Virginia Commonwealth University
Encyclopedia
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public
university
located in Richmond, Virginia
. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute
and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968. It has over 32,000 students and is classified as having very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
.
VCU's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA
and are collectively known as the VCU Rams. They are members of the Colonial Athletic Association
.
(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 claims 1838 as its founding date on its official seal and on promotional materials.
In 1838, the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College
opened in Richmond. In 1844, it moved into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building
. In 1854, the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College received an independent charter from the Virginia General Assembly
and became the Medical College of Virginia (MCV). A few years later in 1860, MCV conveyed all its property to the Commonwealth of Virginia and becomes a state institution in exchange for $30,000.
In 1893, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, later University College of Medicine, was established by Hunter Holmes McGuire just three blocks away from MCV. In 1912, McGuire Hall opened as the new home of the University College of Medicine. The following year, MCV and UCM merged through the efforts of George Ben Johnston and Stuart McGuire. MCV acquired the Memorial Hospital as a result of the merger. In 1917, the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health was established, and in 1925, it became the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary
. In 1939, this division became the Richmond Professional Institute
of the College of William and Mary" (RPI). In 1947, the MCV Foundation was incorporated, and in 1962 RPI separated from William and Mary to become an independent state institution. Then in 1968, state legislation (Wayne Commission Report) merged MCV and RPI to become Virginia Commonwealth University. At the time, MCV retained the right to use its name.
By 2006, VCU grew to become the most populated university in Virginia and the state's first to have 30,000 students. In May 2008, a controversy ensued after an anonymous email led to an investigation that discovered VCU awarded an undergraduate degree to former Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe (currently serving as Police Chief in Charlotte, North Carolina
) 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.
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. In the wake of the internal investigation, five high-ranking administrative officials resigned, 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. The University submitted a report 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."
In 2010, VCU received a $20 million National Institutes of Health grant to join a nationwide consortium of research institutions working to turn laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients. The Clinical and Translational Science Award made VCU the only academic health center in Virginia to join the prestigious CTSA network. In 2011, The Carnegie Foundation elevated Virginia Commonwealth University to “Very High Research Activity," with other 255 million in sponsored research.
, a branch campus in Education City, Qatar along with numerous regional facilities. The Monroe Park campus, located west of Downtown Richmond, along with the Medical College of Virginia campus, in the urban center, make for the main campus of VCU.
, a historic, late 19th century neighborhood adjacent to downtown Richmond. The campus itself begins along the actual Monroe Park alongside North Belvidere Steet and continues westword to Harrison Street. Prior to the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute
and the Medical College of Virginia, the campus was the home to the entire Richmond Professional Institute. Today, the campus has a mixture of modern and vintage buildings, with over 40 buildings built before 1900.
Along with housing most education facilities, the campus houses several residence halls, including Brandt, Rhoads, Johnson and the Gladding Residence Center.
The Monroe Park campus also houses the Stuart C. Siegel Center
, the main basketball arena for the men's and women's basketball teams. Named after cigarett magnate Major Lewis Ginter
, a developer of the city's Ginter Park neighborhood, the The Ginter House is also part of the Monroe Park campus. VCU's well-renowned School of the Arts
is situated on the campus, housed in the Pollak Building, named after Theresa Pollak, whom founded the School of the Arts, while it was the Richmond Professional Institute. Along with Arts, the School of Engineering
is housed on the campus, which contains its classes within the Snead and Engineering East Halls. The two are 260000 square feet (24,154.8 m²) converted building.
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
.
, Qatar. VCUQ was established in 1998 and was the first university to open its doors in Education City. 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. 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. 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."
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. 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.
Because of the prominent location within the city of Richmond, many upperclassmen students live in student apartments located around the campus, specifically in The Fan
, Oregon Hill
, or the Carver neighborhood and are still able to walk or bike to their classes.
VCU also provides a free Security Escort service to students and faculty to assist them in reaching their destination and have stationed 326 Emergency Reporting Telephone Systems in various areas throughout campus.
, Master's
and Doctoral
degrees
, as well as Professional and Certificate courses.
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. In addition, VCU added in 2011 an urban teaching program, Richmond Teacher Residency, leading to a Master of Teaching (M.T.) degree. This clinical residency is a partnership between VCU, The Center for Teacher Leadership at the VCU School of Education and Richmond City Public Schools.
VCU also has international agreements with 14 universities in 11 countries. These include China (Fudan University
, Beijing Foreign Studies University
), Australia (Curtin University of Technology
), Israel (Hadassah Medical Center
), United Kingdom (University of the West of England
, Harris Manchester College, Oxford
), India (Indian Institute of Technology, 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
), and Russia (St. Petersburg State 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.
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. The VCU Brandcenter
, the School of Mass Communication's graduate program in advertising, has also been ranked 1st in the nation by Creativity Magazine and as one of the top 60 design schools in the world by BusinessWeek
.
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, 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. The School of Business ranks in the top five percent of business schools worldwide due to its AACSB International-accredited status. 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.
The student body consists of 59% female students and 41% male students. Out-of-state students have increased to 14% as of the fall of 2008, with 86% of students from Virginia. Demographically, the student body is 56% white, 17% African American, 10% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% International, <1% Native American, 12% Unknown.
{class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
Virginia Commonwealth University 2010 Admissions Statistics
Applicants
14,086
Acceptance Rate
66%
First Year Students
88% in state, 12% out of state
High School GPA
3.22-3.85
Average SAT (1600)
1010–1220
Freshman Class Size
3,615
Undergraduate Student-Faculty Ratio
18:1
Freshman Retention Rate
82.4%
, 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 currently performing at VCU (Ebony Quest was the original). 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.
There are two student government associations at VCU, one for each campus. 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."
VCU is also home to the largest French Film Festival
in the United States. Founded in 1993, the total participation in 2008 has grown to more than 21,000 entries for the 25 films.
List of VCU's Fraternity and Sorority Chapters
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 Steven Woolf in 2001. 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.
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. Also Gevork Minaskanian
, cofounder of Aderis Pharmaceuticals, developers of Rotigotine
, a dopamine agonist
for treatment of Parkinson's disease
, teaches at VCU.
The VCU Counseling Psychology Graduate Program was ranked 3rd in the nation in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index in 2007. 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.
Division I play through the Colonial Athletic Association
(CAA).
Rivals include Old Dominion University
,
University of Richmond
("Black and Blue Classic"), and George Mason University
.
VCU men's basketball is the most popular sport on campus. VCU is well known for their run to the Final Four in the 2011 NCAA tournament. 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 11th highest Home Court winning percentage in Division I basketball with a winning percentage of .8462
The Rams are currently coached by Shaka Smart
.
In the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, VCU qualified as an at-large bid, having to play in the newly formatted tournament's "First Four" against USC
. The decision to allow VCU to participate in the tournament was widely criticized among pundits and the media. VCU defeated USC 59-46 in the "First Four" play-in game. VCU then went on to upset Georgetown University
74-56 in the round of 64. The 11th-seeded VCU Rams then upset 3rd-seeded Purdue University
94-76 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. In the sweet sixteen, VCU defeated 10th-seeded Florida State University
72-71 on a last second bucket in overtime to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. VCU beat the #1 seeded University of Kansas
in the Southwest Regional final by a score of 71-61. It was the Rams' first trip to the Final Four
. Against Butler University
in the Final 4, VCU lost 70-62. The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team
finished 6th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the end of the season. This was the highest ranking in VCU's history and the highest ranking of any team from the CAA
.
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. In the 2009-2010 season Cunningham led the Rams to the NIT Sweet Sixteen where they were eliminated by the Syracuse.
Under leadership from Paul Kostin, VCU's women's tennis team has 3 CAA championships, 12 NCAA appearances, and 8 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.
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, and games are played at The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia).
Other intercollegiate sports include Men and Women's Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Men and Women's Soccer (played at Sports Backers Stadium
), Men and Women's Track and Field, and Volleyball.
, ice hockey
, ultimate
, men's and women's lacrosse
, and cycling. Previous club sports have also included rowing, wrestling, and tennis.
VCU also has a Muggle Quidditch
team. The VCU Wizengamot have been a club for three years and have competed in two International Quidditch Association Quidditch World Cups. They are currently ranked 45th in the World.
.
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute
Richmond Professional Institute
The Richmond Professional Institute was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A...
and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968. It has over 32,000 students and is classified as having very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
.
VCU's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and are collectively known as the VCU Rams. They are members of the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
.
History
Though officially created with the merger of the Richmond Professional InstituteRichmond Professional Institute
The Richmond Professional Institute was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A...
(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
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
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 claims 1838 as its founding date on its official seal and on promotional materials.
In 1838, the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
opened in Richmond. In 1844, it moved into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building
Egyptian Building
The Egyptian Building is a National Historic Landmark in Richmond, Virginia, built in 1845. It is the first permanent home of the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College and now is a part of Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. It is located on Shockoe Hill at the 1200 block of E...
. In 1854, the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College received an independent charter from the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
and became the Medical College of Virginia (MCV). A few years later in 1860, MCV conveyed all its property to the Commonwealth of Virginia and becomes a state institution in exchange for $30,000.
In 1893, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, later University College of Medicine, was established by Hunter Holmes McGuire just three blocks away from MCV. In 1912, McGuire Hall opened as the new home of the University College of Medicine. The following year, MCV and UCM merged through the efforts of George Ben Johnston and Stuart McGuire. MCV acquired the Memorial Hospital as a result of the merger. In 1917, the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health was established, and in 1925, it became the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
. In 1939, this division became the Richmond Professional Institute
Richmond Professional Institute
The Richmond Professional Institute was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A...
of the College of William and Mary" (RPI). In 1947, the MCV Foundation was incorporated, and in 1962 RPI separated from William and Mary to become an independent state institution. Then in 1968, state legislation (Wayne Commission Report) merged MCV and RPI to become Virginia Commonwealth University. At the time, MCV retained the right to use its name.
By 2006, VCU grew to become the most populated university in Virginia and the state's first to have 30,000 students. In May 2008, a controversy ensued after an anonymous email led to an investigation that discovered VCU awarded an undergraduate degree to former Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe (currently serving as Police Chief in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
) 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.
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. In the wake of the internal investigation, five high-ranking administrative officials resigned, 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. The University submitted a report 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."
In 2010, VCU received a $20 million National Institutes of Health grant to join a nationwide consortium of research institutions working to turn laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients. The Clinical and Translational Science Award made VCU the only academic health center in Virginia to join the prestigious CTSA network. In 2011, The Carnegie Foundation elevated Virginia Commonwealth University to “Very High Research Activity," with other 255 million in sponsored research.
VCU 2020
In February, 2006 VCU adopted a strategic plan known as "VCU 2020." The plan included concepts for about $1 billion in new academic, medical, recreation, student housing and parking facilities on VCU's Monroe Park and MCV Campuses. Among its major goals was the creation of a collegiate community promoting student engagement and the campus environment.VCU Quest for Distinction
On May 20, 2011 the VCU Board of Visitors approved a new strategic plan, "VCU Quest for Distinction." According to the Executive Summary, "Our proposed plan, VCU Quest for Distinction, provides a strategic framework for capitalizing on the outstanding assets that form the VCU experience — a commitment to educational quality, an environment that embraces diversity, an evolving research program with substantial increases in extramural funding, preeminent programs an engaged community, and a growing alumni base."Campuses
Virginia Commonwealth University has two main campuses in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, a branch campus in Education City, Qatar along with numerous regional facilities. The Monroe Park campus, located west of Downtown Richmond, along with the Medical College of Virginia campus, in the urban center, make for the main campus of VCU.
Monroe Park Campus
Named after the city park, the Monroe Park Campus took its name in June 2004, replacing the former name, the Academic Campus of VCU. The Monroe Park campus houses most of VCU's general education facilities, and is situated on the eastern end of the Fan districtFan district
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard....
, a historic, late 19th century neighborhood adjacent to downtown Richmond. The campus itself begins along the actual Monroe Park alongside North Belvidere Steet and continues westword to Harrison Street. Prior to the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute
Richmond Professional Institute
The Richmond Professional Institute was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A...
and the Medical College of Virginia, the campus was the home to the entire Richmond Professional Institute. Today, the campus has a mixture of modern and vintage buildings, with over 40 buildings built before 1900.
Along with housing most education facilities, the campus houses several residence halls, including Brandt, Rhoads, Johnson and the Gladding Residence Center.
The Monroe Park campus also houses the Stuart C. Siegel Center
Stuart C. Siegel Center
Stuart C. Siegel Center is a multi-purpose facility on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The facility's main component is the 7,500- seat Verizon Wireless Arena. It also served as a student recreational area until the new Cary Street Gym complex was built...
, the main basketball arena for the men's and women's basketball teams. Named after cigarett magnate Major Lewis Ginter
Lewis Ginter
Major Lewis Ginter was a prominent businessman, army officer, and philanthropist in Richmond, VirginiaOf Dutch ancestry, he was born Lewis Guenther in New York City, New York, and moved to Richmond, Virginia, in 1842. Ginter had a number of careers, arguably making and losing a fortune three times...
, a developer of the city's Ginter Park neighborhood, the The Ginter House is also part of the Monroe Park campus. VCU's well-renowned School of the Arts
VCU School of the Arts
Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts, located in Richmond, Virginia, comprises sixteen programs and more than 3,000 students. With the inclusion of the campus in Qatar, come an additional 5 programs and another 214 students...
is situated on the campus, housed in the Pollak Building, named after Theresa Pollak, whom founded the School of the Arts, while it was the Richmond Professional Institute. Along with Arts, the School of Engineering
VCU School of Engineering
Establishing a School of Engineering was a major initiative of the first phase of Virginia Commonwealth University's strategic planning process. The initiative was a response to workforce and economic development needs of Richmond and Central Virginia. In 1996, initial courses were offered in...
is housed on the campus, which contains its classes within the Snead and Engineering East Halls. The two are 260000 square feet (24,154.8 m²) converted building.
MCV Campus
VCU Medical Center
VCU Medical Center, is Virginia Commonwealth University's medical campus located in downtown Richmond, Virginia in the Court End neighborhood. The VCU Medical Center used to be known as the Medical College of Virginia until it merged with the Richmond Professional Institute in 1968 to create...
. 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
NCI-designated Cancer Center
NCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of approximately 66 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute....
). The MCV Campus is an integral part of Richmond in the old Court End
Court End
thumb|250px|right|1000 block E. Clay StreetCourt End is a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia that sits to the north of the Capitol Square and East Broad Street...
district. The neighborhood is located adjacent to the city's business and financial district near the state capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
. MCV campus includes Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry is a school of dentistry located in the United States city of Richmond. The school opened its doors in 1893. The school is the only dental school in Virginia and is one of five schools within the VCU Medical Center.- History :Virginia...
.
VCUQatar
VCUQatar (VCUQ) is VCU School of the Arts' branch campus located in Education CityEducation City
Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Located on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of Qatar, Education City covers 14 square kilometers and houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campi of some of...
, Qatar. VCUQ was established in 1998 and was the first university to open its doors in Education City. 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. 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. 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."
VCU Satellite and Research Locations
- Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park - A VCU and private company research park. The Park is home to over 66 life science companies, research institutes and state/federal labs. It houses research for the VCU Medical Center and VCU Life Sciences.
- Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences - Located on 494 acres along the James RiverJames RiverThe James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
, the primary focus of research at the site is on the science and policy of large rivers and their fringing riparian and wetland landscapes. - VCU Medical Center at Stony Point
- VCU School of Medicine Inova Campus
- VCU School of Pharmacy Inova Campus
- VCU School of Social Work - Northern Virginia
Libraries
The VCU Libraries is the third largest research library in Virginia. The libraries hold more than 2.1 million print volumes, 51,000 journals, 308,000 electronic books, 3.26 million microforms, and 76,000 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
James Branch Cabell
James Branch Cabell, ; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. Cabell was well regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist and fit well in the culture of the 1920s, when his...
Library supports the Monroe Park Campus. It houses one of the largest book art collections in the Southeast and the fifth largest graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
collections in the United States. 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
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
.
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.
Housing
VCU's current residential hall capacity is 4,829 students but will have a capacity of 5,820 students by 2013.Because of the prominent location within the city of Richmond, many upperclassmen students live in student apartments located around the campus, specifically in The Fan
The Fan
The Fan can refer to:*Fan district, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia*The Fan is a 1977 novel by Bob Randall*The Fan , a 1995 novel by US author Peter Abrahams...
, Oregon Hill
Oregon Hill
Oregon Hill is a historically white working class neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Oregon Hill overlooks the James River and Belle Isle, and provides access to Hollywood Cemetery.-History:...
, or the Carver neighborhood and are still able to walk or bike to their classes.
Dining
Dining Services at VCU is contracted to ARAMARK Higher Education. 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.Security
VCU's police force is one of the top five largest campus police forces in the country, consisting of 82 police officers and 200 security personel.VCU also provides a free Security Escort service to students and faculty to assist them in reaching their destination and have stationed 326 Emergency Reporting Telephone Systems in various areas throughout campus.
Academics
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| College of Humanities and Sciences | 15,687 |
| School of Business | 3,836 |
| School of the Arts | 3,108 |
| School of Education | 2,035 |
| School of Engineering | 1,574 |
| School of Medicine | 1,290 |
| School of Allied Health Professions | 1,100 |
| School of Nursing | 975 |
| School of Social Work | 855 |
| School of Pharmacy | 609 |
| School of Dentistry | 509 |
| Life Sciences | 382 |
| School of the Arts - Qatar | 276 |
Schools and departments
- College of Humanities & Sciences
- School of Mass Communications
- School of World Studies
- L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public AffairsL. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public AffairsThe L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is one of the schools at the Virginia Commonwealth University. It was established to bring together faculty members from multiple disciplines who shared an interest in public affairs....
- School of Allied Health Professions
- School of the ArtsVCU School of the ArtsVirginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts, located in Richmond, Virginia, comprises sixteen programs and more than 3,000 students. With the inclusion of the campus in Qatar, come an additional 5 programs and another 214 students...
- School of BusinessVCU School of BusinessThe Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business is located in Richmond, Virginia, home to one of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. Because the school is located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, many students are able to receive internships and other opportunities within the city. Richmond,...
- School of DentistryVirginia Commonwealth University School of DentistryVirginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry is a school of dentistry located in the United States city of Richmond. The school opened its doors in 1893. The school is the only dental school in Virginia and is one of five schools within the VCU Medical Center.- History :Virginia...
- School of Education
- School of EngineeringVCU School of EngineeringEstablishing a School of Engineering was a major initiative of the first phase of Virginia Commonwealth University's strategic planning process. The initiative was a response to workforce and economic development needs of Richmond and Central Virginia. In 1996, initial courses were offered in...
- School of MedicineVCU School of MedicineVirginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is the largest and oldest continuously operating medical school in Virginia. The school traces its beginnings to the 1838 opening of the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College, which in 1854 became an independent institution known as the...
- School of NursingVCU School of NursingThe School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University takes part in nursing education and research. The School of Nursing offers the full range of academic programs from baccalaureate to doctoral programs. Established in 1893, the School has a proud heritage of educating nurses...
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Social Work
- VCU Life Sciences
Programs
VCU offers BaccalaureateBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, Master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and Doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
, as well as Professional and Certificate courses.
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. In addition, VCU added in 2011 an urban teaching program, Richmond Teacher Residency, leading to a Master of Teaching (M.T.) degree. This clinical residency is a partnership between VCU, The Center for Teacher Leadership at the VCU School of Education and Richmond City Public Schools.
VCU also has international agreements with 14 universities in 11 countries. These include China (Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
, Beijing Foreign Studies University
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Beijing Foreign Studies University is the best foreign language and international studies university in China, often named "the cradle of diplomats" in the country.It is located in Weigongcun, Beijing, People's Republic of China...
), Australia (Curtin University of Technology
Curtin University of Technology
Curtin University is an Australian university based in Perth, Western Australia, with additional campuses in regional Western Australia and at Miri , Sydney and Singapore...
), Israel (Hadassah Medical Center
Hadassah Medical Center
Hadassah Medical Center is a medical organization that operates two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel, as well as schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacology affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.The hospital was founded by Hadassah,...
), United Kingdom (University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
, Harris Manchester College, Oxford
Harris Manchester College, Oxford
Harris Manchester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Formerly known as Manchester College, it is listed in the University Statutes as Manchester Academy and Harris College, and at University ceremonies it is called Collegium de Harris et...
), India (Indian Institute of Technology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research is one of the most prestigious medical and research institutions of Asia. Located in Chandigarh, India, it is globally recognized for its quality education, medical research and training facilities as well as for the excellence of its...
), Italy (University of Messina
University of Messina
The University of Messina is a public university located in Messina, Italy, and founded in 1548. The university is organized in 11 Faculties.-History:...
), Spain (University of Córdoba), South Africa (University of KwaZulu-Natal
University of KwaZulu-Natal
The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.-History:-University of...
), Brazil (University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
), Mexico (University of Guadalajara
University of Guadalajara
University of Guadalajara is a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. It is the second oldest university in Mexico, the fifth oldest in North America and the fourteenth oldest in Latin America...
), and Russia (St. Petersburg State University).
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 one 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.Rankings
According to the 2012 US News & Report, VCU is classified as a Tier 1 University with an overall National University rank of #170 and holds a rank of #94 among all public colleges and universities in the country.The Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually...
conducted in 2005 by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
ranks VCU in the top 100 universities in North & Latin America and one of the top 200 universities in the world.
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. The VCU Brandcenter
VCU Brandcenter
The VCU Brandcenter is a graduate program in advertising and communications at Virginia Commonwealth University in the School of Mass Communications...
, the School of Mass Communication's graduate program in advertising, has also been ranked 1st in the nation by Creativity Magazine and as one of the top 60 design schools in the world by BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
.
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
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. 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. The School of Business ranks in the top five percent of business schools worldwide due to its AACSB International-accredited status. The VCU SportsCenter is a graduate program offering a Master's Degree in Sports Leadership. David Maraghy
David Maraghy
David Maraghy, is an American CEO, Sports Agent and Attorney. He is a member of the Virginia and North Carolina Bar associations. He is the CEO of the Richmond based Sports Management International, LC and Adjunct Professor of Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University...
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.
Student body
Seventy-seven percent of first-year students live in college housing, while 22% of all undergraduates live in college housing.The student body consists of 59% female students and 41% male students. Out-of-state students have increased to 14% as of the fall of 2008, with 86% of students from Virginia. Demographically, the student body is 56% white, 17% African American, 10% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% International, <1% Native American, 12% Unknown.
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Student 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, Georgia. 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), Afghan Student Association (ASA), Ethiopian students Union (ESU),Latino Student Association, Queer Action and the Vietnamese Student AssociationVietnamese Student Association
The Vietnamese Student Association refers to campus-based not-for-profit student groups located all over the world in areas where communities of overseas Vietnamese exist...
, among many others. Similarly, VCU offers a variety of religious organizations, such as Aletheia Campus Organization, Muslim Students' Association, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is an inter-denominational, evangelical Christian, student-led ministry which for the past 70 years has been dedicated to establishing witnessing communities on U.S. college and university campuses...
, Catholic Campus Ministry
Catholic campus ministry
Catholic Campus Ministry is a term used to describe an organization at a college or university that is the presence of the Roman Catholic Church on campus...
, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship house, BSU
Baptist Student Union
The Baptist Student Union is the traditional name of a college-level organization that can be found on many college campuses in the United States and Canada. As the term BSU became associated with other organizations, many local ministries changed their name...
, Hillel
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally...
@ 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 currently performing at VCU (Ebony Quest was the original). 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.
There are two student government associations at VCU, one for each campus. 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."
VCU is also home to the largest French Film Festival
VCU French Film Festival
The VCU French Film Festival, an annual film festival held in Richmond, Virginia, focused on recently-produced French-language films.It was created at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993. It is billed as the largest festival of French film in the United States...
in the United States. Founded in 1993, the total participation in 2008 has grown to more than 21,000 entries for the 25 films.
Student media
- The Commonwealth TimesThe Commonwealth TimesThe Commonwealth Times is the twice-weekly independent student newspaper for Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Almost of all the published Commonwealth Times papers from 1969-present day can be found on the VCU libraries website within the Digital Collections.-History:The CT,...
- 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
- WVCWWVCWWVCW is an online radio station based in Richmond, Virginia that broadcasts to Richmond and its suburbs. The radio station is a branch of Virginia Commonwealth University's Student Media Center....
- VCU's Radio Station - Amendment and Poictesme - VCU's Literary Journals
Rowdy Rams
VCU's student 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. Students can also donate 25 dollars to the Rowdy Rams Organization to receive early admission to all Men's basketball games and discounts at the local restaurants. This initiative helps fund other VCU Ram's sports while establishing a relationship between the devout student fans and the VCU basketball team.Greek system
Virginia Commonwealth University hosts 35 international fraternities and sororities across four governing councils with almost 1200 students. VCU's fraternity and sorority community 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 fraternity and sorority experience.List of VCU's Fraternity and Sorority Chapters
| Interfraternity Council | College Panhellenic Council | Multicultural Greek Council | National Pan-Hellenic Council National Pan-Hellenic Council The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine"... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates... - Epsilon Pi Chapter |
Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi is a sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1909 at Barnard College in New York City by seven Jewish women; Helen Phillips Lipman, Ida Beck Carlin, Rose Gerstein Smolin, Augustina "Tina" Hess Solomon, Lee Reiss Liebert, Rose... - Beta Theta |
alpha Kappa Delta Phi Alpha Kappa Delta Phi alpha Kappa Delta Phi is an Asian American interest sorority founded at the University of California, Berkeley.-History:... - VCU Colony |
Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ... - Theta Rho Chapter |
| Alpha Kappa Lambda Alpha Kappa Lambda Alpha Kappa Lambda is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914... - Beta Nu Chapter |
Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity, who are mainly sluts, founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and... - Theta Nu |
Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi Omega , is the largest and fastest-growing, nationally based South Asian-interest sorority in the United States, with over 1300 sisters in thirteen chapters and twenty-seven colonies.... - Kappa Chapter |
Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University... - Eta Tau Chapter |
| Delta Chi Delta Chi Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men... - Virginia Commonwealth |
Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus... - Rho Beta |
Kappa Phi Gamma Kappa Phi Gamma Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. , is a South Asian interest sorority geared towards women of all descents... - VCU Colony |
Iota Phi Theta - Delta Delta Chapter |
| Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been... - VCU Colony |
Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Sigma Alpha is a US national sorority founded on November 15, 1901 at the Virginia State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia... - Epsilon Gamma |
Lambda Phi Epsilon Lambda Phi Epsilon Lambda Phi Epsilon is an internationally-recognized fraternity in the United States and Canada. With a total of 53 chapters, it is the largest Asian-interest fraternity in North America... - VCU Colony |
Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin... - Eta Xi Chapter |
| Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma is an international all-male college social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie... - Delta Upsilon Chapter |
Phi Mu Phi Mu Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year... - Lambda Gamma |
Lambda Theta Alpha Lambda Theta Alpha Lambda Theta Alpha is a Latina sorority in the United States.The idea for Lambda Theta Alpha began in the late 1970s, when colleges and universities experienced an influx of Latino enrollment; the organization came into being at Kean University in 1975 with Lambda Theta Alpha's seventeen founding... - VCU Interest Group |
Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos... - Phi Delta |
| Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music... - Rho Omega Colony |
Phi Sigma Rho Phi Sigma Rho Phi Sigma Rho is a social sorority for women in engineering and engineering technology. The sorority was founded in 1984 at Purdue University by two young women. The first chapter of Phi Sigma Rho was installed on September 24, 1984, with 10 charter members.... - Omega |
Lambda Upsilon Lambda Lambda Upsilon Lambda La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity was established on February 19, 1982 in order to address the shortcomings of academic institutions in meeting and addressing the needs of Latino students in higher education... - Alpha Psi Chapter |
Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I... - Delta Upsilon Chapter |
| Phi Sigma Kappa Phi Sigma Kappa -Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The... |
Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma , colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian fraternity, welcoming women of all faiths and backgrounds... - Gamma Sigma |
Sigma Beta Rho - Lambda Chapter | Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean... - Eta Theta Chapter |
| Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... - Lambda Chi |
Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma , also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women’s sorority with membership of more than 100,000 members. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference and hosts chapters on more than 110 college campuses and 89 alumnae chapters in communities all... - Epsilon Sigma |
Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sigma Lambda Upsilon or Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based sorority founded on December 1, 1987 at Binghamton University.-History:... - Alpha Zeta Chapter |
|
| Pi Lambda Phi Pi Lambda Phi Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. is a college social fraternity with 35 active chapters and four colonies in the United States and Canada.... - Omega Rho |
Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana... - VCU Colony |
Theta Nu Xi Theta Nu Xi Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. is a historically multicultural sorority founded on April 11, 1997, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, by seven women who sought to bridge cultural gaps... - Alpha Kappa Chapter |
|
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... - Virginia Chi |
|||
| Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,... - Virginia Beta SEC |
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| Theta Chi Theta Chi Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta... - Theta Xi |
|||
| Triangle Fraternity Triangle Fraternity Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences... - VCU Colony |
Faculty
Faculty members include analytical chemistAnalytical chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials. Qualitative analysis gives an indication of the identity of the chemical species in the sample and quantitative analysis determines the amount of...
Dr. John B. Fenn, who in 2002 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
for his contributions to the field of mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
, and Religious Studies professor Amina Wadud
Amina Wadud
Amina Wadud is an American scholar of Islam with a progressive focus on Qur'an exegesis . As an Islamic feminist, she has addressed mixed-sex congregations, giving a sermon in South Africa in 1994, and leading Friday prayers in the United States in 2005...
, who caused controversy in 2005 by leading an Islamic prayer service of men and women.
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
' Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
, most recently Steven Woolf in 2001. Historically, notable faculty members include Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard
Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard
Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard FRS , also known as Charles Edward, was a Mauritian physiologist and neurologist who, in 1850, became the first to describe what is now called Brown-Séquard syndrome.-Early life:...
, M.D., for whom Brown-Séquard syndrome
Brown-Séquard syndrome
Brown-Séquard syndrome, also known as Brown-Séquard's hemiplegia and Brown-Séquard's paralysis, is a loss of sensation and motor function that is caused by the lateral hemisection of the spinal cord...
is named. Hunter McGuire
Hunter McGuire
Hunter Holmes McGuire, M.D. was a physician, teacher, and orator. He started several schools and hospitals which later became part of the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. His statue sits prominently on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol...
, M.D., was the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
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
Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center
Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center is located in Richmond, Virginia.-History:McGuire VA Hospital was established on the land of a former racetrack in Chesterfield County, Virginia after World War II along State Route 10 and Richmond's Belt Boulevard, an early highway bypass...
is named in his honor.
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. Also Gevork Minaskanian
Gevork Minaskanian
Gevork Minaskanian, Ph.D., is a research professor in the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University and Co-founder/Vice President of Synthetic Chemistry at Aderis Pharmaceuticals who was a contributor to the development of rotigotine and Neupro...
, cofounder of Aderis Pharmaceuticals, developers of Rotigotine
Rotigotine
Rotigotine is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist indicated for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome in Europe and the United States...
, a dopamine agonist
Dopamine agonist
A dopamine agonist is a compound that activates dopamine receptors in the absence of dopamine. Dopamine agonists activate signaling pathways through the dopamine receptor and trimeric G-proteins, ultimately leading to changes in gene transcription.-Uses:...
for treatment of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, teaches at VCU.
The VCU Counseling Psychology Graduate Program was ranked 3rd in the nation in the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index in 2007. 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.
Athletics
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. VCU currently sponsors sixteen varsity teams in NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I play through the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
(CAA).
Rivals include Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
,
University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
("Black and Blue Classic"), and George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
.
VCU Rams Men's Basketball
Stuart C. Siegel Center
Stuart C. Siegel Center is a multi-purpose facility on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The facility's main component is the 7,500- seat Verizon Wireless Arena. It also served as a student recreational area until the new Cary Street Gym complex was built...
where they hold the 11th highest Home Court winning percentage in Division I basketball with a winning percentage of .8462
The Rams are currently coached by Shaka Smart
Shaka Smart
Shaka Smart is an American college basketball coach, and the current head coach of the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams men's basketball program...
.
In the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
, VCU qualified as an at-large bid, having to play in the newly formatted tournament's "First Four" against USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. The decision to allow VCU to participate in the tournament was widely criticized among pundits and the media. VCU defeated USC 59-46 in the "First Four" play-in game. VCU then went on to upset Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
74-56 in the round of 64. The 11th-seeded VCU Rams then upset 3rd-seeded Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
94-76 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. In the sweet sixteen, VCU defeated 10th-seeded Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
72-71 on a last second bucket in overtime to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. VCU beat the #1 seeded University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in the Southwest Regional final by a score of 71-61. It was the Rams' first trip to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. Against Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in the Final 4, VCU lost 70-62. The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team
2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team
The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University in the Colonial Athletic Association conference during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second year head coach Shaka Smart, played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel...
finished 6th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the end of the season. This was the highest ranking in VCU's history and the highest ranking of any team from the CAA
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
.
VCU Rams Women's Basketball
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. In the 2009-2010 season Cunningham led the Rams to the NIT Sweet Sixteen where they were eliminated by the Syracuse.
Other VCU athletic teams
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 900-victory mark. The Men's tennis team holds 12 CAA Championships, 18 NCAA tournament appearances, and 17 years of finishing in the top 25 rankings in the country. 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.Under leadership from Paul Kostin, VCU's women's tennis team has 3 CAA championships, 12 NCAA appearances, and 8 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.
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, and games are played at The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia).
Other intercollegiate sports include Men and Women's Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Men and Women's Soccer (played at Sports Backers Stadium
Sports Backers Stadium
Sports Backers Stadium is a 3,250-seat stadium in Richmond, Virginia. The facility was opened in 1999.Sports Backers Stadium is used throughout the year by various parties including the soccer and college athletics teams from Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Union...
), Men and Women's Track and Field, and Volleyball.
Club teams
VCU also has many student run club teams. These sports not sponsored by the university include coed & allgirl cheerleading, baseball, softball, men's and women's rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, ultimate
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
, men's and women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and cycling. Previous club sports have also included rowing, wrestling, and tennis.
VCU also has a Muggle Quidditch
Muggle Quidditch
Muggle Quidditch is a sport based on Quidditch, the fictional sport developed by British author J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series of novels. It is popular with fans of the novels, aficionados of fictional sports, and children. The sport was created in Advance, North Carolina.In Muggle...
team. The VCU Wizengamot have been a club for three years and have competed in two International Quidditch Association Quidditch World Cups. They are currently ranked 45th in the World.
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 retirement VCU officials are revisiting the possibility of starting a football program, with a renewed interest due to a new President in Michael Rao. As of Spring 2011, VCU now has a Club Football teamVCU Rams football
The VCU Rams football team is a club team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University in football. The club team was founded in 2011, and will play their inagural season this coming fall....
.