BIGpedia - Virginia Commonwealth University - Encyclopedia and Dictionary Online

Virginia Commonwealth University or VCU for short, is a large American research university with its main campus located in urban Richmond, Virginia. VCU is particularly recognized for its large art school. With more than 26,000 students at the beginning of 2004, VCU is the third-largest university in Virginia. The VCU School of Medicine is a fully accredited U.S. medical school and houses the nation’s oldest transplant program. VCU is well-known for its diversity.

VCU also runs and organizes the VCU French Film Festival each year, the largest French film festival in the United States

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History

1838 - The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opens in Richmond
1844 - The Medical Department moves into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building
1854 - The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College receives an independent charter from the Virginia General Assembly and becomes the Medical College of Virginia
1860 - In return for a $30,000 appropriation MCV conveys all its property to the Commonwealth of Virginia and becomes a state institution
1893 - College of Physicians and Surgeons, later University College of Medicine, was established by Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire just three blocks away from MCV
1912 - McGuire Hall opens as the new home of the University College of Medicine
1913 - MCV and UCM merged through the efforts of Dr. George Ben Johnston and Dr. Stuart McGuire. MCV acquired the Memorial Hospital as a result of the merger
1917 - Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health established
1925 - Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health becomes the Richmond Division of the College of William and Mary
1939 - Richmond Division of William and Mary name was changed to the "Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary" (RPI)
1947 - MCV Foundation is incorporated.
1962 - RPI separates from William and Mary to become an independent state institution.
1968 - The first heart transplant at the Medical College of Virginia is performed by Dr. Richard R. Lower.
1968 - The Medical College of Virginia (MCV) and the RPI merged to create Virginia Commonwealth University.
2000 - Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority is established

Academics

Baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, professional and certificate degree programs are offered through the College of Humanities & Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, School of the Arts, School of Business, School of Dentistry, School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, and School of Social Work.

VCU now hosts the Illustration Academy, a program taught by nationally known illustrators. The program is open to all applicants, from students to professionals, and features demonstrations from the artists, classes, and lectures on the business side of the industry.

Notable faculty members include analytical chemist Dr. John Fenn, who in 2002 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the field of mass spectrometry.

Campus

VCU has two campuses in Richmond. The VCU School of Medicine, also known as the Medical College of Virginia (or MCV), has a campus that is adjacent to the city’s business and financial district. The VCU Monroe Park Campus is located at the eastern end of "The Fan district", which is a neighborhood built in the early 20th-century. This campus begins around N. Belvidere Street. Most buildings are located on or in the streets between Broad Street and Main Street. VCU's academic campus was renamed the Monroe Park Campus, in June of 2004. VCU also has a branch campus in Education City, Qatar.