What does it mean to be a part of VCU Athletics?

I’m excited to be back, not only with the men’s basketball program, but at VCU. This university innovates in all areas and provides truly great opportunities for students, staff and the community around it.

What are your plans to nurture academic excellence among athletes?

We want our student-athletes to become the best version of themselves by the time they graduate from VCU. Academics is an integral part of that process. I’ll support our student-athletes as they put the same effort into the classroom as they do on the court.

What stamp are you putting on VCU Athletics?

Nobody can put a stamp on anything without support from everyone around them. This university and athletic department work hard to provide its student-athletes the resources they need to grow and excel. I’m excited about being a part of the process.

What does the new basketball practice facility mean for VCU?

The facility provides an unbelievable resource for our student-athletes to develop in all facets of their lives — from on the court to the classroom and community. It’s also a terrific recruiting tool that will allow our program to continue to be among the top in college basketball.

What is your top priority in your new role?

My top priority is improving the health of this region, this state and beyond. We launched VCU Health in September to represent our focus — as a team — on exemplary care, service, education and research that improves the lives of those we serve and reflects our unrelenting commitment to human health. VCU Health is poised to present an example to the nation of what it means to be a highest-quality anchor institution.

What do you see as VCU Health’s role in the community?

VCU Health connects with people on many levels — from providing high-quality care to serving as one of the region’s largest employers and educating thousands of students each year in health professions. Beyond that, we’re building and strengthening relationships with people in our community and learning how we can work on problems that affect them.

How is VCU working to model interprofessional health?

We know a person does not get better because of contact with one member of a health care team. So many skills are required to help an individual have the right diagnosis, right treatment and, we hope, prevention of conditions in the first place. That’s behind our approach to interprofessional education and collaborative care.

Why is it important for students, faculty and staff to understand Title IX?

It is important to understand that no matter our roles, Title IX is a shared responsibility. Each of us must work to eliminate sexual misconduct and violence as well as sex- and gender-based discrimination.

How is VCU demonstrating its commitment to Title IX?

We are investing in people, systems and other resources. We significantly enhanced existing policies and infrastructure, and are already seeing improvements in reporting and response. We are raising awareness, ensuring accountability and making sure support measures are in place for those who need them.

How are these changes affecting the culture at VCU?

This is not a box-checking exercise to meet government mandates. It’s a movement from within. We’re driven by a commitment to ensure every university community member has the opportunity to succeed in a safe and nondiscriminatory learning, living and working environment.

What does access mean for a major research university?

It means we admit students who represent the diversity in the surrounding community. A third of our students are first-generation and receive the Pell Grant, and more than half of the freshmen are from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds; most are high achievers. Some universities seek to achieve excellence by limiting access. We seek to provide access and achieve excellence by providing whatever support our students need to achieve at the very highest levels possible.

How will dropping the SAT requirement open doors for students?

We dropped the requirement for the SAT because simply put, those test scores were not good predictors of academic performance at the university. High school GPAs combined with other measures are much more accurate predictors. These changes have resulted in the largest, most diverse and most academically talented freshman cohort ever this year.

How does VCU continue its work to reduce student debt?

We encourage students to enroll in 15 or more credits per semester, accelerating their studies and saving them substantial amounts of money over time in cost-of-attendance. Record numbers of students take advantage of this each semester. We provide financial aid advising and counseling, individualized assistance in financial aid, a peer-to-peer financial literacy program, presentations at New Student Orientation and our Beyond Orientation parent course, and we also offer tutorials via Financial Aid TV.