[{"id":1274,"date":"2026-04-07T12:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1274"},"modified":"2026-04-07T12:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:14:10","slug":"post-tenure-review-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/07\/post-tenure-review-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeking faculty comments for post tenure review policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear faculty colleagues,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The open comment period for the updated post tenure review policy is now open and will close on <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please provide your feedback on <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DE90B760CC829F1E1CF788DED94588\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the draft policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Office of the Provost<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear faculty colleagues,&nbsp; The open comment period for the updated post tenure review policy is now open and will close on April 24, 2026.\u00a0 Please provide your feedback on the draft policy. Thank you, Office of the Provost<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[310,371,168,102,368,372,369,370,150],"class_list":["post-1274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-affairs","tag-310","tag-draft-policy","tag-faculty","tag-faculty-affairs","tag-feedback","tag-open-comment-period","tag-policy","tag-post-tenure-review","tag-vcu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1263,"date":"2026-04-06T09:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1263"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:23:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:23:25","slug":"ai-ready-rva-and-vcu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/06\/ai-ready-rva-and-vcu\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Ready RVA: Power of Possibility Conference highlights VCU and Virginia\u2019s leadership in human-centered AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for Richmond \u2014 it is already reshaping how the region works, learns and grows. VCU is transforming AI readiness into real-world impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That shift was on full display at the AI Ready RVA Conference and Expo, \u201cPower of Possibility,\u201d at the Science Museum of Virginia on Apr. 1.&nbsp; More than 500 attendees gathered around a shared goal: positioning Richmond \u2014 and the Commonwealth of Virginia \u2014 as a leading, AI-ready hub grounded in human-centered innovation. As a presenting sponsor and key contributor, Virginia Commonwealth University helped define the tone and trajectory of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just moments after a live stream of the Artemis II moon launch set an aspirational tone of exploration and discovery, the conversation turned from space to society. That same spirit of curiosity and ambition is increasingly shaping how institutions like VCU approach artificial intelligence: not just as a tool, but as a frontier for human-centered progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU interim executive vice president and provost Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., then shared opening remarks on AI as not just a technological achievement, but also a human inflection point. This moment, he shared, will shape how institutions serve communities, how work evolves and how global challenges are solved. He emphasized that the future of AI will not be built in silos, but through collaboration across disciplines, sectors and lived experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to focus on progress, and we&#8217;re going to think about how AI can and should be leveraged for the public good. That vision is already taking shape at VCU.&#8221; &#8211; Arturo Saavedrea, M.D., Ph.D., MBA., Interim executive vice president and provost<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"636\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-1024x636.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1268 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/636;aspect-ratio:1.6094362781786067;width:670px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-1024x636.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-1536x954.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-06-at-9.55.55-AM-2048x1273.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Through initiatives like <a href=\"https:\/\/aiguidebook.vcu.edu\/VCU-Convergence-AI\/\"><strong>VCU Convergence AI<\/strong><\/a>, the university is advancing an interdisciplinary model that unites health, engineering, the arts, business, public policy and more. In this model, AI is not treated as a standalone field, but as a connective force that accelerates discovery and applications, locally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the conference, the focus orbited execution over hype. Panels and discussions explored how AI is being implemented today, from workforce development and healthcare innovation to ethical governance and community impact. The message was clear: meaningful progress in AI depends on building systems that are not only powerful, but responsible, inclusive and scalable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That perspective was reinforced during a panel featuring <a href=\"https:\/\/egr.vcu.edu\/directory\/milos.manic\/\"><strong>Milos Manic, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, professor of engineering and VCU Convergence AI faculty lead, who joined regional leaders to explore how innovation must be paired with ethical design and human-centered thinking. His insights reflected a growing consensus: advancing AI requires not only technical expertise, but public trust and societal benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where both Richmond and Virginia are distinguishing themselves. Rather than waiting for innovation to happen elsewhere, the region is actively shaping its own future. Through partnerships among universities, industry, government and community organizations, the commonwealth is positioning itself as a national model for responsible, human-focused AI development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within that ecosystem, VCU is signaling a shift from exploration to action. As an anchor institution, the university is developing the talent, research and cross-sector partnerships needed to translate AI into tangible outcomes \u2014 improving health, strengthening communities and expanding economic opportunity. By aligning academic innovation with public needs, VCU is helping ensure that AI serves not just advancement, but humanity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for Richmond \u2014 it is already reshaping how the region works, learns and grows. VCU is transforming AI readiness into real-world impact. That shift was on full display at the AI Ready RVA Conference and Expo, \u201cPower of Possibility,\u201d at the Science Museum of Virginia on Apr. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346],"tags":[310,25,299,360,156,347],"class_list":["post-1263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-convergence","tag-310","tag-ai","tag-ai-ready-rva-partnership","tag-arturo-saavedra","tag-collaboration","tag-vcu-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1264,"date":"2026-04-06T09:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1264"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:51:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:51:38","slug":"ncur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/06\/ncur\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU to host National Conference on Undergraduate Research this month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>More than 4,000 students nationwide will present projects at the flagship event.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time, Virginia Commonwealth University will host the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/ncur.secure-platform.com\/2026\/\">National Conference on Undergraduate Research<\/a> this month, the nation\u2019s largest conference spotlighting excellence in undergraduate research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From April 13-15, more than 4,000 undergraduate student presenters from across the country will converge at the Greater Richmond Convention Center to showcase their scholarship and creative projects. VCU will have more than 400 students presenting at the conference, representing all of VCU\u2019s schools and colleges that serve undergraduates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith our <a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/2024\/02\/new-vcu-initiative--every-rams-a-researcher\">Every Ram\u2019s a Researcher<\/a> initiative in full swing, it is truly an opportune moment for VCU to host the National Conference on Undergraduate Research,\u201d said Herbert Hill, Ed.D., assistant vice provost of undergraduate research and creative inquiry. \u201cVCU continues to expand access to transformative, research-supportive learning experiences that prepare our graduates to address complex questions and challenges in a global society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Established in 2011, NCUR is the flagship conference for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cur.org\/\">Council on Undergraduate Research<\/a>. The host location and university changes each year, and VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/provost.vcu.edu\/\">Office of the Provost <\/a>is the primary sponsor this year. NCUR will be held during VCU\u2019s annual <a href=\"https:\/\/researchweeks.vcu.edu\/\">Research Weeks<\/a>, which celebrates the discoveries and breakthroughs of the university&#8217;s research enterprise throughout the month of April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Student projects span across disciplines \u2013 from STEM to the arts and humanities \u2013 and will primarily be featured through a series of poster sessions over NCUR\u2019s three-day program The presentation portion of the conference will allow students to engage with peers about their work, and NCUR helps them establish connections with faculty from VCU and beyond.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>India Cox, a <a href=\"https:\/\/honors.vcu.edu\/\">VCU Honors College<\/a> junior majoring in psychology in VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/chs.vcu.edu\/\">College of Humanities and Sciences<\/a>, said she is \u201dabsolutely ecstatic\u201d to present her project \u2013 \u201cFrom Custody to Care: Understanding Mental Health and Recidivism in the Criminal Justice System.\u201d \u2013 which points to the career she wants to pursue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe entire purpose of presenting this project is to draw attention to the overall impact the justice system has on all of us,\u201d Cox said. \u201cI\u2019ve never presented orally, only by poster, so I\u2019m excited to engage with an audience and hear feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She added that the ability to pursue deep research as an undergraduate has shaped her perspective on learning and growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery time I conduct research, I\u2019m amazed by the information I find, and I feel it\u2019s part of my purpose to share what I learn out to the world,\u201d Cox said. \u201cWhen doing a research project, I always come in very anxious about the way things are going to fall into place and how I\u2019m going to connect the dots with what I\u2019m given. However, these projects never fail to flow in the direction that\u2019s most impactful, and many times it falls together completely on its own. I\u2019m just there to combine the data, which I think is really the beauty of research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe answers to any of our questions are already there,\u201d Cox said. \u201cSomeone just has to care enough to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than one-third of all VCU students are engaged in research. Mary Boyes, an Honors College faculty member and NCUR faculty mentor, said watching her students conceive, conduct and eventually present their projects is a special experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just so impressive to see the variety and depth of our students\u2019 research and creative projects,\u201d said Boyes, who is serving as a mentor to 52 research and creative projects at NCUR this year. \u201cHaving the opportunity to mentor these amazing students is one of my favorite parts of being a professor.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time, Virginia Commonwealth University will host the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research this month, the nation\u2019s largest conference spotlighting excellence in undergraduate research. More than 4,000 students nationwide will present projects at the flagship event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2255,"featured_media":1265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[310,366,34,364,367,336,365,150],"class_list":["post-1264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-affairs","tag-310","tag-council-on-undergraduate-research","tag-every-rams-a-researcher","tag-national-conference-on-undergraduate-research","tag-research-enterprise","tag-scholarship","tag-undergraduate-research","tag-vcu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2255"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1259,"date":"2026-04-02T15:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1259"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T21:12:13","slug":"curiosity-collaboration-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/02\/curiosity-collaboration-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Curiosity, collaboration and our VCU community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we approach the final stretch of the Spring semester, we have much to celebrate. From our men\u2019s basketball team\u2019s historic comeback in March Madness to <a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-among-the-top-250-universities-worldwide-in-new-ranking-by-time\">VCU\u2019s ranking among the top 225 universities in the world by TIME Magazine<\/a>, our momentum is undeniable. These achievements, alongside our first annual VCU Day of Service, highlight the vibrant energy of our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first four months as interim executive vice president and provost have reinforced a powerful truth: VCU\u2019s greatest strength lies in our commitment to interdisciplinarity<strong>.<\/strong> To solve society\u2019s most complex challenges, we cannot simply treat symptoms; we must identify root causes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This requires us to look beyond the boundaries of our own departments and leverage the collective expertise of our entire institution. We are at our best when a social scientist, a public health researcher, and a philosopher collaborate to build a single ethical framework.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Innovation through collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see this &#8220;whole-picture&#8221; approach in action every day across our campus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Applied Arts Lab:<\/strong> Whether creating storyboards for neurodivergent children at the Evans-Haynes Burn Center or partnering with the CoStar Group to <a href=\"https:\/\/arts.vcu.edu\/news\/communication-arts-team-creates-model-of-worlds-largest-mobile-radio-telescope\/\">model the Green Bank Telescope<\/a>, our <a href=\"https:\/\/vip.vcu.edu\/all-teams\/\">Vertically Integrated Projects<\/a> prove that breakthroughs happen at the intersection of technology, art, and science. And are only made more impactful when we allow our students to lead.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Discovery and history:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/2025\/08\/ancient-teeth-lead-vcu-researcher-to-new-human-ancestor\">groundbreaking work<\/a> of Dr. Amy Rector, professor in the College of Humanities and Sciences, and her research team reminds us that the most incredible stories about our past\u2014and our future\u2014are still waiting to be uncovered right here at VCU.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our Vision for the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our mission remains clear: to train our students to be global citizens who approach the world with a balance of joy, curiosity, and critical thinking. By fostering an environment where we care for one another and value diverse perspectives, we ensure that VCU remains a leader in creative problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a privilege to serve this dynamic community. I am inspired by the collaboration I see daily and look forward to the breakthroughs we will achieve together in the months and years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., MBA<br>Interim executive vice president and provost<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we approach the final stretch of the Spring semester, we have much to celebrate. From our men\u2019s basketball team\u2019s historic comeback in March Madness to VCU\u2019s ranking among the top 225 universities in the world by TIME Magazine, our momentum is undeniable. These achievements, alongside our first annual VCU Day of Service, highlight the vibrant energy of our community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2410,"featured_media":1232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,339],"tags":[310,361,360,156,321,350,26,341,344,359,363,362],"class_list":["post-1259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-provost","category-provost-messages","tag-310","tag-applied-arts-lab","tag-arturo-saavedra","tag-collaboration","tag-community","tag-future","tag-innovation","tag-interdisciplinarity","tag-provost-message","tag-spring-semester","tag-vertically-integrated-projects","tag-vision"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1247,"date":"2026-03-17T09:12:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1247"},"modified":"2026-03-17T10:31:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:31:39","slug":"convergence-seeking-proposals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/03\/17\/convergence-seeking-proposals\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU Convergence seeking proposals to spark transdisciplinary collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Internal seed funding will support faculty teams developing research, curricula and student learning opportunities tied to complex societal challenges.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Virginia Commonwealth University faculty are invited to apply for new team planning grants designed to catalyze cross-disciplinary collaboration through <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\"><strong>VCU Convergence<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The internal funding opportunity will support faculty teams developing transdisciplinary research, interdisciplinary curriculum, and transformative learning opportunities for students across five convergence themes:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Health Outcomes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Human Factors of Artificial Intelligence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neuroscience (including Neurodegeneration)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mental Health<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sustainability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU Convergence brings together faculty, students and partners from across the university to address complex societal challenges that cannot be solved by a single discipline. Often described as \u201cwicked problems,\u201d these issues require collaboration across fields and sectors to develop meaningful and lasting solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upcoming virtual information sessions will be held:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tuesday, March 17 at 1 p.m.\u00a0<strong>(<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/g7oUB0pfR_27NCczLrznXQ#\/registration\"><strong>RSVP<\/strong><\/a><strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thursday, March 26 at 12 p.m.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/40pR5g0QRxmypNPUKr6HMw#\/registration\"><strong>(RSVP)<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1ThIVXtEv3CGfN99kj1Z-2CCiTPKBkrvy\/view?usp=sharing\">View the complete VCU Convergence grant document<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Supporting collaboration across disciplines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The planning grants are designed to help faculty build new partnerships across schools, colleges and campuses while exploring shared intellectual interests and research questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Projects must involve <strong>at least three full-time faculty members from two or more VCU schools or colleges<\/strong>, with preference given to teams that include collaborators from multiple campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funding of up to <strong>$10,000 per project<\/strong> will support activities that help teams plan and launch new initiatives aligned with VCU Convergence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grants aim to support work in three key areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transdisciplinary research<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams may develop collaborative research partnerships, generate preliminary work that can seed external grant proposals or produce peer-reviewed scholarship and creative inquiry across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Interdisciplinary curriculum development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Faculty teams may design or enhance team-taught courses, develop new academic offerings such as minors or certificates, or explore new training opportunities such as microcredentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transformative learning opportunities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Projects may create experiential learning opportunities for students, including undergraduate research, service learning or vertically integrated projects that bring students into real-world problem solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key dates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The deadline to submit proposals is <strong>April 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST<\/strong>. Selected projects will run from <strong>July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027<\/strong>, with funding provided through the Office of the Provost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Faculty interested in applying are encouraged to attend an upcoming pre-proposal webinar to learn more about the opportunity and the application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virginia Commonwealth University faculty are invited to apply for new team planning grants designed to catalyze cross-disciplinary collaboration through VCU Convergence. VCU Convergence brings together faculty, students and partners from across the university to address complex societal challenges that cannot be solved by a single discipline. The deadline to submit proposals is April 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346],"tags":[156,348,354,341,355,357,353,356,358,347],"class_list":["post-1247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-convergence","tag-collaboration","tag-convergence","tag-grants","tag-interdisciplinarity","tag-interdisciplinary","tag-interdisciplinary-curriculum-development","tag-proposals","tag-transdisciplinary-research","tag-transformative-learning","tag-vcu-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1236,"date":"2026-03-13T11:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2026-03-13T10:28:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:28:42","slug":"accelerating-ai-expertise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/03\/13\/accelerating-ai-expertise\/","title":{"rendered":"Accelerating AI expertise: How VCU is leading AI through transdisciplinary collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Faculty, staff and industry experts recently gathered to help shape VCU\u2019s AI future at the VCU Convergence AI Accelerator Workshop. The event explored AI applications across business, data science, education and healthcare among other fields.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearly 90 attendees engaged in forward\u2011looking conversations emphasizing interdisciplinary connections, practical implementation and opportunities for research and community impact. The workshop highlighted the potential for AI to transform multiple sectors while maintaining an ethical and responsible approach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Panels covered real\u2011world examples and cross\u2011sector collaboration, with discussions on integrating AI into organizational strategy, advancing analytics, classroom innovation and applied applications. Panel discussions included VCU faculty, staff and representatives from CTE Workforce, Google, Ithena, Microsoft and UNOS.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU leadership from the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation introduced the event, including <a href=\"https:\/\/soe.vcu.edu\/about-us\/directory\/full-directory\/andrew-t-arroyo-edd.html\"><strong>Andrew Arroyo, Ed.D.<\/strong><\/a>, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/research.vcu.edu\/about\/leadership\/lisa-ballance-ma-cpw-ccp-chrc.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/research.vcu.edu\/about\/leadership\/lisa-ballance-ma-cpw-ccp-chrc.html\">Lisa Ballance<\/a><\/strong>, associate vice president for research.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/egr.vcu.edu\/directory\/milos.manic\/\"><strong>Milos Manic, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, professor of computer science and faculty lead for VCU Convergence AI set the stage for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"364\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post-1024x364.jpg\" alt=\"Milos Manic, Andrew Arroyo, Lisa Ballance\" class=\"wp-image-1238 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post-1024x364.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post-300x107.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post-768x273.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post-1536x546.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/accelerator-post.jpg 1900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/364;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThe evolution of AI demands that we focus more on just the technology. We must ensure that AI is responsible, fair and trustworthy, or, as we like to call it, responsible use of AI\u201d, said Manic. \u201cServing as a national authority in several academic disciplines, VCU is strategically positioned within Virginia\u2019s rapidly expanding data center landscape to become a leader in this field, advocating for the responsible use of AI for the public good.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal of <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\"><strong>VCU Convergence<\/strong><\/a> is to unite traditionally siloed academic disciplines and drive transdisciplinary research, interdisciplinary curriculum and transformative learning around strategic themes. VCU Convergence is building expertise and driving innovation to meet pressing societal needs and tackle widespread, persistent \u201cwicked problems.\u201d These ambitious goals aim to create collaborative, applied outcomes that impact communities and the public good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThrough VCU Convergence, we are not just expanding our curricula \u2026 we are pioneering interdisciplinary learning, transdisciplinary research and transformative community engagement,\u201d said Manic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As the inaugural event for the VCU Convergence AI theme, the workshop helped build bridges for future collaborations. Organizers and participants expressed enthusiasm for continuing the dialogue and expanding partnerships, shaping how AI research, education and workforce development evolve at VCU. VCU Convergence plans to host a public AI conference in the fall to continue the momentum and position VCU as a national leader in AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em><em>To learn more about AI and other VCU Convergence themes, email<\/em><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:convergence@vcu.edu\"><strong><em>convergence@vcu.edu<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em> or visit <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\"><strong><em>academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Faculty, staff and industry experts recently gathered to help shape VCU\u2019s AI future at the Convergence AI Accelerator Workshop. The event explored AI applications across business, data science, education and healthcare.\u00a0The workshop highlighted the potential for AI to transform multiple sectors while maintaining an ethical and responsible approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,346],"tags":[54,25,349,28,156,348,350,26,341,347],"class_list":["post-1236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-affairs","category-convergence","tag-academic-innovation","tag-ai","tag-ai-applications","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-collaboration","tag-convergence","tag-future","tag-innovation","tag-interdisciplinarity","tag-vcu-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1240,"date":"2026-03-12T11:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1240"},"modified":"2026-03-12T11:03:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T15:03:02","slug":"day-of-service-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/03\/12\/day-of-service-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Join us in partnering with our community: VCU day of service March 19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>VCU\u2019s Day of Service highlights the power of faculty and staff giving back by using Community Service Leave to support the communities that support us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>When: March 19, 2026<br>Time: 9:00 AM &#8211; 3:00 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU\u2019s Day of Service brings together students, faculty, staff, and alumni to partner with community organizations across the Greater Richmond region. This is not a one-day volunteer event built around charity. It is a collaborative day rooted in partnership, respect, and shared impact. We work alongside organizations and neighborhood leaders who are already leading meaningful work, supporting their efforts rather than creating short-term projects for visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteer opportunities include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Landscaping\/light tree maintenance at Swansboro Playground<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Park beautification with SOAR365<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assembling Household Needs Baskets and spring cleaning at St. Joseph&#8217;s Villa<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Barton Heights Cemetery Cleanup<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>forest path cleanup at Richmond Hill<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Food Distribution &amp; Easter Kit Day with Hop Into Service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Curate DIY resource kits for youth programs at the Mary &amp; Frances Youth Center<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Winter&#8217;s Place donated shoe cleaning <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carver Elementary School Beautification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assist with Bingo, Beats, &amp; Safer Streets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hygiene Drive to benefit RPS Carver Elementary at the Mary &amp; Frances Youth Center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/community.vcu.edu\/events\/dayofservice\/\">Sign up to participate<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"664\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-1024x664.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1243 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-1024x664.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-768x498.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-1536x995.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/03\/service-flyer-2048x1327.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/664;\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VCU\u2019s Day of Service highlights the power of faculty and staff giving back by using Community Service Leave to support the communities that support us. When: March 19, 2026Time: 9:00 AM &#8211; 3:00 PM VCU\u2019s Day of Service brings together students, faculty, staff, and alumni to partner with community organizations across the Greater Richmond region. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[321,35,326,327,150,351,352],"class_list":["post-1240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-engagement","tag-community","tag-community-engagement","tag-events","tag-service","tag-vcu","tag-volunteer","tag-volunteering"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1231,"date":"2026-02-27T11:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1231"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T21:12:43","slug":"partnering-for-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/02\/27\/partnering-for-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Partnering for Impact: A Note on Our Shared Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear colleagues,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope that you have weathered our recent winter storms and that we can look forward to sunnier and warmer weather in the coming month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, President Rao delivered the annual&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33c35_0_0x35823dx0221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State of the University address<\/a>. Amidst all of the inspiring stories and accomplishments &#8211; including the fact that VCU and VCU Health have a total&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33c35_0_0x35823ex0221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">economic impact of $18.5 billion to the Commonwealth<\/a>&nbsp;&#8211; I was struck by two key themes: interdisciplinarity and impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a nationally-ranked, public research university, we are asking our students to consider how they will help solve some of our most challenging societal problems; these are problems like healthier communities, a stronger economy, a more resilient environment, a safer society, faster cures and smarter and more ethical technologies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the only thing that these challenges have in common is that they cannot simply be solved through a single focus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our educational structures must match the challenges we are preparing students to tackle. Our research and curricula need to be flexible and designed to cut across disciplines, departments, schools and colleges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take for example our recent VCU Convergence AI Accelerator workshop. Featuring panelists from Google, Microsoft, and UNOS, 85 faculty, staff and students from across both our campuses joined around a common focus and brought their experiences and expertise from a tapestry of backgrounds. The result was a lot of momentum in addressing a multitude of AI challenges, including partnerships with other convergence areas and specific interdisciplinary research opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s partnerships and intentional collectives like these that help us move forward, together. And create impact which is representative of this great university.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we continue on this path of increased national and international prominence, and chart a course to becoming a $1 billion research enterprise, the ability for us to work between our silos will be the way we get there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, as we move through this Spring semester, I encourage you to consider how you can partner with other faculty members across campus to bring those additional perspectives to your labs and classrooms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how we truly educate and prepare the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., MBA<br>Interim executive vice president and provost<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, President Rao delivered the annual\u00a0State of the University address. Amidst all of the inspiring stories and accomplishments, I was struck by two key themes: interdisciplinarity and impact.\u00a0As a nationally-ranked, public research university, we are asking our students to consider how they will help solve some of our most challenging societal problems; these are problems like healthier communities, a stronger economy, a more resilient environment, a safer society, faster cures and smarter and more ethical technologies.\u00a0Perhaps the only thing that these challenges have in common is that they cannot simply be solved through a single focus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2410,"featured_media":1232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,339],"tags":[156,35,342,341,141,214,344,340,314,345,150,111,343],"class_list":["post-1231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-provost","category-provost-messages","tag-collaboration","tag-community-engagement","tag-impact","tag-interdisciplinarity","tag-interdisciplinary-learning","tag-interdisciplinary-research","tag-provost-message","tag-public-research-university","tag-spring-2026","tag-state-of-the-university","tag-vcu","tag-vcu-faculty","tag-vcu-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1228,"date":"2026-02-12T10:31:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1228"},"modified":"2026-02-25T10:37:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:37:55","slug":"call-for-nominations-dfa-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/02\/12\/call-for-nominations-dfa-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for nominations: Distinguished Faculty Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear Colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia&#8217;s premier urban, public research university.&nbsp; This is due, in no small part, to the talent and dedication of our faculty members who excel as teachers, researchers, creative scholars, and clinicians, and distinguish themselves in scholarship and service every day.&nbsp; Our faculty serve as models of excellence who embody the goals and aspirations of our strategic plan, Quest 2028.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;VCU&#8217;s faculty personifies our mission to advance knowledge and student success.&nbsp; Therefore, I am honored to issue an annual call for nominations for the Distinguished Faculty Awards Program.&nbsp; Since 1982, VCU has paid formal tribute at Faculty Convocation to members of the faculty who support our mission with distinction and exemplify what is best about the University.&nbsp; Starting in 2026, our faculty will be recognized at the Faculty Recognition Gala. The categories for the Distinguished Faculty Awards are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Distinguished Teaching Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distinguished Scholarship Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distinguished Service Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outstanding Term Faculty Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award &#8211; $3,500 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University Award of Excellence &#8211; $5,000 and non-monetary gift<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can view the criteria, timeline and instructions for your nominations on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/faculty-recognition\/distinguished-faculty-awards\/\">Provost Distinguished Faculty Awards website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our professors are at the heart of VCU&#8217;s commitment to transform our students\u2019 lives and ensure their success as well as advance knowledge and creative expression.&nbsp; Thank you for taking the time to consider nominating your colleagues for the University\u2019s Distinguished Faculty Awards Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., MBA<br>Interim executive vice president and provost<br>Virginia Commonwealth University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our professors are at the heart of VCU&#8217;s commitment to transform our students\u2019 lives and ensure their success as well as advance knowledge and creative expression.\u00a0 Thank you for taking the time to consider nominating your colleagues for the University\u2019s Distinguished Faculty Awards Program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[33,337,183,102,179,180,338,336,327,22],"class_list":["post-1228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-affairs","category-uncategorized","tag-distinguished-faculty-awards","tag-excellence","tag-faculty-achievement","tag-faculty-affairs","tag-faculty-awards","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-professors","tag-scholarship","tag-service","tag-teaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1226,"date":"2026-02-06T09:12:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T14:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1226"},"modified":"2026-02-25T09:22:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:22:45","slug":"guidance-office-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/02\/06\/guidance-office-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"Guidance on faculty office hours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear VCU faculty:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope your spring semester is off to a great start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of this message is to address the topic of office hours. It is designed to complement VCU\u2019s protocols on course modalities, which are posted to this <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2023\/09\/27\/guidance-regarding-course-modalities\/\">blog<\/a> and located in chapter 2 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/help\/academic-affairs-handbook\/\">Academic Affairs Handbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the primary points to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deans may work within their academic unit structures to operationally define this guidance and review and approve exceptions to these guidelines. If needed, deans may consult with the Office of the Provost before making final decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All full-time and part-time VCU faculty members who are teaching courses will maintain open office hours.\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Excluded courses include clinical\/practicum courses, independent studies, directed research or other types of courses where office hours do not apply.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cBy appointment\u201d office hours do not count as open office hours; they are considered additional office hours. Faculty are encouraged to be as accessible as possible to students by appointment who are unable to attend open office hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open office hours must be offered in the same <a href=\"https:\/\/registrar.vcu.edu\/registration\/registration-guide\/course-modality\/\">modality<\/a> as the course.\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In-person courses require in-person office hours.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fully online courses require fully online office hours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hybrid courses require a mix of office hours that mirror how the course is delivered, with the preponderance of office hours having an in-person component.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As a general principle, faculty will offer a minimum of two open office hours weekly for each 3-4 credit course they are teaching.\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Faculty are encouraged to spread the open office hours evenly throughout the week.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Department chairs are responsible for ensuring that faculty are maintaining open office hours in the appropriate modality, quantity, and frequency.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Office hours must be posted in the <a href=\"https:\/\/policy.vcu.edu\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA334CAAD4FA65C4D6B1D5CCD654F8?slu=08DE4D43ED4BE64324BC0CD635CB1435\">syllabus<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/policy.vcu.edu\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DC4D9415918A19F5E7CBCE884653BC?slu=08DE4D43ED4BE64324BC0CD635CB1435\">Canvas LMS<\/a> and on the faculty member\u2019s office door where students can readily locate them.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Open office hours are a crucial part of student success, and fundamental to the college experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for all you do to promote student success. We hope this office hours guidance will provide you with what you need to ensure a positive instructional experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Best regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D.<br>Senior vice provost for academic affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Ph.D.<br>Senior vice provost for faculty affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guidance covering VCU\u2019s requirements for faculty office hours, outlining expectations for modality, frequency, accessibility, and oversight to ensure students receive consistent, equitable opportunities for support across all courses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[171,335,168,102,329,331,330,334,333,22],"class_list":["post-1226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-affairs","category-faculty-affairs","tag-academic-affairs","tag-additional-office-hours","tag-faculty","tag-faculty-affairs","tag-guidance","tag-hours","tag-office","tag-open-office-hours","tag-support","tag-teaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]