[{"id":749,"date":"2026-02-17T12:31:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=749"},"modified":"2026-02-17T12:31:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:31:26","slug":"spring-2026-alcohol-and-other-drug-policy-and-resources-notification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/spring-2026-alcohol-and-other-drug-policy-and-resources-notification\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring 2026 Alcohol and Other Drug Policy and Resources Notification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a positive environment for learning is essential to the VCU community. Alcohol and other drugs can interfere with academic success and campus safety. At VCU, we proactively address these issues in both our well-being programs and our policy enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy provides information about protecting your health, sustaining safety and promoting the general well-being of the VCU community. All VCU students are asked to take a moment to read the <a href=\"https:\/\/policy.vcu.edu\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A63EDBC03643AC76578A0275BB\">VCU Alcohol and Other Drug Policy<\/a> in the online VCU Policy Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The policy outlines the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>VCU standards of conduct surrounding alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University and community resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The health effects of alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Federal and state laws pertaining to alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medical amnesty for students seeking medical assistance for themselves or others.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, please be aware that VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/recwell.vcu.edu\/thrive\/well-being-resources\/\"><strong>RecWell<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>provides a variety of alcohol and other drug prevention education and online resources. This includes a free, brief online self-assessment that provides personalized feedback and information on how relationships with alcohol and other drugs relates to goals and choices. VCU news also published this helpful <a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/2025\/09\/making-safe-choices-at-vcu-what-you-should-know\">Making Safe Choices<\/a> article recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/recovery.vcu.edu\/\">Rams in Recovery<\/a> is an active community that supports students and staff in recovery and celebrates all that life in college can be without alcohol and other drugs. Email recovery@vcu.edu for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Best wishes for a safe and productive spring semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Division of Student Affairs<br>Virginia Commonwealth University<br><a href=\"mailto:dsa@vcu.edu\">dsa@vcu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: Creating a positive environment for learning is essential to the VCU community. Alcohol and other drugs can interfere with academic success and campus safety. At VCU, we proactively address these issues in both our well-being programs and our policy enforcement. VCU Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy provides information about protecting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":747,"date":"2026-02-05T20:57:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T20:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=747"},"modified":"2026-02-05T20:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T20:57:30","slug":"expressive-activity-at-vcu-spring-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/expressive-activity-at-vcu-spring-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Expressive Activity at VCU Spring 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear Students,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you get settled into the spring semester, we want to share some information regarding expressive activity on campus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU is a very diverse community with a host of differing viewpoints reflecting each of our personal lenses through which we see, and experience, the world. This diversity of viewpoint and opinion is a tremendous asset to our community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our expectation is that you engage in conversations with others who share similar and dissimilar perspectives. In that regard, the university is committed to fostering a climate that encourages civil and spirited discourse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU advocates for the dignity of all human beings. We understand that while creating an environment that supports civil dialogue, hurtful comments can be made by others. We are committed to creating a supportive culture for all our students while protecting First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU is committed, as a public university, to ensure a strong commitment to the First Amendment and Virginia law. The First Amendment prohibits prior restraint on speech and taking adverse action against individuals or groups, whether affiliated with the university or not, based on the viewpoints of their speech. This freedom of speech also encompasses the rights of those who present differing viewpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A740D31FB4D9FC17CC1351AF65\"><strong>Expression and Space Utilization Policy <\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;clarifies how expressive activities may occur at VCU. This policy was developed through a transparent and inclusive process that included multiple opportunities for student participation in feedback.&nbsp; For more information, please visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.vcu.edu\/student-resources-and-information\/ram-voice\/\"><strong>Ram Voice<\/strong><\/a> page on the Dean of Students website. Additionally, here is a link to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.vcu.edu\/student-resources-and-information\/ram-voice\/campus-expression-and-space-utilization-maps\/\"><strong>Space Utilization Maps<\/strong><\/a><strong>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also have a team of staff members through the Division of Student Affairs who are available to consult and are often present when expressive activities occur on campus. The Dean of Student Advocacy office is available throughout the year to meet with students who have specific questions or concerns and can be reached at <strong>vcudean@vcu.edu<\/strong> or 804-828-8940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a public university, we will uphold the constitutional rights of our community, and hold tight to our core values of decency, respect, diversity, and inclusion. We will foster an environment where all members of our community feel welcome, safe, supported, and able to succeed in the context of our mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for your support of expressive activity on our campus and your willingness to engage in productive civil discourse with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Division of Student Affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Students, As you get settled into the spring semester, we want to share some information regarding expressive activity on campus.&nbsp; VCU is a very diverse community with a host of differing viewpoints reflecting each of our personal lenses through which we see, and experience, the world. This diversity of viewpoint and opinion is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":743,"date":"2026-01-14T14:16:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=743"},"modified":"2026-01-14T14:50:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:50:14","slug":"welcome-to-the-spring-2026-semester-from-the-division-of-student-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/welcome-to-the-spring-2026-semester-from-the-division-of-student-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the Spring 2026 Semester from the Division of Student Affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear VCU Students,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy Black and Gold Wednesday! I am thrilled to welcome our new and returning Rams to campus for the Spring 2026 semester. To help you hit the ground running, I\u2019d like to share four essential tips for a successful semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Get Involved, Stay Involved&nbsp; <\/strong><strong>\u2705<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Active engagement is the best way to build friendships, gain leadership experience, and develop new skills. Here are two immediate ways to connect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Explore <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.campusgroups.com\/home_login\"><strong>RamsConnect<\/strong><\/a>: Search for clubs, programs, and events that match your interests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attend the upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.campusgroups.com\/theunderground\/rsvp_boot?id=1942998\"><strong>SOVO Fair<\/strong><\/a>: Join us Friday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Commons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, do not miss these upcoming opportunities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week 2026<\/strong> <strong>(Jan 19\u201323):<\/strong> Join the VCU community for a week of reflection and community engagement honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. See week of event details <a href=\"https:\/\/mlkday.vcu.edu\/\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Board of Visitors &amp; SCHEV Representatives:<\/strong> Represent your peers at the highest level. <strong>Apply by Sunday Feb 15<\/strong> using <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/Wa4VqEsRhftdMoh87\">this link<\/a> and l<a href=\"https:\/\/students.vcu.edu\/student-life-at-vcu\/get-involved\/student-leadership\/bov-student-reps\/\">earn more about our current student leaders here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>VCU Homecoming Week (Feb 21\u201328): <\/strong>Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vcualumni.org\/events\/homecoming\/\">VCU Homecoming 2026 website<\/a> for a full schedule of athletic and spirit events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Utilize DSA Support Resources <\/strong><strong>\u2b05\ufe0f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) is dedicated to your well-being and success. Our programs are designed with student input to help you thrive. Please reach out to these units whenever you need support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/omsa.vcu.edu\"><strong>Office of Multicultural Student Affairs<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>offers a welcoming space in the University Commons and hosts events that are open to everyone and encourages students to celebrate their whole selves and the global community we share.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/saeo.vcu.edu\"><strong>Office of Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>works to foster an environment where all students have equal access to VCU\u2019s programs, services and activities.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/advocacy.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>Office of Student Advocacy<\/strong><\/a> is the place to go to find answers to general questions, support when encountering a challenge, assistance in navigating university policies, and help for students needing emergency support.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/counseling.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>University Counseling Services<\/strong><\/a> (UCS) offers comprehensive in-person clinical counseling services, recovery support, and outreach to all students. Additionally, VCU students have access to free virtual care services through <a href=\"http:\/\/timelycare.com\/vcu\"><strong>TimelyCare<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/health.students.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>University Student Health Services<\/strong><\/a> offers a wide variety of primary care services with skilled doctors and healthcare professionals available for your medical needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/recwell.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>Recreation and Well-Being (RecWell)<\/strong><\/a> offers a wide variety of programs and services that include workout facilities, fitness classes, intramural sports, sports clubs, yoga classes, and much more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Review Student Expectations, Policies, and Resources <\/strong><strong>\ud83d\udcd9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a Ram means upholding our community standards. Please familiarize yourself with the<a href=\"https:\/\/policy.vcu.edu\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DD5A576A3D02EB05C96267E2906DC0\"> Interim Student Code of Conduct<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32AA85BE764A67373C1A0775A51C\">Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct<\/a>.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please also familiarize yourself with the new <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A740D31FB4D9FC17CC1351AF65\"><strong>Campus Expression and Space Utilization Policy (CESU)<\/strong><\/a> and check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.vcu.edu\/student-resources-and-information\/ram-voice\/\">Ram Voice webpage<\/a> for additional CESU resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prioritize Safety and Community <\/strong><strong>\ud83d\udedf<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Practicing safety, civility and being a considerate neighbor is central to our identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stay Safe When Driving and Walking:<\/strong> As the spring semester begins, it is important that you have a renewed awareness about staying alert when traveling through VCU, VCU Health and the City of Richmond. Please make sure to keep yourself safe when walking and driving around VCU by following the recommendations shared in this <a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/list\/260112C_0\/b8tyqnzcocj5.vib?a1=91kmfnse&amp;dr=0&amp;a4=skillmanj2%40apps.vcu.edu&amp;a3=50113&amp;a2=skillmanj2%40APPS.VCU.EDU&amp;a0=57544&amp;a5=4866462&amp;ssq=4866462\">stay safe message<\/a> sent out on Monday January 12.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Informed Involvement:<\/strong> Review the<a href=\"https:\/\/conduct.students.vcu.edu\/transparency-reports\/registered-student-organization-rso-conduct-report\/\"> Student Organization Conduct Report<\/a> before joining new groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Police &amp; Prevention:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/police.vcu.edu\/\"> VCU Police<\/a> encourage you to stay aware of your surroundings and report suspicious behavior. Please also review the<a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A740D33773D021364CCD17A201\"> Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention Policy<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Title IX:<\/strong> VCU is committed to an environment free from discrimination and misconduct. For reporting or resources, visit the<a href=\"https:\/\/equity.vcu.edu\/title-ix\/\"> Title IX website<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for being part of our vibrant community. I wish you an incredible semester\u2014and don&#8217;t forget to wear your <strong>Black and Gold<\/strong> every Wednesday!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go Rams!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron J. Hart, Ed.D.<br>Vice President<br>Division of Student Affairs\ud83d\udcf8 Make sure to follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vcudsa\/\"><strong>@VCUDSA<\/strong><\/a> on Instagram \ud83d\udcf8<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear VCU Students, Happy Black and Gold Wednesday! I am thrilled to welcome our new and returning Rams to campus for the Spring 2026 semester. To help you hit the ground running, I\u2019d like to share four essential tips for a successful semester. Get Involved, Stay Involved&nbsp; \u2705 Active engagement is the best way to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":738,"date":"2025-12-17T18:58:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=738"},"modified":"2025-12-18T14:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:22:38","slug":"happy-holidays-from-the-division-of-student-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/happy-holidays-from-the-division-of-student-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Holidays from the Division of Student Affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video aligncenter\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" controls loop src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/636\/2025\/12\/Holiday-Video-1.mp4\" playsinline><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During this special time of the year, I wish you all the best and hope your days are filled with joy and celebration. Go Rams! Dr. Aaron J. Hart, Vice President<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During this special time of the year, I wish you all the best and hope your days are filled with joy and celebration. Go Rams! Dr. Aaron J. Hart, Vice President<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-uncategorized","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":734,"date":"2025-11-17T19:34:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T19:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=734"},"modified":"2025-11-17T19:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T19:34:15","slug":"%f0%9f%8f%86-vcu-student-media-center-wins-big-at-2025-mediafest25-convention-in-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/%f0%9f%8f%86-vcu-student-media-center-wins-big-at-2025-mediafest25-convention-in-dc\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfc6 VCU Student Media Center Wins Big at 2025 MediaFest25 Convention\u00a0in DC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Student Media Center (<strong>SMC<\/strong>) at VCU continued <strong>its<\/strong> impressive streak of national recognition at the SPJ\/ACP\/CMA Convention (<strong>MediaFest25<\/strong>) in Washington D.C. last month. Students producing work <strong>through<\/strong> their involvement with the SMC have consistently gained national attention over the past several years, and this year was no different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SMC picked up a total of <strong>21 awards<\/strong>, highlighted by the most prestigious honor for college newspapers: the <strong>ACP Pacemaker<\/strong>, which was awarded to the <em>Commonwealth Times<\/em> (<strong>CT<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarah Hagen, Managing Editor for the CT, shared, <strong>&#8220;It<\/strong> was an honor to win another Pacemaker for the CT and so many other awards for the SMC. I get to see our incredible staff in action every day, so I&#8217;m glad everyone else is able to see the results of their constant hard work. This recognition means a lot to the students who put their heart and soul into every word they write.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor for the CT, added, <strong>&#8220;Earning<\/strong> recognition for our work in journalism is like being told all of our late nights at the Student Media Center were worth it! I\u2019m endlessly proud of our team members, who push the boundaries of what we can do every day.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check out a brief recap of awards via this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQXaI7jkYe-\/?img_index=1\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQXaI7jkYe-\/?img_index=1\">VCUDSA Instagram post<\/a> and the full list of winners can be viewed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>2024 National Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The SPJ Mark of Excellence awards are SPJ&#8217;s highest annual national honors for college journalism.To be eligible for consideration in the national competition, each of these entries had to win their category in our regional competition. VCU competes in Region 2 (Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and North Carolina).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Sports Column Writing, National Winner: Kyler Gilliam, The Commonwealth Times<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Ongoing Student Magazine, National Finalist: Amendment Literary and Art Journal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2025 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards<\/strong><br><em>The CMA Pinnacle Awards are the annual awards for the best college media work in the nation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Sports Photo, First place: Anthony Duong, The Commonwealth Times (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ct-1.29.25\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VCU Breaks the Bonnies&#8217; Curse 75-61<\/a>,&#8221; Jan. 29, 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Literary Magazine Spread Design, First place: Casey Kendle, Reese Cilley and Kylie Grunsfeld, Pwatem (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/pwatem_2025\/17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Yellow Rabbit Among White Wolves<\/a>,&#8221; Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Feature Photo Package, First place: Claudia Andrade-Ayala, Ink Magazine (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ink_magazine_vol._17_issue_2_raw_\/75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I\u2019m Built Different<\/a>,\u201d Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Headline, Second place: Thailon Wilson, The Commonwealth Times (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ct-12.04.24_1_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rams Pillage the Vikings<\/a>,&#8221; Dec. 4, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Breaking News Photo, Honorable mention: Arrick Wilson, The Commonwealth Times (\u201c\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ct-11.13.24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">They say no choice, we say pro-choice\u2019: Students protest anti-abortion advocates<\/a>,&#8221; Nov. 13, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Print Advertisement Design, Second place: Victor Romanko, The Commonwealth Times (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ct-1.29.25\/15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Join our Newsletter<\/a>,\u201d Jan. 29, 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Feature Magazine of the Year: Second place, Staff,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ink_magazine_vol._17_issue_2_raw_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ink Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Literary Magazine of the Year: Honorable mention, Staff,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/pwatem_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pwatem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker and Individual Awards<br><em>The ACP Pacemaker is considered the &#8220;Pulitzer Prize&#8221; of college journalism. Only 17 newspapers nationally were chosen as Pacemaker winners this year. The ACP individual awards are also considered the top national honors for college journalism.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 National Newspaper Pacemaker Winner: The Commonwealth Times<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Design of the Year: Illustrations, First place: Gillian Grunenfelder, Pwatem (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/pwatem_2025\/25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Cycle of Paris and Helen<\/a>,\u201d Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Design of the Year:&nbsp;Illustrations, Third place: Aisha Virk, Ink Magazine (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ink_magazine_vol._17_issue_2_raw_\/65\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trans Girls Love Slint<\/a>,\u201d Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Design of the Year:&nbsp;Illustrations, Honorable mention: Killian Goodale-Porter, The Commonwealth Times (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ct-12.04.24_1_\/13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I can\u2019t afford to regret my abortion<\/a>,\u201d Dec. 4, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>2025 Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show Awards<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>ACP also hosts an on-site competition for new work students completed between the June deadlines for the big national awards.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2022&nbsp;<\/strong>Best Magazine Design, Third place: Amaris Bowers, Summer DeCiucis, Zach Montgomery, Elizabeth Murphy, River City Fashion (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/river_city_fashion_charmed_2025\/8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Life, Is, a Fashion Show,<\/a>\u201d Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2022&nbsp;<\/strong>Best Magazine Design, Sixth place: Gillian Grunenfelder, Elina Perera, Reese Cilley, Pwatem (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/pwatem_2025\/25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shrinking Feeling<\/a>,\u201d Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Feature Magazine, Sixth place:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/ink_magazine_vol._17_issue_2_raw_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ink Magazine<\/a>&nbsp;(Spring 2025 issue)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Literary\/Art Magazine, Fifth place:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/pwatem_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pwatem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Literary\/Art Magazine, Eighth place:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/amendment_literary_and_art_journal_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amendment<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Literary\/Art Magazine, Ninth place:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/annum_arcanum_volume_1_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Annum Arcanum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Best Newspaper, Eighth place:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/vcustudentmedia\/docs\/the_commonwealth_times_august_27_2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Commonwealth Times<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Info about students<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>These are only students specifically named in individual awards \u2014 the overall awards for best magazines and newspaper are thanks to nearly 800 other students collaborating last year even if they can&#8217;t all be individually named.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Claudia Andrade-Ayaya is a staff contributor and editor for Ink Magazine and a junior Music student.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Amaris Bowers served as Managing Editor for River City Fashion from 2024-2025 and graduated in fall 2024 with a B.S. degree in Mass Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Reese Cilley served as Pwatem Editor-in-Chief from 2003-2005 and graduated in 2025 with a B.F.A. degree in Communication Arts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Summer DeCiucis served as Editor-in-Chief for River City Fashion from 2024-2025 and graduated in spring 2025 with a B.S. degree in Mass Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Anthony Duong is a Commonwealth Times photographer and cartoonist, and a graduate student in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Kyler Gilliam is a Commonwealth Times Staff Writer and a senior Mass Communications student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Killian Goodale-Porter served as illustrations editor for The Commonwealth Times from 2024-2025 and graduated in 2025 with a B.F.A. degree in Communication Arts and a Baccalaureate Certificate in Product Innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Gillian Grunenfelder is a Pwatem contributing artist and graduated in 2024 with a B.F.A. degree in Communication Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Kylie Grunsfeld is a Pwatem contributing photograhper and sophomore English student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Casey Kendle is a Pwatem contributing writer and a senior English student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Zach Montgomery served as designer for River City Fashion\u2019s magazine in 2025, currently art director for the Student Media Center and is a senior Graphic Design student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Elizabeth Murphy served as a photographer for River City Fashion magazine in 2025 and is a junior Photography and Film student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Elina Perera served as a staff writer and editor for Pwatem and is a junior Pre-Medical Lab Sciences student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Victor Romanko served as Art Director for The Commonwealth Times from 2024-2025 and graduated in 2025 with a B.F.A. degree in Kinetic Imaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Aisha Virk serves as Art Editor and Social Media Manager for Ink Magazine and is a junior Graphic Design student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Arrick Wilson served as sports editor for The Commonwealth Times in 2021-2022 and photo editor from 2022-2025, and graduated in 2025 with a B.S. degree in Mass Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Thailon Wilson served as sports editor for The Commonwealth Times in 2024-2025, earned his B.S. degree in Mass Communications in 2025 and is currently a graduate student in Mass Communications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Student Media Center (SMC) at VCU continued its impressive streak of national recognition at the SPJ\/ACP\/CMA Convention (MediaFest25) in Washington D.C. last month. Students producing work through their involvement with the SMC have consistently gained national attention over the past several years, and this year was no different. The SMC picked up a total [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":721,"date":"2025-10-29T13:11:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T13:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=721"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:38:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:38:41","slug":"annual-alcohol-and-other-drug-policy-and-resources-notification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/annual-alcohol-and-other-drug-policy-and-resources-notification\/","title":{"rendered":"Annual Alcohol and Other Drug Policy and Resources Notification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear VCU Community Members,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a positive environment for learning is essential to the VCU community. Alcohol and other drugs can interfere with academic success and campus safety. At VCU, we proactively address these issues in both our well-being programs and our policy enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy provides information about protecting your health, sustaining safety and promoting the general well-being of the VCU community. All VCU students are asked to take a moment to read the <a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33679_0_0x349e99x0580\">VCU Alcohol and Other Drug Policy<\/a> in the online VCU Policy Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The policy outlines the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>VCU standards of conduct surrounding alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>University and community resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The health effects of alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Federal and state laws pertaining to alcohol and other drugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medical amnesty for students seeking medical assistance for themselves or others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, please be aware that VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33679_0_0x349e8fx0580\"><strong>RecWell<\/strong><\/a> provides a variety of alcohol and other drug prevention education and online resources. This includes a free, brief online self-assessment that provides personalized feedback and information on how relationships with alcohol and other drugs relates to goals and choices. VCU News also published this helpful <a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33679_0_0x354af4x0580\">Making Safe Choices<\/a> article recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33679_0_0x354af5x0580\">Rams in Recovery<\/a> is an active community that supports students and staff in recovery and celebrates all that life in college can be without alcohol and other drugs. Email recovery@vcu.edu for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Best wishes for a safe and productive academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Division of Student Affairs<br>Virginia Commonwealth University<br>dsa@vcu.edu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear VCU Community Members, Creating a positive environment for learning is essential to the VCU community. Alcohol and other drugs can interfere with academic success and campus safety. At VCU, we proactively address these issues in both our well-being programs and our policy enforcement. VCU Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy provides information about protecting your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-uncategorized","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":701,"date":"2025-09-30T21:46:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T21:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=701"},"modified":"2025-12-17T19:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:00:23","slug":"division-of-student-affairs-annual-report-2024-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/division-of-student-affairs-annual-report-2024-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Division of Student Affairs Annual Report 2024-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are excited to share our 2024-25 Annual Report with our students, parents, colleagues and friends. We appreciate your support!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two versions included below. Click the button for the option that works best for you.<\/p>\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 has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/heyzine.com\/flip-book\/a6f9454769.html\">Division of Student Affairs Annual Report 2024-25 PDF View<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1wl-sJe-qfkhVAdoGcoXa--rDsoqTJPjspE59zjVM0fw\/edit?tab=t.0\">Division of Student Affairs Annual Report 2024-25 Accessible Copy<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are excited to share our 2024-25 Annual Report with our students, parents, colleagues and friends. We appreciate your support! Two versions included below. Click the button for the option that works best for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2024-25-dsa-annualreport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":700,"date":"2025-09-29T12:30:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=700"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:35:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:35:17","slug":"expressive-activity-at-vcu-fall-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/expressive-activity-at-vcu-fall-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Expressive Activity at VCU Fall 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear Students,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you get settled into the fall semester, we want to share some information regarding expressive activity on campus. VCU is a very diverse community with a host of differing viewpoints reflecting each of our personal lenses through which we see, and experience, the world. This diversity of viewpoint and opinion is a tremendous asset to our community. Our hope is that you engage in conversations with others who share similar and dissimilar perspectives. In that regard, the university is committed to fostering a climate that encourages civil and spirited discourse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU advocates for the dignity of all human beings. We understand that while creating an environment that supports civil dialogue, hurtful comments can be made by others. We are committed to creating a supportive culture for all our students while balancing First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU is obligated, as a public university, to ensure a strong commitment to the First Amendment and Virginia law. The First Amendment prohibits prior restraint on speech and taking adverse action against individuals or groups, whether affiliated with the university or not, based on the viewpoints of their speech. This freedom of speech also encompasses the rights of those who present differing viewpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A740D31FB4D9FC17CC1351AF65\"><strong>Expression and Space Utilization Policy Interim<\/strong><\/a> clarifies how expressive activities may occur at VCU. A list of <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.vcu.edu\/student-resources-and-information\/ram-voice\/faq\/\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/a> can assist with inquiries that have been made previously, including but not limited to those pertaining to time, place, manner, costs, and major events. Additionally, here is a link to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.vcu.edu\/student-resources-and-information\/ram-voice\/-space-utilization-maps\/\"><strong>Space Utilization Maps<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also have a team of staff members through the Division of Student Affairs who are available to consult and are often present when expressive activities occur on campus. The Dean of Student Advocacy office is available throughout the year to meet with students who have specific questions or concerns and can be reached at <strong>vcudean@vcu.edu<\/strong> or 804-828-8940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a public university, we will uphold the constitutional rights of our community, and hold tight to our core values of decency, respect, diversity, and inclusion. We will foster an environment where all members of our community feel welcome, safe, supported, and able to succeed in the context of our mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for your support of expressive activity on our campus and your willingness to engage in productive civil discourse with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Division of Student Affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Students, As you get settled into the fall semester, we want to share some information regarding expressive activity on campus. VCU is a very diverse community with a host of differing viewpoints reflecting each of our personal lenses through which we see, and experience, the world. This diversity of viewpoint and opinion is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":698,"date":"2025-09-15T13:04:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T13:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=698"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:35:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:35:37","slug":"informative-letter-to-students-unrecognized-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/informative-letter-to-students-unrecognized-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Informative Letter to Students: Unrecognized Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear Students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU remains mindful of the importance of the safety of all students who are a part of the VCU community and is committed to raising safety awareness whenever possible. As such, we want you to have information about the following groups representing themselves as student organizations at VCU but that are not in compliance with VCU\u2019s requirements for student organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity and the Office of Fraternity &amp; Sorority Life have received reports that former members of certain organizations that have been suspended are operating as student organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Former members of the Phi Mu Fraternity, operating under the guise of an unrecognized group called <strong><em>The Collective RVA<\/em><\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Phi Mu Fraternity National Headquarters suspended operations of the local chapter as of March 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VCU has suspended the chapter\u2019s university recognition through May 2028.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Former members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, operating under the guise of an unrecognized group called <strong><em>Rose Club<\/em><\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The National Headquarters of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity revoked the charter of the local chapter, effective January 18, 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VCU suspended the chapter\u2019s university recognition through May 15, 2025, and VCU and Pi Kappa Phi have agreed this group will not return until at least 2028.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, former members of recently suspended student organizations may try to operate as an organization without authorization. Recently suspended organizations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>Theta Chi Fraternity,<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Kappa Sigma Fraternity<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We caution students and families that these groups are not recognized student organizations at VCU and are no longer affiliated with a national organization. We have concerns about the potential risk to health and safety of students who participate in activities with these groups. <strong>Students and student organizations, including fraternities and sororities, are strongly discouraged from engaging with or attending any activities or events with suspended organizations. <\/strong>To see a list of all recognized student organizations, you can visit<a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.campusgroups.com\/web_app?id=24055&amp;menu_id=13146&amp;if=0&amp;\"> Rams Connect<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/students.vcu.edu\/departments\/leadership-and-involvement\/fraternity-and-sorority-life\/registered-student-organization-rso-conduct-report\/\"> Registered Student Organization Conduct Report<\/a> provides students and families historical context of organizations that have been found responsible for hazing and other violations of the Student Code of Conduct since August 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, we can all promote the health and safety of students and the VCU community as a whole. Every student at VCU is encouraged to report any concerns related to conduct and\/or ethical behavior to the university. Reports can be made in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, contacting<a href=\"https:\/\/police.vcu.edu\/\"> VCU Police<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/cm.maxient.com\/reportingform.php?VirginiaCommonwealthUniv&amp;layout_id=30\"> Hazing Reporting Form<\/a> or using the Student Conduct Incident Reporting Form<a href=\"https:\/\/cm.maxient.com\/reportingform.php?VirginiaCommonwealthUniv&amp;layout_id=0\"> Student Conduct Incident Reporting Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dean of Student Advocacy Office<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Students: VCU remains mindful of the importance of the safety of all students who are a part of the VCU community and is committed to raising safety awareness whenever possible. As such, we want you to have information about the following groups representing themselves as student organizations at VCU but that are not in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026","category-vpsa-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":695,"date":"2025-09-12T14:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/?p=695"},"modified":"2025-09-12T14:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:05:11","slug":"student-accessibility-and-educational-opportunity-newsletter-fall-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/student-accessibility-and-educational-opportunity-newsletter-fall-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY NEWSLETTER FALL 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>INTRODUCTION TO THE DIRECTOR OF SAEO<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Erin Braselmann joins the Division of Student Affairs as the new Director of Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity. Erin comes to VCU from her most recent role as Dean of Accessibility and Disability Resources and Lecturer in Human Rights. Erin\u2019s career in higher education has focused on accessibility and student support for over 15 years, with recent roles held at Bard College and Yale University. She is looking forward to continuing her career supporting accessibility and accommodation efforts throughout VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>ACCOMMODATION LETTERS AND TESTING UPDATES<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>SAEO is now using AIMS &#8211; a new data management system that will be taking the place of Accommodate. With this implementation comes changes for faculty regarding Accommodation Letters and Testing Accommodations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Accommodation Letters: <\/strong>The biggest change is that the AIMS system allows students to send letters directly to faculty via the student\u2019s current SAEO case manager, which will allow you to communicate directly with that person. Students are still expected to initiate discussions with faculty regarding accommodations. Faculty will still be able to log-in to the system and view current accommodation letters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Testing Accommodations: <\/strong>At the beginning of each semester, we ask that you complete the SAEO Course Instruction Form for each of your courses (see <a href=\"https:\/\/saeo.vcu.edu\/tac\/for-faculty\/faculty-guide\/\">How-to-Guide<\/a>). AIMS allows testing staff to have greater control over test scheduling; this should mitigate students scheduling exams at the wrong date and time.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Please feel free to email <a href=\"mailto:csparthemos@vcu.edu\">csparthemos@vcu.edu<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:saeotestadmin@vcu.edu\">saeotestadmin@vcu.edu<\/a> with questions about the new system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>ACCESSIBILITY TIPS FOR FACULTY<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>We encourage faculty to strive toward a more inclusive classroom environment for students with disabilities by thoughtfully considering classroom policies. Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology Use in the Classroom: <\/strong>Do you have a classroom technology policy? If so, that may affect students who need to utilize technology for disability-related purposes. We suggest that faculty avoid a statement indicating the only exception to a no-technology policy is through a SAEO accommodation. Having other avenues of exceptions beyond a SAEO accommodation may help protect a student\u2019s privacy and disability status that may otherwise be unknown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Notetaking: <\/strong>Our office provides notetaking assistance for students with disabilities who qualify for assistive technology or peer notetakers. Potential considerations for faculty:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have you considered building in notetaker roles for students throughout the semester to build class engagement and provide additional notes for all?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are students expected to be taking notes during discussion-based classes? If so, stating this may be useful.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>FACULTY TRAINING<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>For in-depth training on SAEO processes and procedures, or accessibility and disability accommodations in general, please contact Dr. Brandi Levingston, <a href=\"mailto:levingstonb@vcu.edu\">levingstonb@vcu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A NOTE ON CASE MANAGEMENT<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Students who share their accommodation letters with faculty will be working with a specific SAEO case manager. Accommodation letters are initiated by the student, but they will be sent from their specific case manager. If you have any questions about the specifics of a student\u2019s accommodations, the best point of contact will always be the case manager. If you anticipate that a specific accommodation may be challenging to implement in your course, or may fundamentally alter its learning objectives, we encourage you to reach out to the student\u2019s case manager directly to collaborate on balancing academic requirements with access. Below are our current case managers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Parthemos (A-C):  <a href=\"csparthemos@vcu.edu\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"csparthemos@vcu.edu\">csparthemos@vcu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brandi Levingston (D-G): <a href=\"levingstonb@vcu.edu\">levingstonb@vcu.edu <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cedar Smithson (H-L): <a href=\"smithsonc@vcu.edu\">smithsonc@vcu.edu\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sydney Harris (M-R): <a href=\"mailto:harrissk2@vcu.edu\">harrissk2@vcu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ariya Sharif (S-Z): <a href=\"mailto:sharifa5@vcu.edu\">sharifa5@vcu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>INTRODUCTION TO THE DIRECTOR OF SAEO Erin Braselmann joins the Division of Student Affairs as the new Director of Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity. Erin comes to VCU from her most recent role as Dean of Accessibility and Disability Resources and Lecturer in Human Rights. Erin\u2019s career in higher education has focused on accessibility and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1009,"featured_media":696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2025-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1009"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/studentaffairs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]