Friday, Mar. 27, 2020 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Have you heard, seen or experienced feelings of exclusion around campus related to the coronavirus (COVID-19)? Has your VCU experience changed as a result of COVID-19? RAMmalogues provides an opportunity for virtual dialogue with other students about these lived experiences to understand them in the context of acceptance, belonging and inclusion. This will be a special online session using Zoom (with some small group discussions). As the COVID-19 outbreak creates distance between us, we believe it is still important to stay connected, check in with our peers and have a discussion about the emotional, mental and social impacts of COVID-19. RAMmalogues provides a braver/safer space for students to talk with each other about their social identities and lived experiences at VCU through dialogues on race, gender, class and similar themes, led by trained facilitators provided by Kimbrough Consulting and Richmond Action Dialogues. Register at the following link for a link to join our virtual community.

For more information, contact Jan Altman, Ph.D., at jhaltman@vcu.edu or visit https://inclusive.vcu.edu/iexcel/rammalogues/.

Thursday, Mar. 26, 2020 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Jeff Wing, director of the National Scholarship Office at VCU, will offer an online informational session via Zoom about national and international scholarship opportunities. This general information session is designed for first- and second-year undergraduates and other students who are new to VCU. Register at the following URL, where the Zoom link is available. A second session will be offered at 2 p.m. April 1.

For more information, contact Jeff Wing at jawing@vcu.edu or (804) 317-5929 or visit http://blogs.vcu.edu/natlscholarship.

Friday, Mar. 27, 2020 from noon to 1 p.m.

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the Health Promotion and Well-Being Center at VCU will host an online workshop. The event is part of the Lav House Lunch and Learn Series and is open to all students. This interactive, virtual discussion will cover ways to remove the stigma in conversations about mental health through examining language, learning how to help a friend and engaging in methods for self-care. Questions are welcome and encouraged. Join the event through Zoom at the following URL.

For more information, contact Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at omsa@vcu.edu or visit https://zoom.us/j/360971823.

As communities across the country prepare for the effects of COVID-19, VCU Health and the American Red Cross are hosting local blood drives to prevent blood supply shortages for hospital patients. Please consider making an appointment at the following URL to donate during one of the following times. VCU Health Main Hospital, 1250 E. Marshall St., March 24 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.), March 26 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.), April 17 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.); One Capital Square, 830 E. Main St., March 27 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.); Seventh and Franklin Building, 701 E. Franklin St., April 23 (9 a.m.-2 p.m.); Stony Point, 9109 Stony Point Drive (Blood Mobile in front of building), April 15 (3-6 p.m.); Parham Road, 7818 E. Parham Road, April 14 (noon–4 p.m.)

For more information, or visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=VCUHealth.

Construction and utility work at and around the VCU Health Outpatient Pavilion and Inpatient Children's Hospital sites will affect traffic patterns on the MCV Campus. For current information and updates, visit the URL below.

For more information, contact Carrie Carroll at carrie.carroll@vcuhealth.org or visit http://vcuhealth.org/traffic.

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences hosts a wide range of spring webinars for the VCU community. The library offers PubMed, Embase, Research Poster Design, CINAHL and more to help students, faculty and staff with research needs. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Thelma Mack at mackta@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0017 or visit https://vcu.libcal.com/calendar/workshops/.

The Housing Fair scheduled for March 26 has been canceled and will not be rescheduled. Off Campus Student Services is still able to help. Check online resources at offcampus.vcu.edu or schedule an online appointment at the following URL.

For more information, contact Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth at offcampus@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4514 or visit https://vcuoffcampus.youcanbook.me.

The VCU First Destination Survey is live for May 2020 graduates on Handshake at VCU. Responses to this survey will provide VCU with information used to improve career and academic advising, student recruitment and student services. Upon completion, participants will automatically be entered to win prizes. Log into the survey at the following URL. Names will not be associated with responses in any public way. In the next six months, participants will be able to review or change individual information.

For more information, contact Danielle Pearles at ddpearles@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2216 or visit http://tiny.cc/VCUFDS20.

Undergraduate team members will assist with outreach and work in teams to develop research questions and analyze Spit for Science data. Students from all majors and at all class levels are welcome to apply. Enrollment will be for three credits (A-F grading system). Due to the extension of VCU's spring break, the application deadline has been extended to 5 p.m. on March 25.

For more information, contact Amy Adkins at adkinsae@vcu.edu or visit https://spit4science.vcu.edu/educational-opportunities/.

The Health Promotion and Well-being Center will be moving its weekly guided meditation sessions on Wednesdays and one-on-one Resilience Lab appointments online through Zoom. Check the Resilience Lab calendar at the following URL to sign up for available sessions.

For more information, contact Mia Liadis at liadisa@vcu.edu or visit https://thewell.vcu.edu/programs/resilience-lab/.

New details regarding the final L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs dean search open forums are now available. For candidate privacy with Zoom, the forums will not be presented to a live online audience, but will be recorded and posted after both visits are complete. The university community is asked to submit questions on the search webpage. More information and deadlines to submit questions are available at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jenn Arce at jmarce@vcu.edu or (919) 610-9740 or visit https://provost.vcu.edu/searches/wilderdean/.

RamTech is now closed. For questions regarding fixIT repairs, email fixitservice@vcu.edu. For any other questions, email ramtech@vcu.edu. Also, follow @ramtechvcu on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

For more information, contact Erinn Budd at ramtech@vcu.edu or visit http://ramtech.vcu.edu.

The VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education is currently offering a variety of online learning opportunities for VCU faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. Continuing education is currently available in customer service, dealing with difficult people in the workplace, event planning, foundations of biochemistry, Google analytics and test prep for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, SAT, ACT and the MCAT.

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

Barnes and Noble on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses are closed until further notice. Most usual bookstore services, such as buying books for summer classes, returning rentals and ordering VCU branded merchandise, have free shipping options. Visit the following URL to place orders. Also, follow @vcubookstore for updates.

For more information, contact Harry Pacheco at hpacheco@vcubooks.com or (804) 828-1678 or visit https://vcu.bncollege.com/.

In partnership with the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, Digital Media Strategies for the COVID-19 Crisis will be offered March 30-May 8 in an online, self-paced format with Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Robertson school and director of the Media + Health Lab. The course is open to VCU students and VCU and VCU Health employees for credit, as well as to the community as noncredit. Eligible employees may use their tuition benefit/education assistance. Noncredit revenue will be split between funding Coronavirus-related research by the Media + Health Lab and assisting with student needs.

For more information, contact VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education at ocpe@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1322 or visit https://ocpe.vcu.edu/covid-19.

Two VCUDine locations will be open and accepting swipes all day during hours of operation. Shafer Court Dining Center Market 810 will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Panda Express will be open from 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Visit the following URL or follow @vcu_dining on social media for the latest updates.

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

VCU Mail Services has suspended delivery to departments effective March 24. The VMI Building, 1000 E. Marshall St., and the Valentine House, 920 W. Franklin St., are open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Mail Services will hold departmental mail until further notice. For arrangements to pick up critical essential mail, contact the following email address or telephone number.

For more information, contact Donnette Haynes at haynesds@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1343 or visit https://bsv.vcu.edu/mailservices/.

VCU School of Medicine is looking for black women ages 18-25 with a BMI between 25-45 kg/milligrams squared in the Richmond area who want to take part in a study designed to capture experiences of racial discrimination. HER Squared is a research study designed to provide the opportunity to reflect on various experiences with racism and how you deal with the experiences. Compensation is available for eligible participants.

For more information, contact Kristal Brown at kristal.brown@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-4644 or visit http://hersquaredrva.com.