Monthly Academic Report (March 2025)
Message from the Provost
Dear Colleagues,
I hope by now you have read the message from university leadership regarding the steps VCU is taking to remain in compliance with the policy guidance from the U.S. Dept. of Education.
That guidance in DOE’s recent letter compels VCU to balance the university’s priorities. VCU prides itself on offering a school environment free from discrimination. That long-held focus is part of our university’s DNA – as is our focus on providing our students with affordable and accessible postsecondary education opportunities. That latter focus is driving the university decisions announced in that message.
VCU students rely on federal funding in their degree pursuits. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the federal government spent $255 million providing 31,102 financial awards to students attending our university. It is incumbent upon us to protect these critical resources for those we serve.
At the request of President Rao, I will be assembling a task force, consisting of faculty, staff, and students, to review VCU’s strategic plan, Quest 2028, to ensure it complies with federal guidance. We will soon announce that task force, the principles by which it will review the plan, and the timeline for its work – which I expect to be finished this summer. Please note this group will not be creating a new plan, but simply recommending changes that will focus VCU on pursuing its mission amidst evolving external dynamics.
In addition to that task force, VCU’s academic enterprise will retire the Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion formerly required for all faculty applicants. (Further guidance will be provided to HR professionals and hiring managers about updates to some HR policies and practices.) Further, the Strategic Recruitment Plan for faculty hiring and the Recruitment Inclusive Champions (RIC) program will be paused for a review to ensure their compliance in creating a school environment free from discrimination.
VCU’s broad commitment to the success of every student it serves is a notable feature of the institution. Over the years, this commitment has been consistently demonstrated as a significant community strength. Moving forward, we will work together to protect the affordable and accessible degree programs that are essential for students seeking their future at VCU.
Best regards,
Fotis
Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ph.D.
Provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
Celebrating VCU Faculty
- Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, has been selected as the recipient of the American Society for Public Administration’s 2025 Dwight Waldo Award. This award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the professional literature of public administration over an extended career.
- Shijun Zhang, Ph.D., professor and graduate program director in VCU School of Pharmacy’s Medicinal Chemistry Department, is leading a funded research project through VCU TechTransfer and Ventures’ Commercialization Fund Award, which biannually funds VCU projects to help them get to a more mature stage of development so that they have a better chance of of being licensed and brought to market. Dr. Zhang’s work explores how NLRP3 dysregulation, a key immune system component, contributes to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- On February 13th, Chioke I’Anson, Ph.D., director of community media at the Institute for Contemporary Art, sold-out Altria Theater for a taping of National Public Radio’s comedy news game show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” It was I’Anson’s fifth appearance on the show in as many weeks, having just wrapped up four performances in Chicago, where most episodes are produced.
Initiative Updates
- VCU’s Promotion & Tenure Policy will remain unchanged for those undergoing review during this year’s ongoing process, and for the 2025-26 academic year. The Provost is pursuing a new policy, informed by the final reports of the P&T task forces and dialogue with faculty members and representatives of the VCU Faculty Senate. This policy, which aims to take effect in April, 2026 will be designed to bring clarity to VCU faculty roles consistent with peer and aspirant institutions and provide consistent promotion processes for both faculty members who hold terminal degrees and those who do not. A draft of the new policy will be created and subject in the fall to the university’s policy change processes.
- The Office of the Provost recently announced the Expanding Networks of Expert Scholars initiative! This new program is designed to support the growth of tenure-eligible assistant and tenured associate professors by helping them build their national and international scholarly networks. Applications are due March 17, 2025.
- The Office of the Provost will pay for ten VCU faculty members to attend the 13th Annual Future World Changers in the Academy National Conference taking place April 10–13, 2025, in Arlington, VA. An announcement will be made in Telegram next week with a link for interested faculty to apply. The selection will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis, with preference given to those who did not attend last year’s conference. This marks the second year in a row that the Office of the Provost is sponsoring a faculty delegation for the conference.
- VCU Libraries, in support of open and affordable course materials across the VCU community, announces a new round of VIVA Open Course Grants. These grants are designed to empower Virginia faculty with the resources and time they need to redesign courses by swapping expensive course materials for open, no cost, or library options. Applications are due March 5, 2025.
- The VCU Division of Community Engagement (DCE) is beginning to share what we’ve learned in the self-study for the Carnegie Reclassification effort. We should all be proud of just how “deep and pervasive” community engagement is across VCU’s campuses.
- The VCU Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity (SAEO) office is seeking feedback from faculty who work with students with accommodations into its policies, procedures, and the experience of working with the office and its students. The survey is now open until May 2 and can be found at this link.
Quest 2028 Data Point
VCU Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) is pleased to announce the release of a new tool designed to assist our colleagues with accessing institutional resources: the Data Resources Menu. This tool lists available IRDS resources—including analytical reports, dashboards, and more—and gives guidelines about how to access them. The tool increases the visibility of the resources that IRDS produces and enhances the ease of locating them.
This menu’s filters allow users to highlight tools that might be of interest to them for a particular purpose. For instance, if you and your colleagues have questions about student retention, you can edit the filter to include only resources that examine retention and graduation. You can also set filters to look for a specific type of resource, like dashboards or reports.
Please note that dashboards are still available by following the link on the Data Resource Menu page, or by visiting the data portal directly.
Upcoming Events
Gen AI & Teaching & Learning Series – Bridging Gaps: Gen AI Use and Student Accessibility Considerations | Thursday, March 20 | 12:00-1:15pm | Virtual, via Zoom | Register Here
This session explores the intersection of Gen AI and student accessibility in the classroom. Discussion will explore how these tools may enhance learning for some students, while remaining inaccessible to others due to technological, financial, or ability-based barriers. Participants will gain insights into fostering equity by understanding these limitations and identifying approaches to create classroom environments that support students effectively.
Speakers: TBA
Announcing a Mentoring Program for Assistant and Associate Professors & Workshop for Mentors | Monday, March 24 | 9:00-11:00 am | Location TBA | By invitation only
VCU’s Faculty Mentoring Program is structured as a model comprising two parts: a vertical dyadic approach of a mentor-mentee and knowledge groups of faculty to provide comprehensive support in the areas of research, teaching & learning, and in navigating academia. The program is open to assistant and associate professors (tenure-eligible/tenured and term). The program includes activities such as regular mentors’ café.
Speakers: Opening remarks by Fotis Sotiropoulos, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and workshop led by Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Monthly Session for Faculty – Financial Wellness | Monday, March 24 | 11:00am-12:15pm | Virtual, via Zoom | Register Here
A key aspect of well being is financial well being and the ability to effectively build long term plans for retirement. This session will focus on financial health and offer attendees an opportunity to connect with a retirement plan representative from TIAA-Cref as well as learn about financial health overall. This session is co-sponsored with VCU Human Resources. This session will begin with VCU Benefits Director Daynon Smith, who will provide an overview of financial health, emphasizing the importance of retirement planning in the context of long-term financial well-being while also guiding participants through key concepts and strategies for building financial security.
Speakers: Daynon Smith, VCU Benefits Director
Monthly Forum for Department Chairs – Strategies for Building Inclusive Workspaces | Wednesday, March 26 | 10:00-11:00 am | Academic Learning Commons, Room 4100 | Register Here
Speaker: Dr. Mangala Subramaniam, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs