1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Baby Box Project at VCU will hold a candle sale at the Commons to help raise money for low-income families. Soy candles in five scents will be available.

For more information, contact Baby-Box at babyboxvcu@gmail.com.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

World Studies Society will present its December Global Conversation series in the second floor of the Religious Studies building, 14 N. Laurel St. Brunch will be provided.

For more information, contact Neha Pondicherry at pondicherryn@vcu.edu.

2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Resilience Lab of the Wellness Resource Center, 815 Cathedral Place, will host a 20-minute guided meditation. The session will focus on a sense of deep relaxation with imagery of a starry night sky.

For more information, contact Mia Liadis at liadisa@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6919 or visit http://thewell.vcu.edu.

7 p.m.

Active Minds at VCU will host an event to lessen stress with a holiday theme in Rooms 1030 G/H, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, 830 W. Grace St. Those who attend can decorate gingerbread cookies, make glitter mason jars, color, play cards and spend time with the dogs of Active Minds members. Popcorn and hot chocolate will be provided.

For more information, contact Leena Penumalee at penumaleels@vcu.edu.

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. at VCU will hold a study forum in the Alumni Board Room, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. The forum is open to all VCU students. Light refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Payal Thakkar at thakkarph@vcu.edu.

8 p.m.

The VCU Symphony will perform in Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. General admission tickets are $10, free for VCU students with a valid ID.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1169 or visit https://www.showclix.com/event/vcu-symphony2019awitneroushdfodsnf.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 at noon

John Elwell, director of Commonwealth Catholic Charities' parish engagement shares, will discuss the organization's programs, services, population groups served and its impact across the commonwealth at a luncheon meeting of Catholic Graduate Student Organization at MCV. The meeting will be in Room 7-102, James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall St. Hear client stories, find out how to become involved with CCC's work and hear how this may impact future Catholic medical professionals. All are welcome. Pizza and drinks will be provided. RSVP to the following email.

For more information, contact Mario E. Dance at medance@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9838.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Work off that turkey dinner and use your volunteer leave to lend a hand with Virginia’s oyster reef restoration efforts. The Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program invites faculty and staff to bag recycled oyster shells for future oyster reef restoration. The event will be held at the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, 3800 John Tyler Memorial Highway, Charles City County. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cindy Andrews at candrews@vcu.edu or visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4BABA72DA31-vcuemployee1.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 at 3 p.m.

VCU Department of Music will present a string area recital in Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1169 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/2019/08/26/string-area-recital-december-5/.

Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 from 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.

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 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.

Monday, Dec. 9, 2019 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Graduate and Professional Student Programming Board and the Hub will host study breaks at the Hunton Student Center, 1110 E. Broad St. On Dec. 9, licensed therapy dogs and hot drinks will be available. On Dec. 10, at the same time and location, massage chairs and light bites will be provided.

For more information, contact Nic at gspb@vcu.edu.

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 noon to 1 p.m.

Elizabeth Do, Ph.D., MPH, Instructor, VCU School of Medicine's Health Behavior and Policy, will discuss "The Adolescents, Place, Behavior Study: Preliminary Findings, Possible Challenges and Future Directions.” The lecture will be in Room 644, Capitol Square, 830 E. Main St. A light lunch will be provided.

For more information, contact Mary Johnson at johnsonme6@vcu.edu or (804) 628-3443 or visit https://hbp.vcu.edu/research-seminar/.

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

VCU Human Resources and Recreational Sports will host a session on yoga you can do at your desk to improve posture, increase flexibility, reduce stress and improve balance. The event will be held in the group exercise room, Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/worklife/.

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education will hold a Hospitality Open House in its conference room, 9 W. Cary St. Presentations will be offered at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Explore Certified Wedding and Event Planning and Corporate Event Planning programs and spin the prize wheel. Light refreshments will be available. Register at the following URL.

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

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. If you are interested in attending, view upcoming sessions at the following URL.

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

VCU Division for Inclusive Excellence is seeking input to enhance its Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations Jan. 20-24, 2020. VCU and VCU Health System Colleges, Schools, Divisions and Units are invited to facilitate events in keeping with the 2020 theme: "Reflections on the Fierce Urgency of Now." Financial support is available for approved events. Submit an event at the following URL.

For more information, contact the Division for Inclusive Excellence at mlkday@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8947 or visit https://mlkday.vcu.edu/vcu-submit-your-event/.

On Dec. 4, VCU Technology Services with be retiring the current Service Desk ticketing system. On this date, faculty, staff and students will begin using the new IT Support ticketing system to submit tickets for IT incidents, requests and other inquiries. Questions, VCU IT Support Center at (804) 828-2227.

For more information, contact Hannah Steighner at hwpsteighner@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4727 or visit http://go.vcu.edu/itsc.

The Cary Street Field Complex will be closed from the end of fall break to the end of spring break 2020. For a full list of hours for all of VCU Recreational Sports facilities, visit the following URL.

For more information, contact Meredith Hawkins at mlhawkins@vcu.edu or (804) 335-4607 or visit https://recsports.vcu.edu/facilities/hours/#Cary%20Street%20Field.

The new year is upon us and you may be considering how to achieve greater work/life balance. Access the Working@VCU Alternative Work Arrangements eLearning to learn about flexible and alternative work options available to university and academic professionals and classified staff. See the following URL. Or, in Talent@VCU, go to the Learner tab, Learner Search, search for Working@VCU HR Policy: Alternative Work Arrangement, then launch the eLearning.

For more information, contact Penny McFarline at mcfarlinep@vcu.edu or visit http://bit.ly/2D4a9FR.

VCU's Honors College is requesting proposals for fall 2020 courses and modules (five-week courses). Submit a proposal at the following URL by Jan. 15.

For more information, contact Jacqueline Smith-Mason at jsmithmason@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1803 or visit https://honors.vcu.edu/for-faculty/teach-honors/.