The Collegian
Friday, January 16, 2026

News


News

Financial aid succeeds despite economic crisis

The Princeton Review has named the University of Richmond among the 13 colleges with the best financial aid. "It's really exciting to work in a place that has that kind of commitment to be able to help students who might not otherwise be able to consider a Richmond education," said Cynthia Deffenbaugh, director of student financial aid. Richmond has a need-blind admission process and is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need of admitted students, Deffenbaugh said. According to Sophomore Jon Overton, Richmond's financial aid program is helpful in that makes the school's cost closer to that of a state school. "It's also helpful because it allows you to do a work-study program while you're here," Overton said. The program is supported by the university's operating budget as well as endowed funds, she said. Deffenbaugh said she did not think the worsening economy would have an impact on the financial aid program's commitment to meeting student aid. "We're several years into this recession and we have maintained that commitment, and my expectation is that we plan to continue," she said. However, according to Dr. Robert Nicholson, associate dean for undergraduate business programs and professor of Economics in the Robins School of Business, every university, even one like Richmond that has made such a strong commitment to student financial aid, has a financial limit. One change affecting graduate students will be the removal of the origination fee rebate, Deffenbaugh said.


News

Library implements three new study zones

The University of Richmond's Boatwright Memorial Library staff spent the summer developing a three-zone study system to control noise levels and assist students in using the library to its full potential. In a survey conducted at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year titled "Where We Stand (and Sit)," more than 600 students participated and approximately 200 submitted comments. The majority of these comments were complaints about the library's noise levels and the lack of study areas for students to choose from.


News

Earthquake tremors shakes Richmond campus, students

Shockwaves from a 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Va., struck the University of Richmond Tuesday afternoon and other areas of the East Coast, causing tremors that scattered Richmond faculty and students out of buildings. The earthquake, which was a magnitude-5.8, was felt a little before 2 p.m.


News

Road expansion accesses future campus sites

Westhampton Way and surrounding areas have undergone construction this summer, as the University is rerouting the road to create room for the site of the future sorority cottages and possibly a new dormitory. Bill Powell, the project manager for architectural services who is overseeing the project, said that although the construction began three weeks later than scheduled because of problems dealing with city construction permits, the road would be usable by move-in weekend. Powell explained that the project was divided into three phases ? the first focused on drilling, sewage and opening the new road, the second dealt with preparing the new activities building site and the third would situate the parking lots in the area. Although Westhampton Way will be drivable during move-in weekend, the University of Richmond Police Department will be supervising the area to help the flow of traffic.


News

Charity basketball game honors fallen students

Talented basketball players gathered last Saturday at the Carnesecca Arena of St. John's University in a charity basketball game to honor two former University of Richmond students, Jamie and Paige Malone, as well as Michael Mulhall.


News

Energy pilots include summer installation of UFA solar panels

The University of Richmond will implement new pilot projects around campus to determine savings on energy-usage costs with projects such as electric and water-heating solar panels on the University Forest Apartments. Apartment numbers 1606 and 1607 will likely be the chosen buildings to have new photovoltaic (PV) and water-heating solar panels installed this summer around June 1st.


News

Senior explores connection between math and physics

Senior physics and math major Jeff Zheng presented his math honors thesis, "Rank One Perturbations of Self-Adjoint Operators and Applications" in a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation and question-and-answer session to the math and physics departments of the University of Richmond last Monday. Zheng has been studying physics and math since high school in Nanjing, China, he said, and has always done well.


News

Commencement speaker selection draws mixed reviews

In early April, the announcement of CEO Curtis Carlson as the speaker at the 2011 commencement was met with mixed responses from seniors. Senior Nicole LePere said she had heard Carlson's name mentioned around campus recently, but had to look him up online to know exactly who he was. "He is more than just a CEO of a tiny company, which is what I heard," she said, looking at his Wikipedia page. "He has a lot of experience.


News

Board approves two additions to the non-discrimination policy

The University of Richmond Board of Trustees voted Thursday in favor of adding gender identity and gender expression to the school's non-discrimination policy. The affirmative vote makes Richmond only the third private college or university in Virginia to do so, behind Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va.


News

Environmental activist talks to student group

Members of GreenUR organized a Skype video call with Tim DeChristopher, an environmentalist who was recently convicted of two felonies, to get students thinking about civil disobedience in the face of the climate crisis. A group of 15 students met in the Queally Hall auditorium at 5 p.m.


News

Tim Kaine uses personal tactics in Senate campaign

Former Governor and University of Richmond law professor Tim Kaine is running for a seat in the Senate and plans on using what Virginians have taught him during his years in public service to get him there. Kaine began his political career as city councilman in 1994 and then moved on to hold the offices of mayor and governor.


News

Bookstore prices send students elsewhere

The textbook affordability crisis at the university bookstore has caused students to go elsewhere to purchase their books. Roger Brooks, manager of the university bookstore, said he had been at the bookstore for 30 years and thought the books were "very high-priced." "I'm aware that there are a number of places students can try to buy books," Brooks said.


Faculty & Staff

Reception held for departing Earth Lodge professor

Nearly 50 students, staff members and professors attended a reception to honor professor Lee Carleton in the Whitehurst Living Room Thursday afternoon. Steve Bisese, the vice president for student development, and Andy Gurka, the director of living and learning programs, organized the event to recognize Carleton's contributions to the University of Richmond.


News

Richmond ends credit card deal with Bank of America

Bank of America paid the University of Richmond $89,773 in 2009 as part of a controversial credit card program under which the university sold the bank student, faculty, staff and alumni contact information. The program, which was initially started between Maryland Bank, National Association and the university, was continued by Bank of America when it bought MBNA in 2006. The so-called affinity agreement, which ended June 30, 2010, allowed students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university to have credit cards that sported a University of Richmond logo, said Louie Love, the director of treasury services at Richmond. Part of the agreement called for the university to give its database of contacts to Bank of America for solicitation. The database included names of students, faculty, staff and alumni and their addresses and telephone numbers.