1 p.m.

The Global Education Office and Relevant Experiential and Applied Learning initiative host a webinar on the fourth floor of the Grace Street Center, 912 W. Grace St., highlighting work at colleges and universities to demonstrate the value of a liberal education. A discussion will follow. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Renee Russell at vrrussell@vcu.edu or visit http://bit.ly/2p2Dtpr.

7 p.m.

The Association of Black Social Workers at VCU will hold its first general assembly meeting in Room 3100, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. The group works to strengthen the black community through advocacy, educational forums, awareness programs and human services on the VCU campus and the surrounding Richmond community. Students of all majors are welcome. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information, contact Monica Kelley at vcuabsw@gmail.com.

Friday, Sep. 14, 2018 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

The Department of Psychiatry presents Grand Rounds with Joel Silverman, M.D., and James Asa Shield Jr., Chairman, VCU Psychiatry, who will discuss "VCU Psychiatry: The past, the present and the future," in Room 1-044, Sanger Hall, 1101 E. Marshall St.

For more information, contact Casey Mangin at casey.mangin@vcuhealth.org.

Friday, Sep. 14, 2018 from noon to 2 p.m.

Join the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at the Commons Plaza to celebrate the start of Latinx Heritage Month. This event will feature salsa dancing and Latinx student organizations at tables offering resources and networking.

For more information, contact Kishla Conner at connerka2@vcu.edu.

Friday, Sep. 14, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Photography Club at VCU will hold an interest meeting in Room 303, Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave. All experience levels are welcome. Learn about the club, upcoming photo shoots, editing workshops and competitions and meet other photographers. Refreshments will be provided. For club reminders, text @photovcu to 81010. Information: shieha@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Christine Huynh at huynhcn@vcu.edu or (571) 465-0498.

Monday, Sep. 17, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will host the annual "Meet the Rams: Make A Change" event on the Compass. VCU's student-athletes will be in attendance and donations collected will benefit the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

For more information, contact Artis Gordon at ajgordon@vcu.edu.

Monday, Sep. 17, 2018 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Sept. 17 marks 50 years since the start of classes at VCU, and VCU Alumni is celebrating the occasion with a birthday bash on the Compass. Games, giveaways and cake will be available.

For more information, contact Allison Toney at aktoney@vcu.edu.

Tuesday, Sep. 18, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

VCU Libraries' newly formed Research Communication Interest Group invites all members of the VCU community to share ideas for advancing research communication. This session, at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 N. 12th St., is for science communication enthusiasts as well as people in all disciplines interested in communicating research beyond traditional academic spheres. A second session will be held 9-10 a.m. Sept. 19 at James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave.

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0129 or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/news/2018/join-new-community-of-practice-research-communication-interest-group-forming-at-meetups.html.

Wednesday, Sep. 19, 2018 from noon to 1 p.m.

RamTech offers a free Smartphone Photography Appy Hour session featuring tips and techniques in the University Student Commons Alumni Board Room, 907 Floyd Ave. Brown bag your lunch and join the hands-on workshop. Free goodie bag and Pepsi products for those attending. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Erinn Budd at budde@vcu.edu or (804) 827-9984 or visit http://ramtech.vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Sep. 19, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU's Office of Continuing and Professional Education presents "Hope for Addiction" as part of the free monthly community series 3rd Wednesdays at Regency's Garden Room (near the food court) 1420 N. Parham Road. The impact of substances on the mind and body will be discussed, and VCU's addiction-related continuing education options will be reviewed. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Office of Continuing and Professional Education at ocpe@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1322 or visit https://ocpe.vcu.edu/community.

Wednesday, Sep. 19, 2018 at 6 p.m.

Artist Jon-Phillip Sheridan leads a conversation at the Institute for Contemporary Art with Bioengineer Stephen Fong and Forest Ecologist Chris Gough about green urbanism and grassroots strategies to mitigate pollution and the urban heat island effect.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/artistschoice-0919/.

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

VCU's Office of Admissions and VCU Career Services present VCU's Fall Graduate and Professional School Fair in the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Meet graduate school representatives from across the country and learn about the graduate admissions application process.

For more information, contact Troy Washington at admrecruit@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1222 or visit http://www.go.vcu.edu/gradfair.

Sept. 17 is the election deadline for changes to become effective in October for Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Plan participants. Voluntary contributions can be changed once per calendar quarter. Participants can voluntarily contribute up to 4 percent of their creditable salary and receive up to a 2.5 percent employer match.

For more information, contact VCU Human Resources, Benefits at benefits@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1723 or visit https://www.varetirement.org/hybrid.html.

The VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of on-campus and online learning opportunities for VCU faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. Continuing education is available in addiction studies, craft beer, cultural competency and languages, disability support services, event planning, paralegal studies, play therapy training and test preparation for the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT and ACT. Noncredit online courses and certificates in customer service, sales, self-publishing, computer skills, workplace topics, Google tools and podcasting are also offered.

For more information, contact VCU OCPE at ocpe@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1322 or visit http://ocpe.vcu.edu.

Registration is open for "Investigation NOW," VCU Art Education's after-school program for middle and high school students interested in contemporary art. An upcoming session will explore "Alternate Realities" through printmaking, installation and video game design. Sessions are held on Fridays from 5-8 p.m.

For more information, contact Patrick Carter at carterpl@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/arteducation/community/investigation-now/.

VCU will host a symposium on Nov. 30 commemorating the institution's 50 years under the VCU name. The planning committee is seeking nominations for undergraduate and graduate students to join a research team that will review institutional information, which will support work on the symposium. Nominations are due Sept. 15. Students chosen will receive a stipend.

For more information, contact Kevin Allison at kallison@vcu.edu or visit https://president.vcu.edu/reports-and-initiatives/history-of-commemoration/student-research-nominations/.

Those who choose to drive their personal vehicle for VCU business should know that the Commonwealth’s auto insurance plan does not cover personal vehicles. In most instances, the plan also does not provide liability coverage for the driver when using a personal vehicle. Mileage reimbursement is encouraged and is expected to supplement the cost of the owner’s insurance. However, the Commonwealth's auto insurance plan may accept liability for judgments that exceed the driver’s personal auto liability limit.

For more information, contact Steven Kessinger at sbkessinger@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4989 or visit https://srm.vcu.edu/i-want-to-know-about/insurance/#vehicle.

Nominations are being accepted through Sept. 14 by Equality VCU for the Burnside Watstein LGBTQIA Award, which recognizes one or more individuals who enrich the community at VCU and make a significant difference in the lives of LGBTQIA faculty, staff and students.

For more information, contact Brie Dubinsky at dubinskyb@vcu.edu or (804) 828-3997 or visit https://go.vcu.edu/lgbtqia.

Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU is recruiting participants ages 12 to 16 with obesity for TEENS STRIVE, a three-month lifestyle intervention. The program includes weekly individual behavioral weight management visits and an exercise training program.

For more information, contact STRIVE Team at teens@vcuhealth.org or (804) 527-4756 or visit http://chrichmond.org/STRIVE.

RealSource, to be launched in the first quarter of 2019, will replace the state’s eVA system, and will move the university from a traditional purchasing to a strategic-sourcing function. It will support supplier management, sourcing, contracting, requisitioning, purchasing, invoicing, e-catalog ordering, reporting and spending analytics. Look for updates on informational sessions, surveys, demonstrations, training published in the Fiscal Administrators Newsletter, TelegRAM and the RealSource website.

For more information, contact Brenda Mowen at realsource@vcu.edu or visit http://www.realsource.vcu.edu.