine and hardwood forests. In the Summer the Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for Life Science was opened. It features an extensive greenhouse, 18 laboratories for research in genetics to systems biology, and is home to the Bioinformatics program.
• 2004 - The name VCU Medical Center is adopted to refer to MCV Hospitals and VCU's medical schools, and the VCU Academic Campus is renamed the VCU Monroe Park Campus.
• 2006 - VCU grew to become the most populated university in Virginia and the state's first to have 30,000 students

• 2008 - VCU celebrated 40th anniversary

Expansion: VCU 2020

VCU currently is the fastest growing University in the Commonwealth of Virginia, developing a strategic plan for the future known as "VCU 2020." The plan includes concepts for about $1 billion in new academic, medical, recreation, student housing and parking facilities on VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV Campuses.^[7] Among its major goals is the creation of a collegiate community promoting student engagement and the campus environment.^[8]

Future Construction

^{According to the 6 year Capital Plan as of 2009}

2010-2012^[9]

Monroe Park Campus

• General Academic building - a $44 million, 102,000 square foot classroom building on Floyd Avenue across from the Student Commons that will house the School of Social Work and the Department of English^[10][11]
• Information Commons/Cabell Library - Renovation and expansion of Cabell Library by 82,000 square-feet, called the "Information Commons"
• West Grace South Housing, Phase I - The new 459-bed residence hall and 218-space parking deck will be built on Grace Street property already cleared of structures and now used for parking. The two projects, expected to open in fall 2012, together will cost $41 million^[12]
• Grace Street Parking - a plan to build two parking decks on West Grace Street just east of Belvidere Street. The five-level decks with a total of 750 parking spaces are expected to be completed by the summer of 2011 at a cost of $15 million.^[13]
• Siegel Center Renovation - converts 16,000 square-feet of space previously occupied by Recreational Sports

MCV Campus

• New School of Medicine, Phase I - a 158.6 million dollar, 12 story medical building, encompassing 200,000 square feet. The new VCU School of Medicine would replace the AD Williams Clinic^[14]
• New School of Allied Health Professions - A 109,000 square foot building located on Leigh Street
• New School of Public Health Building - A 72,000 square foot building adjacent to the new School of Allied Health Professions

2012-2014^[9]

Monroe Park Campus

• Life Sciences II - a 160,000 square foot project that will have two pedestrian bridges connecting to the existing Trani Life Sciences Building and Temple Building. The building will be built at the current location of the Cary Street Tennis Courts^[15]
• Pollack Building Addition - constructs an additional 5th floor of approximately 28,000 square feet
• Tennis Center - A state-of-the-art, modern Tennis center that will include 6 indoor courts, a spectator viewing space, and 12 outdoor courts. The building will be located in the north boulevard area on 1405-07 Cummings Drive.^[16]

MCV Campus

• MCV Campus Research Laboratory I - a 125,000 square foot project that will be developed on the Virginia Treatment Center for Children (VTCC) site

2014-2016^[9]

Monroe Park Campus

• General Academic Building II - A second major classroom facility encompassing 102,000 square-feet
• Broad/Harrison Site Development I - development of grace street as a mixed-use retail-oriented "College Street"
• Athletics Field House - An indoor training facility that will support indoor track competitions and recreation

Additional Future Plans

• Monroe Park Campus Art Gallery - a 20 million dollar art gallery that will be built on the southwest corner of Broad and Belvidere. The new location would establish the gallery as the western anchor for the First Fridays Art Walks.^[17]
• Greek Row - a Greek row is being discussed due to the increasing Greek population and will be made on the 800 block of w grace street in the style of townhouses^[18]
• Franklin Street Gym - due to the opening of the new Cary Street Rec Facility, the Franklin Street Gym will be turned into Student Housing^[15]
• Monroe Park - a complete renovation to the historical Monroe Park which will make it a focal point on the Monroe Park Campus^[19]

Recently Completed

Cary Street Rec Facility under construction, Monroe Park campus

Monroe Park Campus

• Cary Street Recreational Complex - a 126,000 square foot renovation and expansion to the historic gym. The original building started its existence in the early 20th century as Richmond's Third Market. It later became the City Auditorium; the remains of the original painted name can still be seen on the building's sides. After a couple of decades of disrepair, VCU obtained the property and converted it into the Cary Street Gym in the 1980s. VCU Recreational Sports operated this facility as well as one in the Stuart C. Siegel Center, until 2007, when the Cary Street Gym was closed for renovation. The interior was gutted, re-roofed, and the exterior restored to reflect the building's historic design. A large addition was added on two sides of the historic building. VCU Recreational Sports moved its operations on the Monroe Park Campus solely to the Cary Street Gym, reopening the facility on January 4, 2010. The renovated building now contains an Aquatic Center with a leisure pool and activity pool, two floors of cardiovascular, strength and free weight equipment, 4 court hardwood gym, indoor turf Multi-Activity Center, 40 foot climbing wall, exercise studios and locker facilities.
• Snead Hall/ Engineering East Hall - part of the $228 million East Monroe park expansion and located on Belvedere and Main St, Snead Hall/Engineering East Hall is a 260,000 square-feet facility which houses the School of Business and Phase II of the School of Engineering. The building opened January 14, 2008 and facilitates classes and offices since the Spring 2008 Semester and beyond. The building has its own dedicated parking (located on Jefferson St.), student commons, residence hall, café, and career center. Snead Hall (School of Business) encompasses 145,000 square-feet of the building and the Engineering East Hall (School of Engineering) is an additional 115,000 square-feet of the building.^[20][21]
• Hibbs Building - Renovation to the oldest of the major academic buildings and former dining hall. Completed in Fall 2006
• School of Engineering Addition - a 25,000 square foot state-of-the-art collaborative research environment for a Health and Life Sciences Laboratory School^[22]
• VCU Brandcenter - renovation of the 22,000 square foot Belting Building; new construction of the 8,000 square foot Brandcenter^[22]

MCV Campus

• Massey Cancer Center - An 80,000-square-foot building with 72 research labs and a two-level, 109-car parking deck at $41.8 million^[22]
• Critical Care Hospital - Central Virginia’s only level-one trauma center, the 15-story Critical Care Hospital specializes in intensive care^[22]
• Medical Sciences Building II - a 125,000 square feet research lab^[22]
• W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr Building - School of Dentistry. A 54,000 square feet addition to School of Dentistry on Leigh Street; housing research, clinic and teaching space^[22]
• New School of Nursing - an additional 70,000 square feet of research and training space to the VCU nursing program^[22]
• MCV Campus Recreation Center - a 31,000 square feet addition to the Recreation and Aquatic Center^[22]
• Larrick Student Center - renovated MCV campus dining court

Campuses and grounds

VCU has two main campuses in Richmond: the Monroe Park Campus and the Medical College of Virginia Campus. VCUarts also has a branch campus in Education City, Qatar. Informally, the campuses are known respectively as the "academic campus," "medical campus," and "VCUQatar".

Snead Hall, Monroe Park campus

Monroe Park Campus

Home to most of VCU's general education facilities, the Monroe Park Campus is located at the eastern end of the Fan district, a historic neighborhood built adjacent to downtown Richmond in the early 20th century. The Monroe Park Campus begins at Monroe Park on North Belvidere Street and continues west to Harrison Street. Most buildings are located on or between West Main Street and West Broad Street. Originally home to the Richmond Professional Institute and then the Academic Campus of VCU in 1968, the Monroe Park Campus took on its current name in June 2004. This campus blends the old and new; ecompassing over 40 buildings built before 1900. Monroe Park Campus includes

• Siegel Center - Home of the VCU Rams basketball and volleyball teams
• VCU School of the Arts
• Snead Hall/ Engineering East Hall - A 260,000 square foot, state of the art building for the School of Business, the School of Engineering, and the da Vinci Center
• Cary Street Gym - A 158,000 square foot gym that opened in January 2010

VCU Molecular Medicine Research Building (MMRB), MCV campus.

MCV Campus

The Medical College of Virginia Campus is home to the VCU Medical Center. This includes the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Allied Health, Nursing, a recently established School of Public Health, and the MCV Hospitals, which is the major component of the VCU Health System. The Campus is also home to the Massey Cancer Center (an NCI-designated Cancer Center). The MCV Campus is an integral part of Richmond in the old Court End district. The neighborhood is located adjacent to the city’s business and financial district near the state capitol. MCV campus includes Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.

James Branch Cabell Library, Monroe Park Campus

Libraries

The VCU Libraries is the third largest research library in Virginia. The libraries hold more than 2 million print volumes, 50,000 journals, 220,000 electronic books, 3.25 million microforms, and 61,000 audiovisual pieces. Collection strengths include the arts, behavioral sciences, business, chemistry, clinical medicine, education, health and life sciences, public affairs, and social work. The VCU Libraries hosts two million visitors each year.

The James Branch Cabell Library supports the Monroe Park Campus. It houses one of the largest book art collections in the Southeast and the fifth largest graphic novel and comic book collections in the United States.^[23] The library has collections that include rare and specialized collections that serve as repositories for the papers of numerous Virginia writers, artists, and social activists. Areas of particular note are the Archives of the New Dominion, a collection of historical materials from Virginia’s under-documented communities, and the archives of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award.

The Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences on the MCV Campus has the largest medical collection in the state, with extensive journal collections dating back to the nineteenth century. Special collections maintain the papers of health care practitioners and the history of health care in Virginia. Its Medical Artifacts Collection has over 6,000 instruments and equipment related to the history of health care in Virginia over the last 150 years. The VCU Libraries offers electronic access to some of its unique collections, including papers, images, and sound files relating to civil rights, Richmond architecture, civil war medicine, comic-book and cartooning arts, medical artifacts, and the history of VCU. The VCU Libraries is a repository for federal and state publications and maps.

Brandt Hall, Monroe Park Campus.

Housing

VCU's residential hall capacity is 4,986 students^[24]

Rhoads Hall, Johnson Hall (VCU), Brandt Hall, GRC, and Cabaniss Hall are the primary freshman communities on campus. Together they house approximately 3,273 students.^[25] Most of these halls are set up for coeducational living with each floor designated for female or male students, except for Brandt hall which is comprised completely of suites allowing for coeducational floors. Brandt Hall is the newest residence hall facility on campus and houses 640 students, with floors reserved for freshmen and selected suites reserved for honors students. The West Grace Street Honors Residential College is adjacent to Rhoads and Johnson. It houses male and female freshman honors students in single rooms with a capacity of 177 students. The Gladding Residence Center suites offer a more independent living option for freshmen in a community with upper-level students. Cabaniss Hall at the VCU Medical Center is a freshman community especially of interest to students in the life and health sciences.

Upper-class students may choose to live in Ackell Residence Center, Broad and Belvidere, RAMZ Hall or the Cary & Belvidere apartments(the last of which are primarily reserved for Arts, Engineering, and Business majors).

Safety at VCU

VCU's police force is one of the top five largest campus police forces in the country.^[26] The police force consists of 82 sworn officers and over 200 security personnel.^[27] It also includes an accredited training academy.^[27]

VCU also provides a free Security Escort service to students and faculty to assist them in reaching their destination.^[28]

In every VCU dormitory there are Residence Hall Security Officers that enforce VCU residence hall policies and help watch over the safety of the residents by ensuring every guest brought into the dorm has to sign in and present a valid ID. Dorm security works 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Shafer Court Dining Center, Monroe Park campus

Dining

Undergraduate students living in a university residence hall (not students living in university apartments), are required to choose a residential dining plan. VCU Dining Services offers block plans at 200-, 250- and 300- meal levels with additional Dining Dollars added. Block plans allow a specific number of meals to be used over an entire semester. All unused block meal swipes and dining credits are forfeited at the end of each semester. These unlimited-serving meals are served in the Shafer Court Dining Center and the Larrick Dining Center. A wide variety of foods are offered for every type of diet, including vegetarian options, vegan foods, and low-fat foods. Fruits and vegetables are fresh daily. Dining Dollars allow students the opportunity to purchase tax-free meals at any VCU retail restaurant. Commuter students and students living off campus have the option of purchasing a nonresidential dining plan.

VCUQatar

VCUQatar (VCUQ) is VCU School of the Arts' branch campus located in Education City, Qatar. VCUQ was established in 1998 and was the first university to open its doors in Education City.^[29] VCUQ provides students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design or Painting and Printmaking and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Design Studies^[30]. In addition to smart classrooms, the VCUQ campus is primarily composed of studios and workspaces for its art programs, an international gallery and a library. The campus also contains things needed for daily student life such as a café, prayer rooms, a student lounge, and a central hall which can be used for a variety of events^[31]. Through its programs, VCUQatar’s mission is to “develop the individual capacity to lead innovations in the creative and cultural professions in Qatar and the region.”^[32]

VCU Regional Facilities

Inova Campus (part of VCU School of Medicine)

VCU Rice Center for environmental life sciences

Virginia BioTechnology Research Park

Academics

Schools and departments

VCU Engineering West Hall, Monroe Park campus.

• College of Humanities & Sciences^[33]
  • School of Mass Communications^[34]
  • School of World Studies^[35]
  • L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs^[36]
• School of Allied Health Professions^[37]
• School of the Arts^[38]
• School of Business^[39]
• School of Dentistry^[40]
• School of Education^[41]
• School of Engineering^[42]
• School of Medicine^[43]
• School of Nursing^[44]
• School of Pharmacy^[45]
• School of Social Work^[46]

Programs

VCU offers Baccalaureate, Master's and Doctoral degrees, as well as Professional and Certificate courses.^[47]

Over 40 of VCU's programs are unique to Virginia, such as the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness major in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, as well as the Real Estate and Urban Land Development degree in VCU's School of Business. The university also offers a wide range of study options with more than 170 certificate, undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences and humanities in fifteen different schools of discipline.

In addition to its undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as its honors program, VCU now hosts the Illustration Academy.

The university's medical campus provides students with several opportunities for postgraduate study at VCU. This has led to the development of "guaranteed admission programs," where under select incoming undergraduates are guaranteed a spot in a variety of professional schools so long as a high academic standard is maintained throughout their undergraduate studies. Schools with such a program include medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, pharmacy and others.

An accelerated program in the School of Education offers a combined undergraduate, teaching certificate and master's degree in five years.

VCU da Vinci Center

VCU schools of the Arts, Business, and Engineering have collaborated to create the VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation in Product Design and Development. Student teams from these schools take on a product development or design challenge posed by on of the Center's industry partners. Such cross-disciplinary educational opportunities prepare students for management roles in the global, technology-driven workplace of the 21st century.^[48]

Rankings

VCU holds a number of national rankings, US News & World Report graduate rankings include:

The Fine Arts Building, Monroe Park Campus.

Academic University

• The Academic Ranking of World Universities conducted in 2005 by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks VCU in the top 100 universities in North & Latin America and one of the top 200 universities in the world.^[51]

VCUarts Rankings

• Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) is ranked the #1 public university school of arts and design in the country (#4 among public & private institutions) by U.S. News & World Report (2009). VCUarts is the only public university arts and design school in the country to ever be ranked this high in overall ranking.

• VCUarts Department of interior design graduate program was ranked as the #4 Interior Design graduate program in the South and #6 nationally by the journal DesignIntelligence in its 2008 edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools". The undergraduate program was ranked #5 regionally.

VCU Brandcenter

• The VCU Brandcenter, the School of Mass Communication’s graduate program in advertising, has also been ranked 1^st in the nation by Creativity Magazine and as one of the top 60 design schools in the world by BusinessWeek.^[52]

VCU Medical Center

• VCU’s Masters of Science in Health Administration program was ranked second by Modern Healthcare. The University's Health System earned national Magnet nursing designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and has twice been named one of the Solucient Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S. by Solucient Corporation. In research the school has been ranked as a top American university by Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance and a top 100 university by the National Science Foundation.

VCU Engineering

• VCU Engineering, started in 1996 has seen tremendous growth and completely new facilities. William F. Goodwin, Chairman of the VCU School of Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees, has set an ambitious objective for the engineering program. He's aiming for "25 in 25"- a top 25 engineering-school rank within 25 years.^[53]

VCU Sportscenter

• The VCU SportsCenter is a graduate program offering a Master's Degree in Sports Leadership. David Maraghy co-founded and served as Executive Director of the program until 2002. It is currently directed by Nathan Tomasini. One of the program's elite events is known as Villa 7 which began as a forum where athletic directors could share ideas and meet with the country’s elite assistant basketball coaches.^[54]

VCU Profile

Enrollment Facts

VCU Student Commons, Monroe Park Campus.

VCU has an acceptance rate of 59% with 16,915 freshmen applications in 2009.^[55][56]

The average GPA for the incoming class in the fall of 2008 was 3.45.^[57]

The average SAT score for the incoming class in the fall of 2008 was 1103.^[57]

Freshman retention rate is 82.2%.^[58]

Student Body

77% of First-year students live in college housing, while 22% of all undergraduates live in college housing.^[59]

The student body consists of 59% female students and 41% male students.^[60] Out-of-state students have increased to 14% as of the fall of 2008, with 86% of students from Virginia.^[2]

Faculty

Outside Shafer Court Dining Center, Monroe Park Campus.

Notable faculty members include analytical chemist Dr. John B. Fenn, who in 2002 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the field of mass spectrometry, and Religious Studies professor Amina Wadud, who caused controversy in 2005 by leading an Islamic prayer service of men and women.

In the medical field, VCU has had four professors elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Institute of Medicine, most recently Dr. Steven Woolf in 2001.^[63] Historically, notable faculty members include Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard, M.D., for whom Brown-Séquard syndrome is named. Hunter McGuire, M.D., was the Confederate surgeon for General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson before he founded the "University College of Medicine", which later merged with Medical College of Virginia where he became the Chairman of Surgery. The Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center is named in his honor.

Dr. Jennifer Johnson's (Professor of Sociology) work at the Department of Defense in the area of Social Network Analysis won her the 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, which is the highest-ranking civilian service award given by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dr. Johnson was also awarded the 2004 Analyst of the Quarter by the Joint Warfare Analysis Center for her work on the Social Network Analysis Methodology Team.

Faculty Scholarly Productivity

• The VCU Counseling Psychology Graduate Program was ranked 3^rd in the nation in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index in 2007.^[64]

• The VCU Public Administration program in the L. Douglas Wilder School for Government and Public Affairs was ranked 9th in the nation by the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index in 2007.^[65]

Notable faculty

• Dr. John Bennett Fenn, the winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry^[66]
• Dr. Gevork Minaskanian, cofounder of Aderis Pharmaceuticals, developers of Rotigotine, a dopamine agonist for treatment of Parkinson's disease
• Dr. Everett L. Worthington Jr., a leading Psychologist on forgiveness; marriage and marital interventions; and religious values^[67]
• Dr. George E. Hoffer, a professor of economics that has researched the automobile industry for more than 40 years and is one of the country’s top industry experts^[68]

Athletics

VCU Rams Logo

Having competed at the NCAA Division I level for little more than 30 years, Virginia Commonwealth University has built a rather notable list of athletic accomplishments. Priding itself on sponsorship of a broad-based program of intercollegiate athletics, VCU has won in excess of 30 conference championships, participated in numerous NCAA post-season championship events, and fostered an impressive number of All-Americans---both academic and athletic.^[69] VCU currently sponsors sixteen varsity teams in NCAA Division I play through the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

VCU Rams Men's Basketball

Rivals

• Old Dominion University - VCU's arch-rival
• University of Richmond - "Nicknamed the Black and Blue Classic." UR is a private school that is VCU's main city rival.
• George Mason University - This rivalry has grown in the past years with the success of both programs in basketball.

VCU Rams Men's Basketball

VCU Rams Basketball (men's)

Without a football team, VCU men's basketball is the most popular sport on campus. The team has won a total of 7 conference championships with the most recent coming in 2009. The VCU Rams currently play at the Stuart C. Siegel Center where they hold the 16th highest Home Court winning percentage in Division I basketball with a winning percentage of .8462^[70]

The Rams are currently coached by Shaka Smart, when the Rams previous coach, Anthony Grant, took the vacant head coach position for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

VCU Rams Basketball (women's)

Former WNBA player and Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer Beth Cunningham coaches the VCU Rams women's team.

The VCU Rams Women's team enjoyed the most successful season in their history in the 2008-2009 season. The team finished the season with a mark of 26-7 overall and a 15-3 conference record. Notably the team was a perfect 16-0 at home. After finishing second in their conference the team headed to their first ever NCAA tournament game as the 10th seed, where the #7 seeded Rutgers eliminated them 57-51 on their home court.^[71]

Other VCU athletic teams

• VCU Men's Tennis

VCU Men's tennis is one of the school's most successful programs. The team is coached by Paul Kostin who is one of five Division I coaches to reach the 800-victory mark. The Men's tennis team holds 11 CAA Championships, 16 NCAA tournament appearances, and 17 years of finishing in the top 25 rankings in the country.^[72] In 2000, VCU men's tennis had its most successful season, finishing runner up to Stanford in the NCAA Finals Championship match. The team finished with a #9 ranking in the country.^[73]

• VCU Women's Tennis

Under leadership from Paul Kostin, VCU's women's tennis team has 2 CAA championships, 9 NCAA appearances, and 6 years in the top 25. In 2006 the women's team enjoyed their most successful season by making it to the NCAA sweet sixteen and an overall ranking of 12 in the country.^[74]

• VCU Baseball

VCU Baseball has won a total of 3 CAA Championships and has been to a total of 8 NCAA Regionals. VCU Baseball's head coach is Paul Keyes.

• Men and Women's Cross Country
• Field Hockey
• Golf
• Men and Women's Soccer
• Men and Women's Track and Field
• Volleyball

Club teams

VCU also has many student run club teams. These sports not sponsored by the university include coed & allgirl cheerleading, baseball, men's^[75] and women's^[76] rugby union, ice hockey,^[77] ultimate,^[78] men's and women's lacrosse, and cycling. Previous club sports have also included rowing, wrestling, and tennis. VCU does not support a football team.

Football

The previous university president, Eugene P. Trani, has been quoted as saying that he will not allow football to come to VCU under his watch due to the extra incurred cost. However, with Trani's resignation VCU officials are once again revisiting the possibility of starting a football program, with a renewed interest due to a new President in Michael Rao.^[79]

Facilities

The interior of the Verizon Wireless Arena, within the Siegel Center, home court of the VCU basketball team.

Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center

• Basketball
• Volleyball

The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia)

• Baseball

Sports Backers Stadium

• Soccer
• Track and Field

Cary Street Field

• Field Hockey

Thalhimer Tennis Center

• Men's and Women's Tennis

Leigh Street Field

• Men's and Women's Rugby

Organizations

VCU has numerous student organizations, including the Black Awakening Choir which won first place in the 2005 Baptist Student Union National Choir Competition in Atlanta, GA. Also, 2007 is the first year that STRUT has become an official organization at VCU. STRUT is an annual fashion show that has grown into a week long celebration on campus. In addition, VCU boasts a well-established net of ethnic and cultural organizations such as the African Student Union (ASU), Afghani Student Association (ASA), Ethiopian students Union (ESU),Latino Student Association, Queer Action and the Vietnamese Student Association, among many others. Similarly, VCU offers a variety of religious organizations, such as Aletheia Campus Organization, Muslim Students' Association, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Catholic Campus Ministry, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship house, BSU, Hillel @ VCU, Sikh Student Association and Lotus Buddhist Group. VCU also offers many different special interest organizations such as the (S.H.H.O.) Student Hip-Hop Organization, which allows students to network with VCU’s thriving hip-hop community and to utilize hip-hop as a tool for creating unity within this vibrant culture on campus. Also offered at VCU is Blk Ice Ent.,the only Hip Hop Dance Group founded and currently performing at VCU. The group of young dancers perform at a variety of VCU functions and work along side many of the most prestigious organizations on campus. Blk Ice dancers also work with youth in the community teaching Hip Hop technique and choreography.

Student government associations There are two student government associations at VCU, one for each campus.^[80] According to the Monroe Park Campus SGA Web site, it "serves as the unifying voice for all students to members of Virginia Commonwealth University administration, faculty, staff, and the Board of Visitors as well as to the City of Richmond." It is the stated goal of the SGA "to represent the concerns and interests of all students to the various groups that have an influence on student life," and it "oversees more than 200 student organizations."^[81]

Student media^[82]

• The Commonwealth Times - VCU's independent newspaper
• Ink Magazine-a VCU student run magazine; discussing campus news, contemporary issues, art, fashion, and culture

• Rams Review - VCU’s student-run sports media outlet^[83]

• WVCW - VCU's Radio Station^[84]

• Amendment and Poictesme - VCU's Literary Journals^[85][86]

French Film Festival

VCU is home to the largest French Film Festival in the United States.^[87] Founded in 1993, the total participation in 2008 has grown to more than 21,000 entries for the 25 films.^[87]

Rowdy Rams spelling out VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH!

Rowdy Rams

VCU's basketball fans are known as the Rowdy Rams. The Rowdies have enjoyed one of the best home court winning percentages in men's basketball partially due to their loud and intimidating presence.

For the 2008-2009 season, VCU started the Student Ram Athletic Fund (SRAF). For 25 dollars a student received early admission to all men's basketball games and discounts at the local restaurants. The initiative helps fund other VCU Ram's sports while establishing a relationship between the student fans and the VCU basketball team.^[88]

Greek

Virginia Commonwealth University hosts 32 inter/national fraternities and sororities across four governing councils with almost 1000 students.^[89] VCU's Greek system has grown particularly rapidly in the last few years. Plans for a Greek row on Grace Street in the VCU 2020 Masterplan is just one of the many steps VCU is taking to create a stronger Greek life community.^[18]

List of VCU's Greek Chapters^[90]

Notable alumni

Controversies

Improperly awarded bachelor's degree

In May 2008, an anonymous email led to an investigation that discovered VCU ^[91][92] awarded an undergraduate degree to former Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe improperly after he enrolled to receive just 6 credits from the University, with the bulk of his credits taken through the online University of Phoenix and the FBI Academy.^{[93][94] [95]}

VCU officials announced they had taken personnel actions in response to the improper degree but did not indicate what actions were taken or who was held responsible.^[96] In the wake of the internal investigation, five high-ranking administrative officials resigned ^[97][98], some vocally in protest of the investigation itself due to threats made against the tenure status of one professor if she did not cooperate and other high-pressure tactics.^[99][100]

The University submitted a report^[101] about the improperly awarded degree and the subsequent investigation to its accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which at its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Dec. 8-9, concluded that VCU "had taken adequate steps to ensure that this was indeed a one-time phenomenon." SACS concluded that no warnings or sanctions would result and complimented VCU on the professional way it handled the situation.

In the report, VCU admitted to making 37 exceptions to university policy in granting an undergraduate degree to Monroe, who had satisfied only 15 of 28 requirements for his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.^[102] Unlike other cases of improperly awarded degrees,^[103] VCU did not rescind the degree. The Virginia General Assembly is looking into the University's actions both in improperly awarding the degree and in conducting the investigation.^[104]

International relationships

VCU has international agreements with 14 universities in 11 countries.[1]

• China - Fudan University
• China - Beijing Foreign Studies University
• Australia - Curtin University of Technology
• Israel - Hadassah Medical Center
• United Kingdom - University of the West of England
• United Kingdom - Harris Manchester College, Oxford
• India - Indian Institute of Technology
• India - Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
• Italy - University of Messina
• Spain - University of Córdoba
• South Africa - University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Brazil - University of São Paulo
• Mexico - University of Guadalajara
• Russia - St. Petersburg State University

References

External links

• Official Web site