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.

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.

PECS (Personalized Exploration for College Success) is a student-led organization at VCU that partners with Richmond Public Schools to support high school students through the college and scholarship application process. One of the group's goals this semester is to expand the resources available to students as they begin preparing their applications. PECS is creating a college essay repository to share with RPS students and participating mentors that will feature real essays written and submitted by current college students. These examples will help students better understand how to approach tone, structure and storytelling during the application process, PECS is inviting all college students to submit essays that they have used for college or scholarship applications. For every essay submitted, those who contribute will receive one hour of verified service credit.

For more information, contact Saihithi Akula at akulas2@vcu.edu or visit https://pecsatvcu.wordpress.com/.

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.

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/.

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.

Are you a college student on the MCV campus? We want to hear from you. Researchers at VCU are studying food access and well-being among students on the MCV campus [IRB# HM300000437]. Take our short, anonymous survey (just five to seven minutes.) Your voice matters. See the survey at the following URL. Incentive available.

For more information, contact Youngmi Kim, Ph.D., at ykim@vcu.edu or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=ATEC9E3JYHK74PXR.

This study is inviting individuals between the ages of 20 and 24 with poor sleep quality. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on cardiovascular responses and vascular inflammation. This study will be conducted at 500 Academic Centre on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Principal Investigator: Lee Franco, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Questions: Contact The KHS Healthy Heart Lab at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Garrett Oehlert at healthyheart@vcu.edu.