11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Purchase a 2026 Dogs on Call calendar and show your support for the therapy dog teams who visit patients and staff at VCU Health and students at VCU. All sales will take place at the Main Hospital (1250 E. Marshall St.), Floor 1 Box Office near the floor compass. Sales are contingent upon stock and scheduled for: Monday (Nov. 24) and Tuesday (Dec. 9). Calendars will also be available for purchase at the Three Bears Gift Shop (MCV), the Fish Bowl Gift Shop (Community Memorial Hospital) and the Hummingbird Gift Shop (Tappahannock).

For more information, contact Center for Human-Animal Interaction at chai@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-2532 or visit https://chai.vcu.edu/.

Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The annual university-wide Holiday Open House is hosted by President Michael and Mrs. Monica Rao as an opportunity for the university community to come together and celebrate the holidays prior to winter closing. It is an informal gathering, with food and drink provided in the Commonwealth Ballroom at the University Student Commons. VCU parking subscribers may receive the reciprocal parking for this event and street parking is available for non-subscribers. RSVP using the following URL.

For more information, contact University Events at univevents@vcu.edu or visit http://go.vcu.edu/holidayopenhouse.

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

VCU Office of Undergraduate Research and The Anderson will present the Arts Undergraduate Research Panel, which will be held at The Anderson, 907 1/2 W. Franklin St. At the panel, arts students will describe their undergraduate research journey to demonstrate the opportunities and possibilities in research. Through sharing their experience, student panelists will help demystify what undergraduate research is all about, what to expect and how to get started.

For more information, contact Nicole Concepcion at concepcionaqn@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1660.

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shop for treats and gifts from local vendors at the plaza of the University Student Commons.

For more information, contact Carole Dowell at thecommons@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

VCU's Global Education Office will host the Global Initiatives Master Class Series: Global Engagement Strategies, in the University Student Commons, Richmond Salon IV, 907 Floyd Ave. Sherif Barsoum, senior associate vice president for global services of NYC, will present "Holistic and Collaborative Approaches to International Student Support," introducing a holistic framework for international student support that integrates immigration services, transition programming and student engagement under a cross-cultural model. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Nicol Tinsley at nctinsley@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6463 or visit https://global.vcu.edu/outreach/facultydevelopment/master-class-series/.

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 at noon

This 30-minute virtual class, hosted by VCU HR and RecWell, will not only give you an excellent abdominal and low back workout, but will also challenge your other major muscle groups as well. Register in Talent@VCU or at: https://bit.ly/3JHYPW1

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or visit https://ramstrong.vcu.edu/.

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025 at noon

Learn more about the Ph.D. program in Health Services Organization and Research at a virtual informational session. Meet program faculty and learn about admissions and funding. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cam Parkins at parkinsc@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/iJTj7RuLvDGusWGRA.

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The Institute for Transformative Leadership (ITL) is calling on all VCU and VCU Health faculty and staff to level up their leadership skills by joining the Transformative Leadership Spring 2026 Cohort Program starting Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. This free, seven-week Zoom-based series offers practical leadership principles that can be applicable to your work and personal life. Apply at https://tinyurl.com/ITLSpring26

For more information, contact ITL Team at itl@vcu.edu or visit https://business.vcu.edu/centers-institutes-and-labs/institute-for-transformative-leadership/.

Since its founding in 1997, the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign has provided employees with a trusted way to direct their charitable giving to the causes they care about most. Whether it’s through payroll deduction or credit card, your dollars go straight to organizations that reflect your values. As we celebrate 28 years of giving, we invite you to be part of the 2025 campaign going on now — and help us keep creating lasting change across the Commonwealth.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/worklife-at-vcu/commonwealth-of-virginia-campaign/.

As the semester winds down, students (and colleagues) are invited to share words of gratitude with VCU professors. University faculty members work hard to make a positive impact - let them know you’ve noticed. Expressing kindness not only brightens someone’s day, it’s good for you too. Questions: Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at ctle@vcu.edu. Spread joy and send your VCU profs some well-deserved props through the following URL.

For more information, contact Susan Coombes at ctle@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/u1b8ByEcK3r5jzqG8.

Due to the University closure and the holiday break, the RamsXpress will not run from Wednesday, Nov. 26 through Friday, Nov. 28. Regular operation will resume on Monday, Dec. 1.

For more information, contact Olivia Truban at parking@vcu.edu.

Registration is now open for The University Band (APPM 357). University Band is open to all VCU students and faculty regardless of experience. The band meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-3:50 p.m. The band performs one to two concerts each semester. We perform fun and exciting music for all. The band is under the direction of professor Duane Coston.

For more information, contact Duane Coston at costonpd@vcu.edu or (804) 240-7974 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/ensembles/#bands.

Due to a recent audit, VCU email accounts using Grammarly must either be part of the VCU Grammarly Enterprise account or switch to a personal email. Your VCU email account is currently linked to a free Grammarly account. VCU does not have central funding for individual licenses. What You Need to Do: You must change the email address associated with your Grammarly account to a non-VCU email by Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Failure to update your account will result in loss of access to Grammarly via your VCU Google account. To change your email: Refer to Grammarly's help article, "I need to change my email address." If you registered with Google, Facebook or Apple, you will first need to set a password for your account to enable the option to change your email address. Follow the steps in this article: "How do I set a password if I registered using Google, Facebook, or Apple?" How do I request to be added to the VCU Grammarly Enterprise account? You will need to obtain approval from your supervisor, manager or director to request access to the VCU Grammarly Enterprise account. The annual license fee is $70. Please note that an index code is required for processing. You can submit your request using this form; all requests are submitted to the financial administrator associated with the provided index code for approval.

For more information, contact Dr. Gee at drgee@vcu.edu.

The VCU Office of Health Initiatives and the Humanities Research Center will host eight online learning modules examining the challenges to providing health care in rural communities in the United States. Modules are designed to take one to two hours to complete - complete four and to earn a microcredential. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Logan Vetrovec at ohiconnect@vcu.edu or visit https://historyandhealth.catalog.vcu.edu/programs/ruralhealth.

Looking for a fun, community-focused way to make music at VCU? Join one of the university's three choral ensembles. All are welcome — no need to be a music major. Choral Arts Society (APPM 359): No audition required. Open to all students, faculty and staff. Rehearses MW 1:30-2:50 p.m. Commonwealth Singers (APPM 358): Audition required. SATB Mixed Chorus. Rehearses MWF 12-1:15 p.m. Vox Concordia (APPM 378): Audition required. SSAA Treble Chorus. Rehearses T/Th 2-3:20 p.m. All are sponsored by VCU's Department of Music.

For more information, contact Christopher Hansen, Ph.D., at hansenc3@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/ensembles/ensembles-auditions/.

Each November is a time to recognize and honor the 63+ million family caregivers across the United States who devote their time, energy and love to supporting a family member with health needs. If this is your story, consider reaching out to Caregiver Action Network. They are the nationally recognized leader of National Family Caregivers Month. Their 2025 initiative is called “Plug In to Care.” The focus is on connection and helping caregivers’ "Plug In" to care and connect to vital support tools, networks and educational resources. Questions: Visit the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Employee Health at EHS@vcu.edu or visit https://www.caregiveraction.org/nfc2025/#faq.

Black parents, caregivers and their children (ages 8-12) are invited to share their experiences with race, family meal times and health through small group conversations in the Richmond area. This feedback will inform future community programming that promotes family discussions about race, nutritious meals and more. Participating caregivers and youth will receive compensation for their time and insights. If you are still interested, complete our study screener at the following URL.

For more information, contact AYA Research Team at ayaresearch@vcu.edu or visit https://vcupsych.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2o4YLtcFE7mVnkq.