Well hello there, content-starved readers of Richmond’s admission blog! (Note that I’m assuming you’ve missed me.)

I didn’t exactly intend to take such a long hiatus from blogging, but you know how it goes… one thing leads to another…

It has been a crazy couple of months that have kept me from the world of blogging – crazy in a good way, of course. To fill you in on a couple of the highlights (and the things that have been keeping me busy):

1.    We have a new Dean of Admission and Director of Admission here at Richmond! Gil Villanueva, our new dean, and Michael Kabbaz, our new director, both started on July 15, and we’re thrilled to have them. Both are hitting the road this fall, so some of you may have the opportunity to meet them soon.

2.    The University jumped up to #30 among national liberal arts colleges in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.  As I always say, any ranking is in large part what you make of it – and how closely you look at its methodology. One thing I love about Richmond is that our administration cares far more about a host of other things (the student experience, academic quality, access and affordability) than it does the rankings, yet Richmond continues to rise, up from #42 when we moved to the national liberal arts category four years ago.

3.    On August 19, we welcomed a hugely enthusiastic first-year class to campus. This class broke a number of records; it is the largest class in the university’s history (but not so large that we can’t handle it!), made up of students from 40 states and 27 countries. About 7% of the class is composed of international students; 23% are American students from underrepresented ethnic populations; and 21% are members of the first generation of their family to go to college. You can find out more on our student profile, which will be updated and expanded in just a few weeks (so check back).

4.    The Spider football season is off to a great start, with three successive wins over Duke, Delaware, and most recently Hofstra – extending our record winning streak to twelve games. (In the FCS, the only time you get to extend a winning streak over multiple seasons is – you got it – if and only if you take the national championship. Which, if you’re not aware, we did last year.) The school took seven busloads of students down to the opener at Duke (not including those who drove themselves)… Spider spirit has never been stronger or louder!

So that’s the news from the past few months. I’m already into my first week of travel season – in Pittsburgh at the moment, off to Arizona at the end of the week – so I’ll keep you posted. The Richmond Admission Blog is back in business!

By Tom

Most prospective business majors know that Richmond’s Robins School of Business was ranked #12 nationally among undergraduate business programs in this year’s BusinessWeek rankings. Equally notable, in my opinion, is the fact that the Robins School was tied for the #1 ranking in Academic Quality. (I think this is due to the fact that the Robins School is part of a small liberal arts university, which makes it unique among all the other schools at the top of the rankings. All the advantages of a liberal arts environment carry over into our business school: class sizes are small, professors are first and foremost teachers who love working with undergraduate students, and the academic environment is both challenging and dynamic.)

However, fewer people may know that, when it comes to BusinessWeek’s speciality rankings, the Robins School comes out the clear winner – or, in the magazine’s own words, “the most celebrated program in [the annual rankings].” The Robins School took the #1 spot in five specialty categories: marketing, financial management, macroeconomics, corporate strategy, and quantitative methods. It also took top-10 spots in four other categories (#2 in business law, #4 in microeconomics, #6 in sustainability, and #8 in accounting).

I always caution against blind faith in rankings – rankings, whatever the type, are based on a particular methodology, and you have to know what went into the rankings in order to truly understand what comes out of them. So make sure you read about BusinessWeek’s methodology and get a good understanding of the philosophy behind the numbers. The fact that the Robins School came out so well overall and in so many specific categories speaks volumes, I think, about the education that we’re offering.

But a Richmond education in business is much more than just business classes and internships, and this is something all those rankings can’t capture, because it falls outside their criteria. At Richmond, you certainly get a top-notch business education, outstanding internship opportunities, and excellent job placement – but it’s also the only top-ranked business program where you get an equally strong foundation in the liberal arts. At Richmond, you’re not put in a box or confined to a business program for four years of college; all courses across the University are open to you, and your education benefits from our School of Arts and Sciences, School of Leadership Studies, even our School of Law. This is practical stuff, too: we consistently hear, from professors and employers, that Richmond business students stand out for their strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, in addition to their business acumen. Those are skills developed through our liberal arts curriculum and through the opportunities that Richmond business students have to make interdisciplinary connections and study a broad variety of subjects. The world – even the business world – doesn’t always fit neatly into major categories, and Richmond students are well-prepared for it.

Add to this the fact that we’re just beginning to break ground on the new Queally Hall expansion of the business school – including new classroom space, a new auditorium, a cafe, and a mock trading floor – and the future of Robins only looks brighter.

By Tom

Another video for your perusal this week. Photographer Doug Plummer created this one, which was filmed back in February in the University Forum at the center of campus. I was there for the shoot – pulling aside random students and getting them in front of the camera – so I can testify personally to the candidness of their answers!

And on a completely different note, if you happen to be in Richmond this weekend, make sure you check out Broad Appétit, back for its second year! The event brings together dozens of local Richmond restaurants in preparing samples of their cuisine for public enjoyment and for a panel-judged competition.

By Tom

Graduation for the Richmond Class of 2009 took place a few weeks ago, and our newest alumni are now off on the next exciting stage of their journeys, forging new paths and blazing new trails. Just prior to the formal procession and commencement ceremony, the Career Development Center took some time to interview our seniors about their experiences at Richmond and their future plans. Take a look at the YouTube video!

And while we’re on the subject of YouTube, have you checked out the official University of Richmond YouTube Channel? It’s fairly new and blossoming rapidly. You can find informational videos about various aspects of life and academics, as well as videos of recent lectures on campus, cultural and arts performances, and reports from The Collegian (our campus newspaper). Be sure to subscribe if you have a YouTube account!

By Tom

You may or may not have heard the news, but Richmond is undergoing some really exciting construction right now. This is particularly noticeable if you come for a visit, since Brunet Memorial Hall, home to the Office of Admission, is nearly surrounded by construction! I ran outside with a camera today to get some snapshots of the progress.

On one side of our building, the new Carole Weinstein International Center is already well underway. This facility, when completed in a year (in time for the Fall 2010 semester, or the freshman or sophomore year for most student readers of this blog), will house our Office of International Education, Study Abroad offices, International Studies major, Department of Modern Literatures and Cultures, LAIS (Spanish) Department, and a new international cafe. Currently you can see the structure beginning to take shape right across the street from our office:

The CWIC basement is underway, and structural girders are being put in place.

The rising structure, with the Jepson Hall tower visible in the background.

Artist’s concept of the completed International Center. It is built around a central courtyard and fountain, modeled on one of the oldest architectural patterns in human history.

On the other side of Brunet Memorial Hall, a very different type of structure is beginning to take shape. In Fall 2010, for the first time since 1929, the Spider football team will play its opening home game (and all subsequent home games) on campus. The new multi-purpose football stadium will seat 8700 and is an expansion of the current First Market stadium, already used by the soccer, lacrosse, and track teams.

A view across the current track and field toward the preliminary work for the west grandstand. The best view of the stadium is from the roof of our building (shh! don’t tell my boss I went out there!)

Beginning of the east grandstand, right behind our building. Unfortunately, the grandstand itself will block most of the view from Brunet Memorial – otherwise our roof might become prime seating!

Artist’s rendering of the completed west grandstand and main entrance, from outside.

If you want to check in on the progress of either project, the University has installed live, user-controlled webcams that you can access through our construction website. The stadium webcam also gives you the opportunity to watch our varsity athletes training. I personally like the CWIC webcam, because behind the construction you can see my workplace (Brunet Hall) and behind that you can see the stadium construction – gives you a sense of just how islanded in construction our building is!

Over on the other side of campus, the new Westhampton Center expansion of the Westhampton Deanery is also well underway, also scheduled for Fall 2010 completion. And the new wing of the Robins School of Business, Queally Hall, will soon be underway too, with anticipated completion for the Spring 2011 semester.

The Robins School of Business, with Queally Hall on the right. Construction will begin in May.

So what does all this construction mean for you? A couple of thoughts:

1. The construction is a reflection of just how well the University is doing financially. While our endowment, like most, has taken a hit in recent years, it has not been detrimental at all. We are one of very few colleges in the country that is actually increasing its endowment spending for the next fiscal year, and doing so safely and securely, to help maintain the quality of a Richmond education and experience. We are hiring new faculty, maintaining our commitment to financial aid, and continuing with campus construction, so the student experience at Richmond is only getting better. Building during this economic climate is actually advantageous in several ways: a lot of money is saved through lower material and labor costs, and the University is able to support the local economy in numerous sectors.

2. If you do come for a visit, please pardon our dust and noise! We’re holding most of our information sessions in another building because of the noise level here in Brunet. The good news is that, while my office will be in the noise zone for the next year, none of these projects is in a highly centralized location for our students. The main quads and greens, the central academic and residential parts of campus, aren’t obstructed in any way, and students shouldn’t see too much of an impact on their daily lives. So those of you coming in the fall don’t have to worry about construction dust and the buzz of jackhammers getting in your way.

3. Current high school juniors and seniors will benefit tremendously from top-notch facilities across our campus. These four newest construction projects follow numerous other recent projects and renovations. Within the last three years, we have opened a brand-new science center, brand-new dining hall, brand-new recreation/wellness center, a brand-new residence hall, and we’ve renovated two other residence halls. The complete renovation of our Commons, including the new game room (which is awesome), will be complete this summer. So from the simple perspective of facilities available, there has never been a better time to come to Richmond.

I’ll definitely keep you posted as construction progresses. It’s an exciting – if slightly noisy – time for us here in the Office of Admission!