University of Richmond
Encyclopedia
The University of Richmond is a selective, private
, nonsectarian
, liberal arts
university
located on the border of the city of Richmond
and Henrico County
, Virginia
. The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business
, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies
, the University of Richmond School of Law
and the School of Continuing Studies
.
for men, with instruction begun by the Rev. Edward Baptist, an 1813 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College
, the school was incorporated ten years later as Richmond College. During the American Civil War
, Richmond College was used as a hospital for Confederate
troops and later as a Union
barracks
. By the end of the war, the college was bankrupt and unable to continue functioning. In 1866, James Thomas donated $5,000 to reopen the college. The T.C. Williams School of Law opened in 1870.
In 1894, the college elected Dr. Frederic W. Boatwright
president. President Boatwright would serve for 51 years. He is most remembered for his decision to move the college in 1914 from its original location in what is now the Fan district
to its current location in the Westhampton
area of Richmond. The university's main library, Boatwright Memorial Library, is named in Boatwright's honor.
In conjunction with the move, a new college for women, Westhampton College, opened on the new campus. In 1949, the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business opened, followed by the School of Continuing Studies in 1962. In 1969, E. Claiborne Robins, a trustee
and alumnus
, donated $50 million to the university, the largest gift made to an institution of higher education at the time. Today, the university's endowment totals approximately $1.6 billion and ranked 33rd among North American university endowments for fiscal year 2010.
During World War II
, Richmond was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
In 1987, a donation of $20 million by Robert S. Jepson, Jr. facilitated the opening of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The school, which opened in 1992, was the first of its kind in the U.S.
In 1990, the missions of Richmond and Westhampton Colleges were combined to form the School of Arts and Sciences.
On October 15, 1992, candidates George H. W. Bush
, Bill Clinton
, and Ross Perot
came to campus for the first-ever "town hall" televised presidential debate, viewed by 200 million people worldwide.
Edward L. Ayers
, former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
at the University of Virginia
, is the current president of the University of Richmond. Dr. Ayers was named the ninth president of the University of Richmond on November 10, 2006. He took office on July 1, 2007.
Opportunities abound in the School of Art & Sciences, as students have the chance to study abroad and pursue internships or research while gaining an education that will prepare them for a variety of careers or graduate programs.
Ranked 12th nationally overall and tied for first in academic quality by BusinessWeek, the Robins School is the only fully accredited, top-ranked undergraduate business school that also is part of a top-ranked liberal arts university. In the 2009 BusinessWeek review of part-time MBA programs, the Robins school ranked 3rd in the mid-Atlantic region and 17th nationwide.
was founded to address a perceived need in the modern world for the academic study of leadership. The school blends a curriculum of economics, history, literature, philosophy, politics, psychology and religion so that students can learn conceptual tools that support the exercise of leadership in varied settings.
All students must complete general education requirements as part of the liberal arts curriculum. These requirements include the Core Course, a two-semester course heavily focused on international writings and philosophy that first-year students must complete. Other general education requirements include expository writing, wellness, foreign language, and one class each in six fields of study.
Richmond offers more than 100 majors, minors, and concentrations in three undergraduate schools — the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The School of Continuing Studies, primarily an evening school focused on part-time adult students, offers additional degree programs in selected areas.
ranked the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business as the 12th best undergraduate program in the nation in 2009.
The University of Richmond's name leads some to believe that it is a public institution drawing students primarily from within Virginia. However, only about 15 percent of UR's undergraduate students are from Virginia. The University of Richmond primarily draws students from the New England
and Mid-Atlantic
regions of the United States, but also draws students from across the country and abroad. Peer universities with which Richmond typically competes for students include the University of Virginia
, The College of William and Mary, Boston College
, Wake Forest University
, Vanderbilt University
, Georgetown University
, Duke University
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, Princeton University
, Villanova University
, Brown University
, and Cornell University
.
admissions policy and meets 100 percent of admitted students' demonstrated need. Richmond also offers 50 merit-based, full tuition scholarships to students in each entering class (approximately 1 out of every 15 students). Richmond also caps student loan debt depending on the year of the student. A senior has the highest cap at $7,500 per year, whereas a freshman cannot take a loan more than $5,500. Recently, to encourage enrollment from Virginia residents, admitted students from Virginia with family incomes of $40,000 or less will receive full-tuition/room and board financial aid packages without loans.
for its mathematics program to sponsor student research commencing May 2007. The University of Richmond is listed in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2008" issue as one of 35 (out of 2,500) “schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success” in the area of “undergraduate research/creative projects.” The Richmond Research Institute
provides information on undergraduate research opportunities as well as numerous examples of student research videos, publications, posters, and abstracts.
Richmond also has an active Greek life with 15 national fraternities and sororities. The fraternities include Kappa Sigma, Alpha Phi Alpha
, Kappa Alpha Order
, Phi Gamma Delta
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Sigma Chi
, Lambda Chi Alpha
and the founding chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
. The sororities are Delta Delta Delta
, Delta Gamma
, Kappa Alpha Theta
, Kappa Kappa Gamma
, and Pi Beta Phi
. About 50 percent of the women and over 30 percent of the men participate in the Greek system.
The Upsilon Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, is the first historically black fraternity to be chartered on the University of Richmond campus.
From 1990–2003, the Shanghai Quartet
served as quartet-in-residence at UR, and their relationship with the university continues with their roles as Distinguished Visiting Artists. In 2004, contemporary music sextet eighth blackbird
(spelled in all lowercase) was named ensemble-in-residence. Camp Concert Hall, located on campus, is a favorite recording venue for National Public Radio.
administered by student honor councils; Investiture and Proclamation Night, ceremonies for first year men and women to reflect on their next four years; Ring Dance, a dance held at the Jefferson Hotel
by the junior class women; and Pig Roast, a large annual event held during the spring semester which draws significant gatherings of current students and alumni to the fraternity lodges and have featured musical acts such as Flo Rida
and Afroman
.
programs offered by the university. Other international programs include Global House, a residential program housed in Keller Hall, and an international film series. Alumna Carole Weinstein recently donated $9 million toward the construction of a new building on campus, opened in the fall of 2010, dedicated to international education.
in 1910. Cram, a noted institutional architect, also designed buildings for Princeton
, Cornell
, Rice
, and Williams
, among other universities. Warren H. Manning, a former apprentice to Frederick Law Olmsted
, designed the original landscape plan. The overall effect of the gothic architecture set amid a landscape of pines, rolling hills, and Westhampton Lake, is intimate and tranquil. In 2000, the campus was recognized by The Princeton Review
as the most beautiful in the United States.
The University of Richmond campus was used to film portions of the pilot of Commander in Chief, and lead character Mackenzie Allen, (played by Geena Davis
) served as chancellor
of a fictionalized University of Richmond prior to her election as Vice President of the United States
. Much of the movie Cry Wolf was filmed on the Westhampton side of campus, with several dormitories, including South Court, North Court, and Keller Hall, serving as locations. Several episodes of the television show Dawson's Creek
were also filmed on campus, referring to Richmond only as a nameless "beautiful Ivy League campus." The filming itself took place in Stern Quad and inside the Jepson Alumni Center.
The University of Richmond also owns the former Reynolds Metals Executive Office Building
, purchased from Alcoa
in 2001. Located a few miles from campus, the 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft
and opened in 1958. The building, which incorporates nearly 1.4 million pounds of aluminum, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. It currently serves as the headquarters of Altria Group
and its subsidiary, Philip Morris USA
, which are leasing it from the university. In early 2001, the university also finalized the purchase of 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) of land in eastern Goochland County
, a few miles from the main campus. The land is currently used for biology research, but future uses could include intramural athletic fields.
The University of Richmond campus is also home to the Virginia Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts and Humanities during the summer.
in any sport on December 19, 2008 when the Spiders football team defeated the Montana Grizzlies
, 24–7, in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Richmond was ranked 23rd in men's basketball at one point during the 2009–10 season. During it's 2010 season the Richmond Men's Cross Country team placed 24th at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships. The 2010-2011 Richmond Spiders men's basketball
team defeated Morehead State earning the team a spot in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
Sweet Sixteen. The Spiders fell to Kansas
in the Sweet Sixteen.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, nonsectarian
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
, liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located on the border of the city of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business
E. Claiborne Robins School of Business
The E. Claiborne Robins School of Business is a part of the University of Richmond and was established in 1949. It offers undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs, and was named after alumnus E. Claiborne Robins in 1979. Robins, the grandson of Albert Hartley Robins, founder of the...
, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies
Jepson School of Leadership Studies
The Jepson School of Leadership Studies, founded in 1992 at the University of Richmond, is dedicated to the academic study of leadership. The school is named for Robert S. Jepson, Jr., an alumnus who donated $20 million to establish the school...
, the University of Richmond School of Law
University of Richmond School of Law
The University of Richmond School of Law , a school of the University of Richmond, is located in Richmond, Virginia...
and the School of Continuing Studies
University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies
The University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies is a part of the University of Richmond and was established in 1962. It offers degree and non-degree programs targeted primarily toward adults.-External links:*...
.
History
Founded by Virginia Baptists in 1830 as a seminarySeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
for men, with instruction begun by the Rev. Edward Baptist, an 1813 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
, the school was incorporated ten years later as Richmond College. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Richmond College was used as a hospital for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
troops and later as a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. By the end of the war, the college was bankrupt and unable to continue functioning. In 1866, James Thomas donated $5,000 to reopen the college. The T.C. Williams School of Law opened in 1870.
In 1894, the college elected Dr. Frederic W. Boatwright
Frederic W. Boatwright
Frederic W. Boatwright was president of Richmond College, now the University of Richmond, from 1895 to 1946.Born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Boatwright entered Richmond College in 1883 at the age of 15...
president. President Boatwright would serve for 51 years. He is most remembered for his decision to move the college in 1914 from its original location in what is now the Fan district
Fan district
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard....
to its current location in the Westhampton
The West End (Richmond, Virginia)
The West End is a part of Richmond, Virginia. The true West End covers only the western part of the city of Richmond though some consider western Henrico County part of the West End as well. As there is no one municipal organization that represents this specific region, the boundaries are loosely...
area of Richmond. The university's main library, Boatwright Memorial Library, is named in Boatwright's honor.
In conjunction with the move, a new college for women, Westhampton College, opened on the new campus. In 1949, the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business opened, followed by the School of Continuing Studies in 1962. In 1969, E. Claiborne Robins, a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
and alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
, donated $50 million to the university, the largest gift made to an institution of higher education at the time. Today, the university's endowment totals approximately $1.6 billion and ranked 33rd among North American university endowments for fiscal year 2010.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Richmond was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
In 1987, a donation of $20 million by Robert S. Jepson, Jr. facilitated the opening of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The school, which opened in 1992, was the first of its kind in the U.S.
In 1990, the missions of Richmond and Westhampton Colleges were combined to form the School of Arts and Sciences.
On October 15, 1992, candidates George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
came to campus for the first-ever "town hall" televised presidential debate, viewed by 200 million people worldwide.
Edward L. Ayers
Edward L. Ayers
Edward Lynn Ayers is an American historian. He is the current president of the University of Richmond, having served in this capacity since July 1, 2007. Prior to his appointment, he had been on the faculty of the University of Virginia since 1980, most recently as the Buckner W. Clay Dean of the...
, former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences
The University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the University of Virginia's ten schools. Consisting of both a graduate and an undergraduate program, the College comprises the liberal arts and humanities section of the University...
at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, is the current president of the University of Richmond. Dr. Ayers was named the ninth president of the University of Richmond on November 10, 2006. He took office on July 1, 2007.
School of Arts & Sciences
All Richmond undergraduate students begin their course work in the School of Arts & Sciences (A&S), which offers 38 majors and 10 concentrations in the arts, sciences, social sciences, and humanities. After one full year of study, students may decide to pursue majors in the other undergraduate schools, though 70 percent of students choose to remain in A&S.Opportunities abound in the School of Art & Sciences, as students have the chance to study abroad and pursue internships or research while gaining an education that will prepare them for a variety of careers or graduate programs.
Robins School of Business
The Robins School of Business was established in 1949 and offers undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. It is named after alumnus E. Claiborne Robins.Ranked 12th nationally overall and tied for first in academic quality by BusinessWeek, the Robins School is the only fully accredited, top-ranked undergraduate business school that also is part of a top-ranked liberal arts university. In the 2009 BusinessWeek review of part-time MBA programs, the Robins school ranked 3rd in the mid-Atlantic region and 17th nationwide.
Jepson School of Leadership Studies
The Jepson School of Leadership StudiesLeadership studies
Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences , in humanities , as well as in professional and applied fields of study...
was founded to address a perceived need in the modern world for the academic study of leadership. The school blends a curriculum of economics, history, literature, philosophy, politics, psychology and religion so that students can learn conceptual tools that support the exercise of leadership in varied settings.
T.C. Williams School of Law
Chartered in 1840, Richmond College was only 30 years old when it added a Law Department. The initial years were very successful for the new Law Department but during the difficult financial times that followed the Civil War, legal education was intermittent at Richmond College until 1890. In that year, the family of the late T.C. Williams, Sr., endowed a Professorship of Law, thus assuring the continuous teaching of law at Richmond College. The Law School was granted membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1930 and now enrolls approximately 500 full-time students and has 4,300 active alumni.School of Continuing Studies
The School of Continuing Studies offers degree and certificate programs, enrichment opportunities, professional training, and college course work for part-time and non-traditional students of all ages. A variety of evening programs with credit and non-credit courses make it possible for those with busy schedules to further their education or explore new interests.Undergraduate Academics
Richmond offers more than 100 majors, minors, and concentrations in three undergraduate schools — the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The School of Continuing Studies, primarily an evening school focused on part-time adult students, offers additional degree programs in selected areas.
Admissions
The University of Richmond admitted 32 percent of applicants for the class of 2015, making one of the more selective schools in The United States. The 788-member class of 2015 has a middle 50 percent range SAT I scores of 1930-2140 In its "America's Best Colleges 2012" issue, U.S. News and World Report ranked Richmond 27th among national liberal arts colleges U.S. News and World Report also ranked Richmond third among "up-and-coming" liberal arts colleges, and as the 9th best value among national liberal arts colleges. BusinessWeekBusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
ranked the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business as the 12th best undergraduate program in the nation in 2009.
The University of Richmond's name leads some to believe that it is a public institution drawing students primarily from within Virginia. However, only about 15 percent of UR's undergraduate students are from Virginia. The University of Richmond primarily draws students from the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
regions of the United States, but also draws students from across the country and abroad. Peer universities with which Richmond typically competes for students include the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, The College of William and Mary, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
Financial aid
Richmond administers a generous financial aid program, with 68 percent of all students receiving some form of financial assistance. Richmond offers a need-blindNeed-blind admission
Need-blind admission is a term in the United States denoting a college admission policy in which the admitting institution does not consider an applicant's financial situation when deciding admission...
admissions policy and meets 100 percent of admitted students' demonstrated need. Richmond also offers 50 merit-based, full tuition scholarships to students in each entering class (approximately 1 out of every 15 students). Richmond also caps student loan debt depending on the year of the student. A senior has the highest cap at $7,500 per year, whereas a freshman cannot take a loan more than $5,500. Recently, to encourage enrollment from Virginia residents, admitted students from Virginia with family incomes of $40,000 or less will receive full-tuition/room and board financial aid packages without loans.
Student research
The University of Richmond offers numerous research opportunities for students. In addition to research-based courses, independent studies, and practicums in most disciplines, many special opportunities exist for students to participate in close research collaborations with faculty. Student research occurs in all academic areas, including the arts, sciences, social sciences, and other fields. Notably, the University recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
for its mathematics program to sponsor student research commencing May 2007. The University of Richmond is listed in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2008" issue as one of 35 (out of 2,500) “schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success” in the area of “undergraduate research/creative projects.” The Richmond Research Institute
Richmond Research Institute
The Richmond Research Institute at the University of Richmond was created in 2004 as a vehicle for involving Richmond students in faculty research and in publicizing faculty research results....
provides information on undergraduate research opportunities as well as numerous examples of student research videos, publications, posters, and abstracts.
Student life
Richmond has over 275 student organizations. Student groups include those devoted to:- Academic interests: (Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key International Honour SocietyGolden Key International Honour SocietyThe Golden Key International Honour Society is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines....
, Women Involved in Learning and Living, Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
), - Student government: (Richmond College Student Government Association and Westhampton College Government Association)
- Media: (The Collegian, student newspaper published since 1914; WDCE, campus radio station );
- Community service: (Bonner Scholars, Habitat for Humanity, Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
, Volunteer Action Council (VAC)), - Intramural athletics
- Club sports: (Richmond Crew, Richmond Ice Hockey Club, Richmond Men's and Women's Soccer, Richmond Co-Ed Swimming, Richmond Synchronized Swimming, Ultimate Frisbee Club, University of Richmond Rugby Football Club)
- Religion: (InterVarsity Christian FellowshipIntervarsityIntervarsity, Inter Varsity or Inter-Varsity may refer to:*All-Asian Intervarsity Debating Championships, now merged to form the United Asian Debating Championships.*Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships...
, Spiders Sports Ministry, Christian Student Fellowship (Baptist), United Methodist, Presbyterian Fellowship, Rho Iota, Lutheran Campus Ministry, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Muslim League, Hindu/Sikh/Jain Ministry, South Asian Student Alliance (SASA), Catholic Campus Ministry, HillelHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus LifeHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally...
, Every Nation Campus Ministry, Umoja Gospel Choir, Young Life Christian Leadership, Zen Buddhist Sangha) - Performing arts: (including four a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
groups: The OctāvesThe OctavesThe Octāves is a student-run, all-male a cappella group from the University of Richmond. It is the school's oldest a cappella group, forming in the spring of 1990...
, Choeur du Roi, The Sirens, and Off The Cuff; and a student run Improv Comedy Troupe, Subject to Change, which performs free shows on campus several times a year and has also performed at festivals across the mid-Atlantic) - Culture and diversity: (Ngoma African Dance Company, Multicultural Student Union, SASD for the GLBTQ community, Russian and Slavic Cultural Organization)
Richmond also has an active Greek life with 15 national fraternities and sororities. The fraternities include Kappa Sigma, Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
and the founding chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
. The sororities are Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
, Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
, Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
, Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no...
, and Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States and...
. About 50 percent of the women and over 30 percent of the men participate in the Greek system.
The Upsilon Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, is the first historically black fraternity to be chartered on the University of Richmond campus.
From 1990–2003, the Shanghai Quartet
Shanghai Quartet
The Shanghai Quartet a string quartet that formed in 1983. The quartet is made up of four members: first violinist Weigang Li, second violinist Yi-Wen Jiang, violist Honggang Li, and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras. The group’s tours have included North America, South America, Japan, China, Australia,...
served as quartet-in-residence at UR, and their relationship with the university continues with their roles as Distinguished Visiting Artists. In 2004, contemporary music sextet eighth blackbird
Eighth blackbird
eighth blackbird is a Grammy Award-winning contemporary music sextet based in Chicago. The group derives its name from the eighth stanza of Wallace Stevens' poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird...
(spelled in all lowercase) was named ensemble-in-residence. Camp Concert Hall, located on campus, is a favorite recording venue for National Public Radio.
Traditions
Noted University of Richmond traditions include: an honor codeHonor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
administered by student honor councils; Investiture and Proclamation Night, ceremonies for first year men and women to reflect on their next four years; Ring Dance, a dance held at the Jefferson Hotel
Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel is a luxury hotel in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of 27 American hotels with Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Hotel ratings...
by the junior class women; and Pig Roast, a large annual event held during the spring semester which draws significant gatherings of current students and alumni to the fraternity lodges and have featured musical acts such as Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
and Afroman
Afroman
Joseph Edgar Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide...
.
International education
In the past decade, the university has sought to develop a stronger international focus. International students from about 70 countries represent about 7 percent of the student body. Approximately half of undergraduate students participate in one of 78 study abroadStudy abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
programs offered by the university. Other international programs include Global House, a residential program housed in Keller Hall, and an international film series. Alumna Carole Weinstein recently donated $9 million toward the construction of a new building on campus, opened in the fall of 2010, dedicated to international education.
Campus
The University of Richmond's campus consists of 350 acres (1.4 km²) in a suburban setting on the western edge of the city. The university has, with few exceptions, remained true to the original architectural plans for the campus — red brick buildings in a collegiate gothic style set around shared open lawns. Many of the original buildings, including Jeter Hall and North Court, both residence halls, and Ryland Hall, the original administration building and library for Richmond College, were designed by Ralph Adams CramRalph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram FAIA, , was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.-Early life:Cram was born on December 16, 1863 at Hampton Falls, New...
in 1910. Cram, a noted institutional architect, also designed buildings for Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Rice
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, and Williams
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, among other universities. Warren H. Manning, a former apprentice to Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, designed the original landscape plan. The overall effect of the gothic architecture set amid a landscape of pines, rolling hills, and Westhampton Lake, is intimate and tranquil. In 2000, the campus was recognized by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
as the most beautiful in the United States.
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
) served as chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of a fictionalized University of Richmond prior to her election as Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
. Much of the movie Cry Wolf was filmed on the Westhampton side of campus, with several dormitories, including South Court, North Court, and Keller Hall, serving as locations. Several episodes of the television show Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
were also filmed on campus, referring to Richmond only as a nameless "beautiful Ivy League campus." The filming itself took place in Stern Quad and inside the Jepson Alumni Center.
The University of Richmond also owns the former Reynolds Metals Executive Office Building
Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters
The Reynolds Metals Company International Headquarters is an International Style building complex set in a composed landscape near Richmond, Virginia, completed in 1958. The low-rise Executive Office Building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, in collaboration with...
, purchased from Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
in 2001. Located a few miles from campus, the 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft
Gordon Bunshaft
Gordon Bunshaft was an architect educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1988, Gordon Bunshaft nominated himself for the Pritzker Prize and eventually won it.-Career:...
and opened in 1958. The building, which incorporates nearly 1.4 million pounds of aluminum, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It currently serves as the headquarters of Altria Group
Altria Group
Altria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...
and its subsidiary, Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
, which are leasing it from the university. In early 2001, the university also finalized the purchase of 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) of land in eastern Goochland County
Goochland County, Virginia
Goochland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 21,717. Its county seat is Goochland. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area ....
, a few miles from the main campus. The land is currently used for biology research, but future uses could include intramural athletic fields.
The University of Richmond campus is also home to the Virginia Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts and Humanities during the summer.
Athletics
The University won its first NCAA national championship2008 Richmond Spiders football team
The 2008 Richmond Spiders football team represented the University of Richmond in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football during the 2008 season...
in any sport on December 19, 2008 when the Spiders football team defeated the Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies is the nickname given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana. The women's basketball team, however, uses the moniker Lady Griz...
, 24–7, in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Richmond was ranked 23rd in men's basketball at one point during the 2009–10 season. During it's 2010 season the Richmond Men's Cross Country team placed 24th at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships. The 2010-2011 Richmond Spiders men's basketball
Richmond Spiders men's basketball
The Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represents the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia and currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
team defeated Morehead State earning the team a spot in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
Sweet Sixteen. The Spiders fell to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in the Sweet Sixteen.