8 Reasons I'm Grateful for VCU

This week, Monica and I hosted our annual holiday open house for the Virginia Commonwealth University community. It was wonderful to see so many students, faculty and staff as the semester winds down, and it made me mindful of just how many things VCU has to be thankful for this year.

In so many ways, this has been our best year yet. Below are eight reasons why I’m especially grateful for VCU this year.

1. The more the merrier

We welcomed our largest freshman class ever – 4,600 students – and had a record 20,435 applications.?

2. Record for sponsored research funding

We’ve hit another milestone in sponsored research funding – $465 million, an all-time high for VCU and an increase of 71 percent in just five years.?

3. Uncommon innovation

U.S. News and World Report designated VCU as one of the nation’s 20 most innovative public universities – a recognition that speaks to our mission and identity as an accessible, public national research institution, and reflects VCU’s growing national prominence. And international prominence as well – we were also ranked in the top quintile of global universities. Meanwhile, the Medicines for All Institute has become a core part of the foundation of Virginia’s growing economy.

4. Record fundraising

We’ve celebrated record fundraising this year of $271 million, which helps us meet our mission and support student success.?

5. VCU Massey achieves Comprehensive status

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center achieved its comprehensive status, a recognition that we have sought for years, and which reflects and impacts our ability to conduct more clinical trials and research to find cures and save lives.?

6. Unveiling the new Children’s Tower

We opened our Children’s Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, as well as our state of the art STEM building – and we’re getting ready to build our new VCU Costar Center for Arts and Innovation. These accomplishments come on the heels of the 2022 $100 million launch of the VCU Stravitz Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health – the only such institute in the U.S.?

7. VCU Health supports our entire region

VCU Health is in the midst of a tremendous financial turnaround as our safety net hospital? recovers from the impacts of the covid pandemic.?

8. Direct admissions increases accessibility of public education

Last month, I spoke to the Washington Post about the value of direct admissions for students. I said that VCU is focused on modeling the future of truly public and accessible universities. We’ve declared that excellence isn’t defined by a low acceptance rate.

This year’s milestones demonstrate that our unique mission – to be a high-access and high-excellence university – is one that works.?

It works because of the people who achieved each of these milestones – the students, faculty, staff, donors and board members who are an integral part of VCU and its success. They make these things happen, and that is what I am most grateful for this holiday season.