12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute and Institute for Contemporary Art present Lunchtime Mindfulness Meditation @ ICA, at 601 W. Broad St. The session, guided by experienced meditation teachers, is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11:45 a.m. Advance registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

For more information, contact Marcie Walsh at walshmj2@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0546 or visit https://icavcu.org/events/mindfulness-0807/.

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Composer, multimedia artist and writer Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, reimagines director D.W. Griffith's infamously racist 1915 silent film to examine how “ … exploitation and political corruption still haunt the world to this day, but in radically different forms.” The program, at the Institute for Contemporary Art, 601 W. Broad St., will be followed by a talk with ICA artist-in-residence and iCubed Fellow Paul Rucker.

For more information, contact ICA at VCU at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/films/cinema-0808/.

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Wellness Resource Center invites faculty and staff to the Recovery Ally Program, a training session designed to help participants better support students and loved ones in recovery, at VCU's ASPiRE, Room 1004H, 835 W. Grace St. Registration is required at https://goo.gl/2hY6KC.

For more information, contact Thomas Bannard at bannardtn@vcu.edu or (804) 366-8027 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfISpY2Iqmvq_nbttV2YmWSF5cKFHyxSxY5yGrIxiSNXfMh5Q/viewform.

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Artist Heath Matysek-Snyder, assistant professor in VCUarts' Department of Craft/Material Studies, will be present for brief celebratory remarks, Q&A and refreshments at James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., for "Fall Line," his wood sculpture and functional bench. The work, designed to evoke the James River, was installed in the lobby of the library in the spring as the finishing touch for the new building.

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2018-19/fall-line.html.

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 from 9 a.m. to noon

VCU Environmental Health and Safety hosts training for the safe handling of dangerous goods at George Ben Johnston Auditorium, 305 N. 12th St., for VCU and VCU Health employees who come in contact with such materials. This includes receipt for, marking, labeling, packing and preparing or signing shipping documents. Handling dangerous goods without training or with lapsed training is illegal and may subject the handler and University to fines. Register to attend at https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=HH3RY99WRP. Call or email Danny Munoz for more information (828-1279; dmunoz2@vcu.edu).

For more information, contact Helga Mitchell at hcmitchell@vcu.edu or (804) 827-2202 or visit https://srm.vcu.edu/.

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU's Office of Continuing and Professional Education presents "Spanish Conversation Sampler" as part of the free monthly community series 3rd Wednesdays at Regency's Garden Room (near the food court) 1420 N. Parham Road. This session will explore the benefits of learning basic Spanish. According to infogram.com, more than 50 million people speak Spanish in the U.S. RSVP at the URL below.

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.

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 at 1 p.m.

The Records Management Office will hold a Records Management 101 training session in Room 202 of the Technology Administration Building, 701 W. Broad St. Training will cover recordkeeping requirements and practices to be compliant with state regulations and University policy. Self-paced Records Management 101 training is also offered. Registration is available at http://training.vcu.edu (keyword "records"). On-site department training can be requested at recman@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Amber Peranski at aperanski@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2097.

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

The Center for Corporate Education hosts "The Only You: Why Your Personal Story Matters at Work" in Room B3189 of Snead Hall, School of Business, 301 W. Main St. Christina Tinker, founder of Richmond Moms blog, will lead a discussion about the importance of embracing personal stories at work. Participants will learn to use storytelling to build influence and connections based on trust and authenticity in developing a consistent brand. Registration is $25 and includes lunch and parking.

For more information, contact Katybeth Lee at kelee@vcu.edu or (804) 828-3165 or visit https://business.vcu.edu/about-us/events/center-for-corporate-education/lunch--learn-series/the-only-you-why-your-personal-story-matters-at-work.html.

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018 at 3 p.m.

President Michael Rao invites the VCU community to the 36th annual Faculty Convocation at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Faculty members will be welcomed and this year’s distinguished faculty award recipients will be honored. Faculty and staff traveling to the Monroe Park Campus may use the RamRide shuttle (Cabell Library stop) or find reciprocal parking options at http://www.parking.vcu.edu/parking/faculty-and-staff/reciprocal-parking/.

For more information, contact Office of Events and Special Programs at UNIVevents@vcu.edu or visit http://go.vcu.edu/vcuconvocation2018.

Grading for Summer 2018 has begun. Grade sheets are available on faculty eServices. Grades are due by noon Aug. 14; at which time grading will be turned off. Faculty may only access grade sheets for courses to which they have been assigned in the class schedule. If you do not see one of your grade sheets, contact your department's course scheduling representative.

For more information, contact Office of Records and Registration at https://rar.vcu.edu/.

VCU's Staff Senate is accepting nominations through Aug. 31 for its First Annual Awards for Excellence. One Monroe Park Campus and one MCV Campus staff member will be honored in each of the following categories: integrity, staff advocacy, new employee, career achievement and champion of diversity and inclusion. Recipients will be recognized at the Oct. 18 Professional Development Day. Additional details are available at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Staff Senate at staffsenate@vcu.edu or visit http://www.staffsenate.vcu.edu/awards.

Utility work and construction at and around the former Virginia Treatment Center for Children site will affect traffic patterns in the area of the MCV Campus over the next several months.

For more information, contact Jake Hughes at jake.hughes@am.jll.com or visit https://www.vcuhealth.org/news-center/building-projects/outpatient-facility-updates.

VCU's Global Education Office is seeking volunteers to host two to four international Fulbright Scholars for dinner in their homes or a favorite restaurant on Aug. 15. Fulbright scholars from across the globe will be visiting VCU for a brief orientation program before the U.S. portion of their Fulbright experience. Transportation is required.

For more information, contact Nichole Dorton at nldorton@vcu.edu or (804) 827-9331.

Nominations are being accepted until Aug. 24 for this year’s President’s Awards for Professional and Administrative Distinction. These awards recognize and honor full-time university and academic professionals, classified employees of VCU and staff members of the VCU Health System. Questions may be directed to Marella Briggs in the President’s Office at mbriggs@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Debbie Fitzgerald at dmfitzge@vcu.edu or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/recognition-and-awards/presidents-awards/.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation has issued an open call soliciting faculty, staff, pre-doctoral students and post-doctoral associates for speaking proposals in its "Because of You" seminar series. The series demonstrates to VCU’s research administration staff how their work impacts research across the institution.

For more information, contact Susan Robb at sarobb@vcu.edu or visit https://research.vcu.edu/events/Call_for_Speakers.pdf.

VCU's Department of Psychology, principal investigator Kirk Warren Brown, Ph.D., seeks participants in a research study of two stress reduction programs. Those who take part will receive a free, 14-day smartphone-based stress reduction course and receive up to $300.

For more information, contact Hadley Rahrig at rahrighm@mymail.vcu.edu or (804) 250-1534 or visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03485807?term=stress+reduction&recrs=ab&cntry=US&state=US%3AVA&city=Richmond&rank=1.

Handshake at VCU, a program for job seekers, is live for all students and is replacing HireVCURams. Use the Handshake app or web interface to schedule career-advice appointments with VCU Career Services, College of Engineering Career Services and School of Business Career Services. Find and apply for Federal Work-Study jobs, internships, part- and full-time jobs, co-ops and other opportunities. Register for career fairs, programs and on-campus interviews.

For more information, contact VCU Career Services at careers@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1645 or visit http://vcu.joinhandshake.com.

The Office of Continuing and Professional Education, in partnership with the School of World Studies, will hold cultural competency and language classes for VCU and VCU Health employees and community members. Courses, worth one academic credit, begin Aug. 28 and run through early December. Intro to Conversational German II, Intermediate German II, Intro to Conversational Italian II, Intro to Conversational Spanish I and Intro to Conversational Spanish II are available. Contact HR to determine eligibility for tuition waivers. The sign-up deadline is Aug. 29.

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

VCU Military Student Services is encouraging faculty and staff veterans to identify themselves by filling out an online form. Each veteran will receive a branch-specific VCU lapel pin at an August event, to be announced at a later time.

For more information, contact Stephen Ross at stross@vcu.edu or (804) 827-8730 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhUtRovN1nrF4T2AsAM862qH4mZDEmeWOTwRMaCCTdZ3SYPQ/viewform.

Researchers at VCU are offering a new behavioral weight-loss program funded by the National Institutes for Health. The REACH Trial is designed specifically for overweight young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Eligible participants will receive personalized feedback and coaching to meet their goals.

For more information, contact Ryan Wolf at ryan.wolf@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-1460 or visit https://reachtrial.vcu.edu/.

VCU's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program is asking faculty to provide position descriptions for work-study research assistants for 2018-2019. Maximum cost for faculty is $200 per student.

For more information, contact Herb Hill, UROP Director at hhill@vcu.edu or visit http://wp.vcu.edu/vcuurop/2018/08/06/wsra-2018-2019/.

The Common Book Program is seeking faculty, staff and graduate students to facilitate or co-facilitate discussions about the 2018 Common Book with incoming first-year students during Welcome Week. Facilitators will receive a copy of this year's book, "Tell Me How It Ends," attend a 90-minute orientation on Aug. 15 or 16 and facilitate a 50-minute discussion on Aug. 20 or Aug. 21.

For more information, contact Micol Hutchison at mvhutchison@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1110 or visit http://commonbook.vcu.edu.