Together, We Begin
Welcome to the start of a new academic year!
There’s a special kind of energy that fills our campus each fall—doors opening, voices rising, aspirations renewed. Whether you’re returning or arriving for the first time, this is a season of possibility. And at VCU, possibility is our calling.
We come together with purpose. We teach, learn, discover, and serve—with a shared commitment to making a difference in our classrooms, communities, and each other’s lives.
We Are One VCU
From first-year undergraduates to doctoral candidates, our students span every discipline and ambition. They are artists and engineers, nurses and historians, scientists and social workers—here to grow, contribute, and change the world.
We are One VCU in every part of our learning and research environment. In classrooms and studios, clinics and hospitals, labs and community partnerships, we change lives. We often save lives.
And it’s your creativity, care, and commitment that make this possible.
This year, we’re turning innovation into action. Our new Convergence Labs are breaking down disciplinary walls, bringing faculty and students together to tackle complex challenges with bold, collaborative solutions.
Building on last year’s launch of AI minors open to every student, faculty from biology, philosophy, and design co-created a course in bioethics and visual storytelling. Students explore genetic privacy, then translate insights into digital exhibits. It’s science, ethics, and design—working in harmony to shape understanding.
We’ve launched the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability, welcomed Focused Inquiry to the College of Humanities and Sciences, and reimagined University College to champion interdisciplinary, experiential learning. These changes reflect your leadership and position VCU to thrive in a world that demands collaboration, agility, and care.
We’re also investing in programs that meet the moment—from new degrees in pharmaceutical sciences, supply chain management, and data science to expanded online pathways in public health, marketing, and accounting. These offerings are grounded in your expertise and designed to meet the evolving needs of our students and region.
This is innovation with purpose. Every Ram graduates with real-world experience—through research, work-based learning, or community partnerships that matter. And that’s because of you.
Students Are Responding
This fall, we’re welcoming one of our most academically prepared and mission-aligned classes yet. More than a third are first-generation college students, and 40 percent are Pell-eligible. They arrive with drive, discipline, and a deep sense of possibility—many with college credit already earned and a GPA that reflects their ambition.
Enrollment is rising, retention is strong, and online pathways are expanding rapidly. These aren’t just data points—they’re signals of trust. Students see VCU as a place where they belong, where they’ll be challenged, and where their future can take root.
Grounded in Our Values
What binds us as One VCU is our culture of care.
It’s how we show up for each other. How we listen, support, and lead. It’s in the way we teach, serve, and create space for every voice to be heard.
Even as we grow, we remain grounded in what matters most: opportunity and care. VCU’s momentum isn’t just about numbers—it’s about staying true to the values that define us.
Faculty and staff are leading that charge—expanding access without compromising excellence, and building systems of support that meet students where they are, academically and personally.
This is how we lead: through relationships, through rigor, and through a shared belief that higher education should elevate every learner it touches.
Together, Always
To our returning colleagues—welcome back. To those joining us for the first time—welcome home.
Let’s do this work the way we know how: together.
Here’s to a year of purpose, possibility, and care.
Warm regards,
Beverly J. Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D.
Interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs