This is our time

Our university was founded nearly 200 years ago. Over the centuries, thanks to the success of our graduates, the work of our staff and faculty, the generosity of our donors, and a legacy of careful stewardship, we have achieved significant momentum.

Today, the University of Richmond is simply exceptional. We offer the personalized attention and tight-knit community of a liberal arts college and the breadth of resources of a university. Within each of our five schools and across our campus, students foster relationships with dedicated teachers and mentors.

Beyond the classroom, our faculty advance research; influence law, business, and public policy; and produce inspiring creative works, often in partnership with our students. In addition, our students take part in transformative learning experiences throughout our region, across the country, and around the world. Back when I was a student, I could not have imagined the panoply of opportunities available to our students today.

We are now poised to accelerate the university’s remarkable progress. Together, we will launch a philanthropic campaign. With the support of our community, we can double down on Richmond’s strengths, reinforce the bonds that link Spiders everywhere, and take our university to even greater heights.

Making a Richmond education more affordable will be a key pillar of our campaign. It takes significant financial resources to do what we do. Every single student’s education is partially subsidized. We have need-blind admissions, meet the full demonstrated need for traditional, domestic undergraduate students, and provide funding so students can explore career pathways, conduct faculty-mentored research, and study abroad. Still, we aspire to do even better. We will be calling on Spiders who are able to invest further in financial aid so Richmond can become known everywhere as a relentlessly welcoming university where every talented student can imagine themselves thriving.

Our campaign will have three additional main pillars. We will raise funds to hire and hold on to leading scholars who love teaching; strategically expand faculty expertise; and bolster academic coaching, mentoring, and support. We will secure the resources to provide an unparalleled college athletic experience, compete at the highest level, and win. And we will invest even further in the overall student experience so that when students graduate from Richmond, they are ready for what comes next: ready to lead productive conversations in the office, in their communities, and at the dinner table; ready to leverage emerging technologies to navigate a rapidly evolving world; ready to succeed in their careers; and ready to lead flourishing lives.

Our university has come a long, long way, even in my lifetime. I was born in 1969, the same year the Robins family gave their original transformative gift! Together, we can accelerate our progress while building bridges across generations and bringing even more alumni together. Our campaign will be fun and joyous as people who love Richmond connect with one another and raise the resources to realize the University’s greatest ambitions. I’m excited. I hope you are too. This is our time.