10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Are you a first-gen student who commutes to campus? Come by the You First table on the Compass to meet peer mentors and talk about ways to feel more connected to campus.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bambacus at bambacuses@vcu.edu or (804) 827-3927.

12 p.m.

Are you fascinated by creating solutions to complex problems? Have you always wanted to start a business or nonprofit? Attend a virtual informational session to learn about the da Vinci Center's undergraduate certificates. Discuss the programs in Product Innovation, Venture Creation, classes in human-centered design and how they fit into individual academic plans. Register at https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/ug104

For more information, contact Caslin Applewhite at applewhiteec@vcu.edu or visit https://davincicenter.vcu.edu.

12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Are you interested in working with other students across different disciplines? Are you fascinated by creating solutions to complex problems? Have you always wanted to start a business or nonprofit? Attend an informational session to learn about undergraduate certificates at the da Vinci Center. Register at https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/ug104

For more information, contact Caslin Applewhite at applewhiteec@vcu.edu or visit https://davincicenter.vcu.edu/news--events/undergrad-info-sessions/.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Join the Common Book program for its third and final installment of its speaker series around this year's text, "Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness." This panel discussion will bring together scholars from the School of Social Work and discuss how individuals create connections within their communities, how loneliness and marginalization might intersect and how people empathize with other communities while cultivating pride in their own. The session will be held in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library. 901 Park Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Michaux Dempster at demspterm@vcu.edu or visit https://commonbook.vcu.edu/the-2023-common-book/events/#d.en.623399.

3:30 p.m.

This online workshop will explore the creative possibilities of ChatGPT as a collaborator. This session will include different prompting techniques for generating surreal and other-worldly text which can be used for brainstorming ideas, inspiring new directions, or surprising you altogether. Registration is required, Register at https://vcu.libcal.com/event/11142160

For more information, contact Ryan Pander at rbpander@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.libcal.com/event/11142160.

6 p.m.

Learn how to establish your ideas in a strong, logical way that will hook your audience. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Trey Burnart Hall at hallbr@vcu.edu or visit https://writing.vcu.edu/calendar/.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 at noon

VCU's Department of Painting and Printmaking will present a visiting artist lecture by Rose Salane at the Murry N. DePillars Building, Room 301 (1000 W. Broad St.). Salane was born in 1992 in New York City where she currently lives and works. Using collections of quotidien objects as her entry point, the artist excavates the systems of evaluation, exchange and organization that shape urban life.

For more information, contact Emmy Garcia at garciaem2@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/event/rose-salane-visiting-artist-lecture/.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 at noon

VCU's da Vinci Center will host two Design Thinking Workshops via Zoom on Thursday, Oct. 5; the first at noon and the second at 6 p.m. There is an increasing emphasis in job roles on skills such as design thinking, problem-solving, adaptability and empathy. The da Vinci Center is offering the opportunity to earn an “Introduction to Design Thinking” credential via a credly badge that you can post on your LinkedIn. Register here for the noon session: https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/DesignThinking-10-5-Noon Register here for the 6 p.m. session: https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/DesignThinking1056

For more information, contact Caslin Applewhite at applewhiteec@vcu.edu or visit https://davincicenter.vcu.edu/news--events/.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Rosen Eveleigh, this year's visiting Designer-In-Residence, VCU's Department of Graphic Design, will give a presentation in the theater of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Eveleigh is a graphic designer, researcher and teacher interested in the historic and methodological relationship between graphic design and queer culture. Eveleigh works with artists, archives, cultural institutions, curators, editors and publishers to produce books, graphic identities, typefaces, websites, texts and other works.

For more information, contact David Shields at dwshields@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ten Four Productions is hosting a casting call via Zoom for a documentary in the making. The company is made up of media production students from the Robertson School. Students are sought to be the subjects of the documentary who have a unique experience to share. Club participants, first-year and transfer students are preferred. The focus of the film is about student's relationship with technology and the world around them.

For more information, contact Kristen Furlo at furloke@vcu.edu or visit https://www.instagram.com/tenfourproductions/.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Join P.R.I.S.M. (Programs That Reimagine Identity, Sexuality and Membership) and VCU's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs for a panel discussion on navigating LGBTQIA+ identity and Latine heritage. Topics will include family dynamics, dating and exploring identity. Tortas, pupusas and more will be available. Read about the panelists on the Instagram page at @vcuomsa. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Beck Oh at ohrn@vcu.edu or visit https://cglink.me/2dV/r1929486.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 at 9 a.m.

VCU's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs invites you to celebrate National Coming Out Day. Stop by the OMSA office, Suite 215, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., to pick up a free limited edition OMSA Rainbow through Wednesday, Oct. 11. A limited amount of shirts are available while supplies last. You must bring your VCU ID to receive a shirt. Everyone who receives a shirt is invited to be a part of a group photo on Oct. 11 in front of the ram horns at Commons Plaza to celebrate National Coming Out Day.

For more information, contact David Brown at dgbrown@vcu.edu.

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Curious to know more about the link between fashion and microplastics? An event will be hosted by @ecofashionvcu and vcuarts|fashion in the theater of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kimberly Guthrie at kguthri1@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/YNu3826PD7r9g1Di9.

Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Auctus will hold its next general board meeting in-person (Room 1303, the Multipurpose Room, Honors College, 701 W. Grace St.) and via Zoom (https://vcu.zoom.us/j/85251251267). Those who join will have the chance to edit student research and creative works in Auctus’ STEM, Creative, Humanities, Social Sciences, and News & Noteworthy sections. Food will be provided during the in-person section.

For more information, contact VCU Auctus at auctus@vcu.edu or visit http://auctus.vcu.edu.

Monday, Oct. 9, 2023 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research will host a Discovery Dialogues seminar via Zoom presented by Ana Diallo, Ph.D., assistant professor, Family and Community Health Nursing. Register at https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrd-mvpzovGNE6Mxh1kbCDuqgWzrd-56-V

For more information, contact Pamela Dillon, Pharm.D., research liaison, at pmdillon@vcu.edu or visit http://www.cctr.vcu.edu.

Monday, Oct. 9, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

The VCU Financial Success Center will host Gene Natali, co-founder and CEO of Troutwood, for a workshop on investing and building a financial plan. The session will be in Room B1127, Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St. Participants will gain a tangible financial plan that will allow them to grow their wealth now and in the future.

For more information, contact Jessica Forrest at finsuccess@vcu.edu or (703) 407-6190 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAK1ArbrHGPUbepVowsSVjGz8Ad1FXhTWm5brQHVALFMrTbw/viewform?usp=sf_link.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This meeting via Zoom will be co-hosted by VCU's Office of Research and Innovation and Grants & Contracts Accounting. The session is held twice a year to convey updates on timely topics in research administration. Register for the fall meeting via Talent@VCU or at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cathy Short at cfshort@vcu.edu or visit https://controller.vcu.edu/training/events/.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 from noon to 2 p.m.

Join RecWell’s Peer Health Educators to talk about how to lessen stress and remain mindful during midterms. Also, join in some relaxing crafts. The event will be in the Health Sciences Library, 509 N. 12th St. No registration is needed.

For more information, contact Rebecca Lebedun at peerhealth@vcu.edu or visit https://recwell.vcu.edu/lead/leadership-programs/peer-health-educators/.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Health Sciences Library will present a lunch research seminar via Zoom. Jennifer Economy, VCU Wright Center, will discuss the definition of a clinical trial and the ClinicalTrials.gov registration requirements for clinical trials. Register at https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsd-igrjwrG9O8cjPWTZJ2iAY4MdZaI5hE

For more information, contact Pamela Dillon, Pharm.D., research liaison, at pmdillon@vcu.edu or visit http://www.cctr.vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

VCU's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs will host an artistic evening geared for South Asian students filled with collage making and chai. The event will be held in the OMSA office, Suite 215, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Amala Thomas at thomasac4@vcu.edu or visit https://cglink.me/2dV/r1929913.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Adam Gamoran, Ph.D., president of the William T. Grant Foundation, will lead a talk about pursuing research on racial equity in a time of polarization. The talk will be in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. The event will be sponsored by the VCU School of Education, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jose Alcaine at jgalcaine@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/vustEkvANe38YpC58.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU Survivor Support Services will present a screening of "The Last Drop," a sci-fi film about relationship abuse. Writer/director Adam Joel will lead a discussion and Q&A after the screening, which will be in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Sweet treats will be available. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tameika McCoy at Tmccoy5@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/USCSAP/rsvp_boot?id=1929196.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 at noon

Join the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs for a virtual Lunch and Learn presentation featuring Bryan Slater, Virginia secretary of labor. He will discuss contemporary workforce challenges, including how to fill positions across the commonwealth and solutions to meet current and emerging workforce needs. The Zoom link is at the following URL.

For more information, contact David Slipher at slipherd@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Dqslek8wQp6O9q-CcHS0nA.

Google Chat will be receiving two major (and positive) updates that will affect your day-to-day use of the service, including a fresh coat of paint that will bring a more modernized visual experience and the conversion of older threading-style of Google Chat Spaces by “topic” to in-line threading.

For more information, contact Doctor Gee at drgee@vcu.edu or visit https://blogs.vcu.edu/drgee/2023/10/03/important-upcoming-google-chat-features-changes/.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct nationwide tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. today, Wednesday, Oct. 4. The WEA test will be directed to all cellphones. The EAS test will be sent to radios and televisions. Testing ensures that systems are an effective means of warning the public about nationwide emergencies.

For more information, contact VCU Emergency Management at vcualert@vcu.edu or visit https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230803/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-2023.

VCU's Activities Programming Board invites all students to attend a Homecoming Court interest meeting. Students can learn about Homecoming at VCU and what it is like to serve on Homecoming Court. Those interested in court will have the opportunity to complete an application at the end of the meeting. Please contact Traditions Coordinator, Tobi Ojo, at ojote@vcu.edu for any questions or inquiries. Visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/events_list?topic_tags=1332001

For more information, contact Tobi Ojo at ojote@vcu.edu or (757) 478-8484 or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/events_list?topic_tags=13320013.

Major changes and improvements are coming to the FAFSA form: stay informed and receive up-to-date notifications and information from Student Financial Services. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid will be hosting a virtual session on federal financial aid eligibility, how to create an FSA ID, key changes and how to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA form on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. A virtual demonstration on how to complete the FAFSA will be held at 2 p.m.

For more information, contact VCU Student Financial Management Center at sfmc@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-federal-financial-aid-virtual-bootcamp-tickets-694784287507?aff=oddtdtcreator.

VCU's Global Education Office recently announced a $2.5 million anonymous donation in support of study abroad among students with financial need: the L & L Friendship Fund. The inaugural L & L scholarship application is now open to students planning a credit-bearing study abroad experience during winter break 2024, spring 2024, spring break 2024 or summer 2024. The fall application deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 10 and students can apply on the Rams Scholarship Hub.

For more information, contact Julia Wells at wellsj7@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.academicworks.com/.

The VCU Wellbeing Lab invites you to participate in a research study on two stress reduction programs for undergraduate students. VCU investigators seek to understand how two online stress reduction programs affect students’ mood and stress-related behavior. Compensation is available. The sign-up deadline has been extended to Monday, Oct. 9.

For more information, contact Polina Beloborodova at vcu.stress.reduction@gmail.com or visit https://beloborodp.wixsite.com/stressreduction.

The Compromiso, Valores, Servicio (CVS) Program is a pathway program in the spring and early summer offered to Spanish-speaking bilingual students ages 18 and up who are interested in serving as members of a health care team. The program gives students mentorship and experience serving as medical interpreters while exploring a career in pharmacy. Each participant will receive $500 per semester to cover any program costs. Deadline to apply for Spring 2024 is Nov. 1, 2023.

For more information, contact Madeleine Wagner at pharmacy@vcu.edu or visit https://dsei.vcu.edu/paths/programs/college/compromiso-valores-servicio-cvs/.