2010-2011 University of Richmond Undergraduate Catalog
About the University
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Richmond is to sustain a collaborative learning and research community that supports the personal development of its members and the creation of new knowledge. A Richmond education prepares students to live lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a global and pluralistic society.
Organization and Accreditation
Five academic schools and two coordinate colleges form the University of Richmond, with authority and responsibility vested legally in the Board of Trustees and the president of the University. The several colleges and schools award no degrees individually, but all degrees for work done in any one of them are conferred by the University of Richmond.
The University enrolls approximately 2,900 full-time undergraduates, 92 percent of whom live on campus; 600 full-time law and graduate students; and 1,300 part-time students, largely from Richmond and the surrounding community.
SACS Accreditation
The University of Richmond is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and juris doctor degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of Richmond.
AACSB Accreditation
The Robins School of Business is fully accredited at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Business and Accounting by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB).
ABA Accreditation
The T.C. Williams School of Law is fully accredited by the recognized standardizing agencies in the United States. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools; it is on the approved lists of the American Bar Association and the Virginia State Board of Bar Examiners; and its Juris Doctor degree is fully accredited by the Regents of the University of the State of New York. Although each state has its own requirements for admission to the bar, a law degree from the School of Law qualifies the holder to seek admission to the bar in any state in the nation and in the District of Columbia. Additional information about accreditation may be found at abanet.org/legaled/resources/contactus.html.
Virginia State Board of Education Certification
The University also is certified by the Virginia State Board of Education to offer teacher licensure programs.
Teacher Education Accreditation Council Accreditation
The University of Richmond's education program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.
American Chemical Society Accreditation
The University of Richmond's chemistry program is accredited by the American Chemical Society.
Environment and History
The University of Richmond campus consists of about 50 major buildings of Collegiate Gothic architectural style set amid 350 acres of lawns, lake, and woodlands. The beautiful and harmonious setting has been recognized nationally by college guides. Richmond's history began almost two centuries ago with Richmond College, founded in 1830 by Virginia Baptists as a college of liberal arts and sciences for men. Around this nucleus were established the T.C. Williams School of Law (1870); Westhampton College, a college of liberal arts and sciences for women (1914); the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, for advanced study in the liberal arts and sciences (1921); the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, for undergraduate and graduate study in business (1949); University College, now known as the School of Continuing Studies, for evening, summer, and continuing education (1962); and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, the first school of leadership studies in the United States (1992). In 1992, the academic missions of Richmond College and Westhampton College were combined in a separate school, the School of Arts and Sciences. Richmond College and Westhampton College are the coordinate colleges for men and women respectively, providing special programming and leadership opportunities in student life.
Richmond benefits from a heritage of ethical and religious values, a residential character, and a commitment to liberal and general education through intimate schools and colleges joined into a substantial whole.
Information Services - Library and Computing Resources
Library Resources
Boatwright Memorial Library, facing Westhampton Lake, is the main library. It includes collections and services for the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and business. Boatwright is also home to the Media Resource Center and the Digital Scholarship Lab. The Parsons Music Library is in the Modlin Center for the Arts. The Science Reading Room in the Gottwald Science Center holds a small collection of key science reference books, offers access to online resources, and provides opportunities for consultations with the science librarian. The Muse Law Library in the Richmond School of Law serves the special needs of law students and faculty. The libraries' collections have been developed to meet the needs of students and faculty. Those collections, not including those in the Law Library, consist of more than 500,000 volumes, access to more than 30,000 print and online journals, 65,000 electronic books, more than 230 online databases and a wealth of resources in media such as sheet music, DVD, audio CD, microfilm and audio books. Since 1900, the University of Richmond has enjoyed status as a depository for U.S. government publications. Boatwright Memorial Library holds more than 500,000 government documents in print and microform and provides electronic access to thousands more. The Galvin Rare Book Room contains nearly 25,000 rare books, first editions, maps, photographs and manuscripts. The online library catalog (library.richmond.edu) provides access to the collections. The libraries participate in local and state consortia as well as national networks to obtain access to databases and to borrow items not held in the University's collections. The University's libraries are open to the entire University community.
The libraries offer group and individual instruction in how to use these resources effectively. Group instruction is offered in the Boatwright Computer Classroom and other locations. A formal introduction to library services and resources is a part of every First Year seminar. Individual assistance is available in person and online through various means described at library.richmond.edu/help/ask.html.
Boatwright Memorial Library offers a mix of study space suitable for individuals working alone or in groups as well as AV viewing/listening carrels and rooms and more than 120 public computer workstations. Laptop computers are loaned for in-building use and connect to the University's wireless network. When classes are in session, the first and second floors of Boatwright Library are open 24 hours a day.
A separate wing of Boatwright Memorial Library houses the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, a memorial to the Virginia Baptists who struggled to secure religious liberty in America. The library holds thousands of books, church records, manuscripts, and personal papers related to Virginia Baptist history and heritage. The Society also manages the University's archives, a large collection of books, photos, and memorabilia related to the University's rich history. Boatwright Library is also home to the Eight Fifteen at Boatwright coffee shop.
Computing Facilities
The University of Richmond is committed to preparing students to work successfully in technology- and information-centered environments. The Information Services division supports a teaching and learning environment that provides rich technology and information resources for students, faculty, and staff. Computer labs and classrooms with a total of more than 900 computers are spread across the campus and contain a wide variety of equipment and software. These systems can be accessed in Boatwright Memorial Library and in general purpose and discipline-specific computing spaces. Most residence halls are equipped with public computers in academic study lounges.
In addition to the general-purpose labs, many academic departments have computer labs designed to meet the special learning and research needs of their students. These include art and art history, the business school, chemistry, classical studies, education, journalism, the law school, modern literatures and cultures, music, physics, psychology, the leadership studies school, and theatre and dance.
The University maintains a robust network infrastructure. A wireless network supports mobile computing in every building on campus and provides coverage in most outdoor locations and public gathering spaces. Information Services keeps University-owned systems loaded with up-to-date versions of the latest software tools and anti-virus software. All users must have an active University computer account to log into any lab machine. To help ensure the security of our systems and network, passwords must be changed each semester in order to maintain an active account. Please refer to the Policies for Responsible Computing posted on the Information Services Policies Web page for guidelines regarding the use of University-provided technology resources.
The ground floor of Jepson Hall houses many computing resources, including a general purpose computer lab with a total of 30 workstations; five PC classrooms with full multimedia capabilities; and two computer classrooms running Windows, Linux and Unix designated for use by the math and computer science department. When classes are not in session, the Jepson Hall computer classrooms are open for student use. Jepson Hall is also the location of the Computer Help Desk, a resource that provides assistance with computing-related issues for the entire campus. A listing of the current hours of operation for all of these resources may be found on the Information Services Web page.
The Technology Learning Center (TLC) is a unique resource located on the third floor of Boatwright Memorial Library. It is devoted to servicing the multimedia needs of students, faculty, and staff. This area offers PC and Mac workstations equipped with high-end Web development, multimedia, animation, 3-D modeling, and audio-video recording and editing software. Scanners, high quality printers, large-format plotters, digitizers, and digital video and still cameras also are available. In addition, the TLC contains a photography studio and a small recording studio. The TLC also supports media production in the Media Resource Center on the second floor of Boatwright Library. Most importantly, the TLC is staffed by professionals and well-trained student assistants. Students not only have access to the hardware and software, but also to experts who can help them effectively use the specialized tools.
Technology training is offered to students, faculty, and staff in a variety of formats, including books and CDs available in the TLC and searchable through the library catalog, online video tutorials, technology training classes offered throughout the school year, and one-on-one training sessions available through appointments at the TLC. TLC hours of operation and current technology training classes may be found on the Information Services Web page at is.richmond.edu.
Undergraduate Colleges
Though Richmond is composed of five general academic schools as well as two coordinate colleges, this catalog provides specific program information about only undergraduate study in the School of Arts and Sciences, Robins School of Business, and Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Pertinent information about the coordinate colleges, Richmond College and Westhampton College, is also presented in this catalog. Detailed information about each of the other academic schools is available upon request to the respective dean's office.
Academic Schools
School of Arts and Sciences
All students begin as part of the School of Arts and Sciences. Approximately two-thirds of the University's students (2,300) then continue their study in arts and sciences, pursuing Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the more than 40 disciplines offered by the school. The arts and sciences faculty also provides instruction in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences leading to a small number of master's degrees.
The School of Arts and Sciences is a blend of studies from all areas of life - health, fine arts, natural and urban environments, government, technology, cultures, emerging scientific studies, and literature are a few examples. Though the fields of study in the School of Arts and Sciences are diverse, each discipline pursues the common goals of challenging students to think critically and independently, to make decisions based upon their assessments, to communicate effectively, to gather and evaluate information and others' opinions, and to work collaboratively, expanding their understanding of others to better comprehend the systems and situations around them. The programs ask rather than tell. Working together across disciplines, the faculty and students explore how things work, ask why they operate as they do, evaluate what has been successful, and consider possible solutions or advancements. Faculty collaborate with students to research and create data or art, encouraging them to build their own knowledge and skills and demonstrating how to most effectively communicate and apply what they learn.
Robins Schools of Business
The Robins School of Business enrolls about 650 men and women. The school's principal objective is to provide a professional college education that will enable students to meet the challenges of a complex and international business world.
The degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) is offered with majors in accounting, business administration, and economics. The business administration major has several areas of concentration that students may pursue. Once a student declares his or her major, the Robins School of Business provides a number of internal activities in which students may participate in, including its own student government. The Robins School also has a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, a national honor society. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest national recognition a student can receive in an undergraduate or master's program accredited by the AACSB-International.
The School of Business faculty also provides the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in the Robins School of Business.
Jepson School of Leadership Studies
The Jepson School of Leadership Studies offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in leadership studies, as well as a minor in leadership studies. The Jepson School uses multiple disciplinary lenses to educate students for and about leadership. As a result, both the major and the minor are broadly based in the liberal arts but highly integrated with leadership as a unifying theme. By engaging students in the classroom and in the world around them, the Jepson School challenges students intellectually and prepares them for future responsibilities of leadership.
Coordinate Colleges
Undergraduate students at the University of Richmond are members of an academic school: the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, or the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Depending on their gender, students are also members of a coordinate college: Richmond College for men and Westhampton College for women. The coordinate colleges serve as dean of students offices and manage academic policy matters, thereby providing a holistic approach to students. The college deans report to both the vice president of student development and the dean of arts and sciences.
Each coordinate college has its own staff, residence life program, student government, activities, and traditions. Deans' staff members focus on students' personal development, crisis management, judicial policies, and matters that involve the University's honor code. The deans' offices also oversee popular student traditions that recognize and celebrate the smaller college community and heritage, including Westhampton College's Junior Ring Dance and Richmond College's Investiture. The residence life programs organize gender-focused programming within the residence halls and living/learning initiatives that make important intellectual and personal connections between students and faculty members, e.g., the Richmond College's "Spinning Your Web" program.
The two student governments - the Westhampton College Government Association (WCGA) and the Richmond College Student Government Association (RCSGA)- afford students valuable leadership opportunities and guarantee that men and women students participate equally in the governing process. Meanwhile, students make connections between their curricular and cocurricular experiences in college-based programs such as Westhampton College's Women Involved in Living and Learning (WILL) program.
For more information regarding Westhampton College see wc.richmond.edu. For more information regarding Richmond College see rc.richmond.edu.
Spiritual Life
The University is committed to the formation and support of the spiritual needs and growth of all its students, regardless of faith, tradition, practice, or lack thereof. Religious and spiritual life activities and programs that invite, challenge, and support the spiritual maturity and understanding of all members of the university community are coordinated through the Office of the Chaplaincy, which is easily accessible in the E. Carlton Wilton Center for Inter-Religious Campus Ministries.
There are numerous organizations for students of various faiths and traditions, including Buddhist, Christian (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Ecumenical), Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh. Events, dinners and programs are open to all so that interfaith understanding and cooperation might be fostered. Regular on-campus worship services and times for religious practice include Zen meditation on Tuesday evenings, Juma'a prayer on Fridays at noon, Shabbat prayer on Friday evenings, Ecumenical Christian worship on Sundays at 3:16 p.m., and Roman Catholic mass on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. Many student groups hold prayer and praise meetings as well. The City of Richmond has over 300 places of worship, each of which welcomes students to participate in their services and practice.
The Office of the Chaplaincy connects with the greater Richmond interfaith and civic community through A More Perfect Union and offers individual support, counseling, and care by appointment with one of the chaplains.
Listings of on-campus and local events, houses of worship and holy days may be found on the Office of the Chaplaincy Web site chaplaincy.richmond.edu