10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

VCU's Global Education Office will host a day celebrating the diversity of its students in Rooms 1030 K and J, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, 830 W. Grace St. Events will include posters, performances, games, a DIY onigiri (Japanese rice ball) making station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Nigerian cuisine prepared by a VCU Globe student from 12:30-2 p.m. Contact the following email for a full schedule. Questions, Audrey Short, aeshort@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Katya Stepanova at stepanovae@mymail.vcu.edu or (804) 827-0178.

5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies will host "Decolonize Your Mind: The Physics of Spirituality in Black and Asian Diaspora." The panel discussion, which will examine diasporic Black and Asian cultural production to chart the shifting politics of spirituality, science, race, gender and sexuality in British and U.S. imperial projects, will be in Room 1105, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Levi Walter at gsws@vcu.edu or visit https://www.facebook.com/events/700341727121216/.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

VCUarts will host concurrent receptions at The Anderson, 907 1/2 W. Franklin St. The exhibitions include MFA Painting + Printmaking candidate John Chae's calendar project as the Fall 2019 Publishing Grant recipient, the Kinetic Imaging department's "Audio Visual AlgoRave: Round 1," "To Keep You Warm: An Exhibition of Quilts" by Introduction to Fibers students from the Craft/Material Studies department and outdoor projections presented by the Art Foundation department.

For more information, contact Monica Kinsey at kinseym@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7720 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/programs/theanderson/.

6:30 p.m.

The Kinetic Imaging department presents "Audio Visual AlgoRave," a collaboration between students in three Kinetic Imaging classes. The video and audio installation projects will be presented in two rounds (Round 1, through Dec. 6 and Round 2, Dec. 9-15), with live coding performances for Round 1 taking place at The Anderson, 907 1/2 W. Franklin St. at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6.

For more information, contact Monica Kinsey at kinseym@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7720 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/programs/theanderson/.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On First Friday, Benae Beamon presents a tap performance, "Time Blackened for the Capture of Dawn," commissioned by the ICA as part of its "Great Force" exhibit. A tap dancer and performance artist from North Carolina, Beamon's work, which draws from traditional movements in black culture, deals with historical archiving, ritual, power and black existence. She will be accompanied by live musicians. The free performance will be in the Royall Forum, Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Refreshments and cash bar will be available.

For more information, contact Meredith Carrington at mtcarrington@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1088 or visit https://icavcu.org/events/first-friday-benae-beamon/.

7 p.m.

VCU Music will present its annual Holiday Gala in Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. The event will benefit the Doorways, a nonprofit which provides lodging and support for patients and their families and friends during hospital stays. Questions, thedoorways.org. General admission is $10 and $5 for children ages 12 and younger.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1169 or visit https://www.showclix.com/event/holiday-gala2019asd.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Chi Alpha Campus Ministries will present a Christmas Semiformal Party in the Virginia Rooms, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Bring a guest. Dinner will be served. Learn about raising money for FeedONE.

For more information, contact Jakia Hamilton at hamiltonjd3@vcu.edu.

7 p.m.

VCU's first and only all female a capella group, Saved by the Belles, will present the troupe's winter concert, "A Walk in the Woods." The performance will be in the theater at University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Jaclynette Williams at williamsjs22@mymail.vcu.edu or visit https://www.facebook.com/events/429302321111867/.

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon

Representatives from Becker and BDO will discuss CPA exam prep and offer advice on accounting careers and spring tax internships at a meeting of Beta Alpha Psi at VCU. The honor organization for accounting, financial and information systems students and professionals invites speakers from the Richmond area to discuss current trends and best practices in accounting. The session will be in Room B3189, Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St.

For more information, contact Caroline Clary at clarycr2@vcu.edu.

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 at 7 p.m.

First Love Church will host a free end-of-year gala with food, dancing and performances in the Virginia Rooms, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Come in your best attire. This will be a red carpet event. RSVP by Dec. 6 at the following URL.

For more information, contact Yasmin John at johnye@vcu.edu or visit http://evite.me/dNVjhQ3R6W.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 at 1 p.m.

Join VCU's women's basketball team as they take on the William and Mary Tribe. The game will be played at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Dylan Baker at dbaker28@vcu.edu or visit https://vcuathletics.com/WBBpromos.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 at 2 p.m.

First Love Church will host an end-of-the-semester celebration in Room 1165, T. Edward Temple Building, 901 W. Main St. The service will include dancing, singing and a sermon.

For more information, contact Yasmin John at johnye@vcu.edu.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU's Complex Modeling Troupe will host its third annual charity show, “Pump For A Cause.” This year the troupe will be bringing awareness to sexual assault. The event will be in the Commonwealth Ballroom, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Admission is any household good or canned food item, which will be donated to a local food bank.

For more information, contact Shameka Santiful at santifuls@mymail.vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019 from noon to 12:45 p.m.

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute will host its MPLI Virtual Open House. Register at the following URL to hear firsthand experiences from program alumni and learn how the program has affected them personally and professionally. Those who attend the interactive event will have the opportunity to learn about the program and ask questions.

For more information, contact Olivia Barnes at gehli@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1169 or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvc-isqj8u9vT1zCLVo2rW1MhrafijQw.

Monday, Dec. 9, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

The C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research will host a Discovery Dialogues seminar presented by Mario Acunzo, Ph.D., assistant professor, internal medicine. The session will be in the first-floor Learning Center, Main Hospital, 1250 E. Marshall St. Faculty, staff, students, patients and families are invited. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Pam Dillon at pmdillon@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1519 or visit http://www.cctr.vcu.edu.

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Are final exams stressing you out? Come and relax for a bit in Room 118, Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave. Drop in and enjoy games, coloring, puzzles, snacks and cocoa. The event is hosted by the Campus Learning Center.

For more information, contact Benita Regusters at regustersb@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU Libraries and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation will hold town hall meetings to review and discuss the proposed NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. Comments can be submitted through Jan. 10, 2020, and will be used to inform a final policy. The meeting will be held in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. A second town hall meeting will be held 3-4 p.m. Dec. 12 in Room 2-010, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 N. 12th St.

For more information, contact Susan Robb at sarobb@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0479.

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019 from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Learn more about VCU's Online MBA program at a webinar hosted by the School of Business. This 30-minute online presentation provides an overview of the program and how to apply. Register at the following URL. For those unable to register ahead of time, see the webinar by logging in a few minutes before at https://vcu.zoom.us/j/721881545

For more information, contact Robert Clarkson at rmclarkson@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1597 or visit https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/?id=ffd0b84b-4259-4711-ba80-5791a3d355ea&program=OMBA.

Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Music and Medicine, the VCU Health System Orchestra, presents "Sounds of the Season," a holiday concert, at Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad St. Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Doors open at 7 p.m.

For more information, contact Kara Dods at dodskk@vcu.edu or visit https://www.vcuhealth.org/our-story/who-we-are/orchestra/support-the-orchestra.

VCUDine locations will operate under special hours during final exams. Starbucks in James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., will be open 24 hours from 7 a.m. Dec. 9 through 6 p.m. Dec. 13. Visit the following URL for a complete list of location hours. Fall dining plans end at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 18. Registration for Spring 2020 dining plans is now available at the following URL. Details, follow @VCU_Dining on social media.

For more information, contact Lauren Hay at lhay@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit http://vcu.campusdish.com.

Blackboard data will be migrated to a new data center on Dec. 19. More information about the migration to Blackboard SaaS can be found on the Technology Services Teaching and Learning site at the following URL. The expected outage timeline is from 8 a.m. Dec. 19 to 8 p.m. Dec. 21.

For more information, contact Learning Systems at blackboard@vcu.edu or visit https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/teaching-and-learning/blackboard-elearning/blackboard-migration---december-19-2019/.