11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Purchase a 2026 Dogs on Call calendar and show your support for the therapy dog teams that 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, this is the final sales date for this year: today, Thursday (Dec. 18). All sales are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Calendars are also 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/.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Alzheimer's Association will host a Memory Café at VCU Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A. Join for a social space for those with early-stage memory loss to connect, while care partners gain support and information. The bonds formed in Memory Cafés often last throughout the continuum of the disease and become additional support for those involved.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Health Hub now holds weekly Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings on Thursdays at 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A. Meetings may include readings from AA literature, personal stories of recovery and open discussion guided by the Twelve Steps. All who have a desire to stop drinking are welcome, regardless of background or length of sobriety.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu.

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Have a passion for children? Want a high-impact career? Want to champion social justice? Fuel dreams? Dedicate your life to making a difference while getting a fully paid education? RTR Teacher Residency is for you. RTR is a teacher residency program in the VCU School of Education that equips passionate future teachers with the tools to teach for change. Learn more at this informational session. Questions: Visit https://connect.soe.vcu.edu/portal/soeinfosessions Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Sabrina L. Evans at evanssl4@vcu.edu or (571) 294-4115 or visit https://connect.soe.vcu.edu/register/RTRDec18th.

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Cheer the VCU men's basketball team as they play Rider University at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Secure your seat at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tavian Elliott at elliottt2@vcu.edu or visit https://vcutickets.evenue.net/event/B25/08.

RecWell facilities will operate on Winter Break hours through Saturday, Jan. 10. Spring semester hours begin Sunday, Jan. 11. Visit the following URL for full facility hours.

For more information, contact Scott Steiner at recwell@vcu.edu or visit https://recwell.vcu.edu/facilities-and-hours/.

Looking for a project for winter break? The Friends of VCU Libraries invite students and recent alumni (2021-25) to submit designs for use on VCU Libraries T-shirts and other promotional materials. The prize is $500. The contest is open to all students – full or part-time, undergraduate or graduate level – and alumni of the last five years. Designers may submit more than one entry. Winners retain copyright to their work. Designs can be submitted by midnight March 15, 2026 at https://forms.gle/ZDv9RpVL4uh6CnM89

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/news/2025-news/design-contest-2026.html.

VCU's Division of Community Engagement invites faculty and staff to showcase their board service, association involvement and work group memberships in the university's partnership database. These roles demonstrate VCU’s commitment to leadership and community partnership. Collaboratory, the university’s platform for documenting community-engaged and public service activities, helps to capture the full breadth of VCU's collaborations and collective impact. See the submission form at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tani Washington at washingtot8@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/qqBpDfF8rMGQUYFx7.

As part of the Health Humanities Lab and the Office of Health Initiatives ongoing collaboration, partners are sought to provide models for faculty, units and community partners to incorporate material from the recently launched History and Health: Rural Health series of online learning modules into courses, trainings or professional development opportunities. Fellows will also create new modules related to providing health care in rural areas that can be added to the series. The Fellowship will take place over the Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 semesters. Apply by 5 p.m. Dec. 19 2025 at https://forms.gle/2CqSD7FZSBMgp84Y7

For more information, contact Logan Vetrovec at lavetrovec@vcu.edu or visit https://healthinitiatives.vcu.edu/.

The VCU Cashiers Office at 1015 Floyd Ave., Grace Harris Hall, will close early at noon on Friday, Dec. 19 for Winter Break. All transactions should be delivered no later than 11 a.m. on Dec. 19 to ensure proper and timely processing. The office will reopen at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5.

For more information, contact James Ed Stables, Senior Manager Cashiering Operations at jestables@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4365.

The Global Education Office's English Language Program will offer two new part-time courses in Artificial Intelligence starting Monday, Jan. 12. The following courses are offered through in person and online options: Artificial Intelligence for English Language Practice, register at https://global.vcu.edu/elp/curriculum/part-time-courses/; and Learning English through AI Tools, register at https://forms.gle/eNrTHHDzKFDx38FE9

For more information, contact Rachel Aziz at rcwiltshire@vcu.edu.

In observance of VCU's winter closing, the Monroe Park Campus and MCV Campus customer service offices will be closed from Monday, Dec. 22 to Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Regular office hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. If you have any pending parking-related needs, email parking@vcu.edu before the closure to ensure prompt assistance. RamsXpress will not run from Monday, Dec. 22 to Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Service will restart on Monday, Jan. 5. RamRide service will operate a limited shuttle on Dec. 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2026. On these days, RamRide will serve stops at the Larrick Center and Sanger Hall from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. All subscribers needing to come to campus these days may park in D Deck, N Deck and Eighth Street Deck. From Dec. 22 to Jan. 1, RamRide will not serve the O Lot or A Lot Main Street Station. During this time, subscribers should park in the following locations: O Lot subscribers should park in the Eighth Street Deck located at 659 N. Eighth St. A Lot (Main Street Station) subscribers should park in N Deck located at 615 N. 10th St. Your license plate and/or VCU ID card will grant you access to the alternate parking decks during this period. If you encounter issues entering or exiting, press the “i” butto

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

The International Rescue Committee seeks volunteer youth tutors to tutor and support refugee youth rebuilding their lives in Richmond and Henrico County. Volunteers will empower new students to build confidence, competency and community through homework help, literacy training, English language learning, enrichment activities and community resource navigation applicable to schoolwork. All training will be provided by the IRC, and no prior experience is required. Questions: Email ataratvcu@gmail.com.

For more information, contact Students Together Assisting Refugees @ VCU at jagdeesha@vcu.edu.

The Translational Research on Eating and Affect (TREAT) Lab is recruiting adolescents and young adults assigned female at birth (aged 12 to 25 years) for a brain imaging study to understand risky decision-making in individuals who have concerns about their body shape/weight, or overeat, purge, use laxatives, diet severely or exercise excessively. We are also investigating these processes in individuals without a psychological disorder. There will be compensation for participation. For more information, contact the TREAT Lab at treatlab@vcuhealth.org or 804-827-4174, or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=48YEAYT8MK33E8EJ.

For more information, contact Kelsey Hagan, Ph.D., PI at treatlab@vcuhealth.org or (804) 827-4174 or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=48YEAYT8MK33E8EJ.

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.

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