1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Get to know James Branch Cabell Library and its resources during the annual Library Fest, a key event of VCU's Weeks of Welcome. The annual open house and tabling event features food, handouts, giveaways and more. Register your laptop, tour the library, 901 Park Ave., meet key staff and enter to win prizes. The event is free and open to all VCU students.

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2019-20/library-fest-2019.html.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sponsored by VCU Academic Technologies, Adobe Creative Cloud licenses may be purchased by VCU faculty, staff and students at a discounted rate. Details can be found at the following URL. Adobe representatives will be on campus Aug. 19 for demonstrations, games and prizes. Visit them on the Compass outside James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon and inside Cabell from 1-3 p.m.

For more information, contact Jana Avery at adobe.vcu.edu or visit https://adobe.vcu.edu.

12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Swing by the Compass for a cookout hosted by RamTech, VCU’s on-campus technology store. The RamTech team will serve free grilled hot dogs and a selection of Popsicles, all catered by VCUDine. A live DJ will be on site and giveaways will be available for those in attendance.

For more information, contact Erinn Budd at budde@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8324 or visit http://ramtech.vcu.edu.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All students, faculty and staff are invited to an open house to celebrate the grand opening of VCU's Free Store. The open house will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 19-23. The Free Store, 201 N. Belvidere St., is an on-campus resource where VCU students, faculty and staff with a valid VCU ID can take new and used goods for free. Donations will be accepted. Starting the week of Aug. 26 the Free Store will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays.

For more information, contact Parker Long at longpj@vcu.edu or visit http://go.vcu.edu/freestore.

9 p.m.

VCU's Chi Alpha Campus Ministries hosts Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag. Meet next to the police station at Monroe Park. Participants will be divided into two teams. All are invited.

For more information, contact Lillian Curtis at curtisla@vcu.edu.

Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU Parking and Transportation will host a GRTC bus on campus, in front of James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Learn how to ride, plan your trip and more with a GRTC travel trainer. Free snacks will be available.

For more information, contact Debra Hopper at dhopper@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7275.

Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

At the August Central Virginia Society of Clinical Research Associates chapter meeting, Nina Exner, Ph.D., VCU Libraries research data librarian, will present an introduction to data management best practices. The session will be held in Room 304, Critical Care Hospital, 1213 E. Clay St.

For more information, contact Shirley Helm at shirley.helm@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-2942 or visit https://events.vcu.edu/details.asp?myVal=70548.

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 from noon to 12:45 p.m.

The goal of chair yoga is to provide a calm and relaxed feeling to promote a greater sensation of happiness and well-being. VCU Human Resources and Recreational Sports will host a 45-minute session in the Jackson Ward A Conference Room, Jonah L. Larrick Student Center, 900 Turpin St. Register at Talent@VCU or the following URL. Have a colleague register and come with you and you will both receive a sweet prize.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://training.vcu.edu/course_detail.asp?ID=17304.

Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Talicia Tarver, research and education librarian at Tompkins-McCaw library, will discuss collaboration opportunities between the libraries and faculty. The session, presented by the College of Health Professions, will be in Room 2055, College of Health Professions, 900 Leigh St. Examples of how library services have been integrated into College of Health Professions courses will be shared. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Michael Forder at mjforder@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/oNjjVmjNvXb2v3YdA.

Monday, Aug. 26, 2019 at 8:30 p.m.

The Black Awakening Choir at VCU will hold an open rehearsal for interested students. No auditions are required. The rehearsal will be held in the University Student Commons Theater, 907 Floyd Ave. A second rehearsal will be held at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 29 in Richmond Salons III and IV, University Student Commons.

For more information, contact Gabrielle Blake at blakegn@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 at 2 p.m.

The Safe Zone Program, sponsored by University Counseling Services, will hold four open workshops to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues. The sessions will be held in Virginia Rooms C and D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., at 2-4 p.m. Aug. 28, 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 17, 1-3 p.m. Oct. 10 and 9-11 a.m. Nov. 15. Choose one of the workshops and register at https://training.vcu.edu (keyword "Safe Zone").

For more information, contact Camille Rudney, LCSW, at safezone@vcu.edu or visit https://counseling.vcu.edu/safe-zone/.

Wednesday, Sep. 18, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education will hold Play Therapy and the Therapeutic Power of Play. The session will be at Regency Square, 1420 N. Parham Road, in the Garden Room just off the food court, as part of its free Third Wednesdays Community Series. Learn how play is used to communicate with and treat clients.

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

Human Resources presents "Retiring with the VCU Optional Retirement Plan." The sessions are open to VCU faculty and VCU University and Academic Professionals, not VCU Health System employees. See upcoming sessions at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Benefits at benefits@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1723 or visit https://bit.ly/2XvaJIH.

The Office of Records and Registration is responsible for notifying the university community that it does not release nonpublic information about VCU students. This information is used and shared in a limited and carefully controlled manner. It is not disclosed, except as permitted by law, unless authorized by the student.

For more information, contact Records and Registration at rar@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1349 or visit http://rar.vcu.edu.

FERPA affords students the rights to inspect and review educational records, request that records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading be corrected, provide written consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent and to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. For complete rights under FERPA, visit the following URL.

For more information, contact Records and Regsistration at rar@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1349 or visit http://rar.vcu.edu/registration/familyed.html.

All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are prohibited on VCU property. The directive includes buildings and vehicles, except for outdoor areas specifically designated with a sign for smoking and other tobacco use. The new policy applies to students, faculty, staff, contractors and campus visitors.

For more information, contact VCU's Wellness Resource Center at quit@vcu.edu or visit http://tobaccofree.vcu.edu.

VCU's Graduate School Mentorship Program matches undergraduate and graduate students in mentoring relationships. The intent is to expose undergraduate students to the graduate school experience and provide graduate students with the opportunity to develop mentoring skills. Preference is given to applicants going into their sophomore, junior or senior years. The application is available at the following URL. The deadline is Aug. 29.

For more information, contact Portia Newman at gsmp@vcu.edu or visit http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/development/mentorship.html.

Academic Learning Transformation Lab/Online@VCU is making financial support available to faculty through their colleges or schools for the development of new, high-quality, for-credit online courses. This initiative supports one of the university’s strategic goals to offer more online courses and programs. Priority will be given to courses that meet specified criteria. Apply at the following URL.

For more information, contact Elaine Reeder at ereeder@vcu.edu or visit https://altlab.vcu.edu/online-course-development-support-application/.

The Office of Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of in-classroom and online learning opportunities for VCU faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. Continuing education is available in craft beer, cultural competency and languages, event planning, mindfulness, paralegal studies, play therapy and test preparation for the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT, ACT, Praxis Core and MCAT. Foundations of Biochemistry is also offered.

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

The Department of Pediatrics at VCU is recruiting individuals to participate in a study that is evaluating the impact of school food environment changes on elementary school students' dietary intake, which will take place in the 2019-2020 school year. This is a great experience for anyone interested in child health, policy, nutrition, psychology or public health. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Sarah Farthing at sarah.malone@vcuhealth.org or (804) 527-4759 or visit https://forms.gle/p5nedW3YmA2pmuqM8.