We take you to another American university in our network.
Another in-depth study to learn about traditions, history and curiosities, this time, of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond. It is the leading public university in the State of Virginia. The main focus is research.
Just enter the official website of VCU and read about the university’s mission: to create an academic environment that is constantly oriented towards research, discovery and innovation in every sector; focus resources on studies that can improve people’s living conditions and therefore health, with particular attention to the medical sector and the training of health professionals; develop interdisciplinary collaborations to address major global challenges, starting with environmental sustainability; stimulate partnerships between universities and local institutions to improve the social, economic and cultural system not only of the state of Virginia but of all VCU stakeholders.
Virginia Commonwealth University is a real point of reference for the research sector and for its community. Over 24,000 students, the Institute was founded in 1838. Today it registers 6% of international students, creating a multicultural environment oriented towards inclusion, integration and continuous comparison.
Over 200 programs, it offers 50 majors in 22 different fields: College of Humanities & Sciences, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, School of Allied Health Professions, School of the Arts, School of Business, School of Dentistry, School of Education, College of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Social Work, University College, VCU Graduate School, VCU Honors College, VCU Life Sciences.
In February 2006, VCU established the VCU 2020 Vision for Excellence, a strategic plan to establish the university as the leading research institution for the 21st Century, investing more than $1 billion in academic, medical, recreational infrastructure, student housing and parking, giving a major boost to the Monroe Park and MVC campuses. Also worth mentioning is the VCU library, one of the largest in Virginia with over 3 million volumes.
Virginia Commontwealth University can count on two campuses, not far from each other. The Monroe Park Campus is home to the majority of undergraduate students and classes. In the MCV, on the other hand, there are the 5 schools of health sciences and a medical center of excellence (the famous doctor Patch Adams was a student of VCU). Both boast a style that alternates modern architecture with older buildings and being equipped with every service and comfort, they allow students to live and carry out every activity within the Campus itself.
Also worth mentioning is the sports hall “The Siegel Center” which, in addition to hosting the games of the VCU basketball teams, has welcomed over the years artists of the caliber of James Taylor, the Harlem Globetrotters and President Barack Obama. The flagship is the Institute for Contemporary Art, inaugurated in 2018, a modern masterpiece that hosts exhibitions, films and innovative special programs.
“We Are Rams” is the slogan of VCU’s sports department, which has 16 different NCAA Division I. programs are one of the 14 universities that are part of the AtlanticTen Conference, which brings together universities especially in the eastern United States, although it includes some universities in the Midwest. Despite its name, the conference has 14 members and 21 sports (9 men’s and 12 women’s).
Going into the specifics of the VCU sports program, these are the men’s sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, athletics. Basketball, tennis, and soccer are the main sports. Particularly in basketball, Virginia Commonwealth has become a very important college in the U.S. university scene, it has 14 appearances in the post-season, the best result being the FinalFour reached in 2011. Over the years, numerous players at the end of their university career at VCU have embarked on professional careers in the NBA. Famous is the sports rivalry with OldDominionUniversity (click here for more information). Men’s tennis is another of the most successful sports programs at VCU: coach Paul Kostin, head coach of the program for 30 years (until 2018) has become one of 5 coaches in the entire NCAA Division 1 to have surpassed 1000 career wins. Under his leadership, the tennis team won 12 conference titles and in 2000 went on to compete for the national title against Stanford.
Basketball, cross country, volleyball, lacrosse, football, tennis, athletics and volleyball are the women’s sports: volleyball is certainly one of the reference sports. The team, in which our Vicky Giommarini has recently finished an excellent sporting and academic career, is led by Coach Jody Rodgers, a true institution of American university volleyball, with more than 500 career victories in 23 seasons as head coach. After several Conference titles, in 2019 for the first time in history the volleyball team reaches the national stages of the tournament.
